You could give C2 Trim and cabinet a try. Ask them, first, if it can go over your primer. You can buy online and have it shipped..

https://c2paint.com/collections/c2-cabinet-trim

This probably isn't the best time to be ordering paint off the internet, ya know? Maybe when this is over I'll try C2, tho...

For the record, when I rolled Advance for my laundry room doors, it didn't bubble at all. The finish wasn't flawless like when I sprayed, but I don't think anything rolled ever is.

I used it once, it went on ok but never really dried--stayed tacky. I had to replace the cab doors I used it on. No idea why, followed the instructions to the letter.

Plus, I can"t use the Advance primer, must be shellac because of the MDF. And BM dosen't recommend Advance on MDF.

I don't know about the Regal, but I have had very good success using Aura over shellac BIN on my mother's kitchen cabinets. That was back in 2010 and we did a refresh coat last year, mainly because the 20-something layers of paint underneath were failing and chipping.

PPG's Break Through. One hour is all you need between coats. It was made for paint store shelves so it dries fast and wears like iron. Wipe up spills/splatters immediately because once dry, it will not come off.

w0lley32 I was wondering about Aura...I stuck to Regal because it's was widely available, user friendly and has a nice finish. Are you a professional or experienced DIY painter? Did you roll the Aura?

Lori A. Sawaya I've been looking at Break Through as well. Good to know about the spills/splatters! Does the quick drying thing cause problems with airless sprayers eg. clogging or drying inside the sprayer? I'm thinking roller application by an amateur like me would turn ugly.

Another question: The term 'self-levelling' in the context of paints like Break Through or Advance has me wondering whether doors must be flat for application--which hasn't worked great for my sprayers in the past.

If you use BreakThrough, be sure to get the “old” formula not the new one with lower VOCs.
Which Shellac primer are you using that won’t work with the Advance?
BIN Shellac works very well with it, better than the new BreakThrough.
Another option is SW Emerald.

Do you have Lowe's? They have Valspar Cabinet Enamel, which is an alkyd-acrylic hybrid that is pretty good. It is self-leveling so comes out decent when using a roller.

I dont know about whether it works under shellac or not, but, I love Valspar cabinet enamel. It goes on great, and dries without brush marks, even if brushed, or rolled on with a foam cabinet roller. Its been on my kitchen cabinets now for almost 4 yrs, and it still looks like it was just put on, and it withstands my beagle sliding his feet down the bottoms, when he is trying to see what is on the cabinet. He is very nosey. It does take a full month, to cure to its full hardness. I have used Advance, on a small cabinet, and wasnt at all happy with it. A month later, it was still tacky. I ended up stripping it all off, and sanding and repriming and painting with Rustoleum semi gloss painters touch for that cabinet.

Regal is a wall paint really. Also, I have never had a problem with Advance bubbling when rolled. It flattens out quite nicely when done properly. If you don't want to use the Advance, go with Aura.

You mention raw mdf but then that the laminate came off. How do you know this is raw mdf? Are you sure there was no surface prep done for the laminate? Have you tested for adhesion issues with a pianted finish?

UPDATE: Just wanted to thank everyone who posted! I went with PPG Break Through after finding a paint store in a nieghbouring town; The owner was fabulous and spent 30 min with me giving instructions about various paints, primers & rollers. I mentioned I had stomach problems & he actually opened cans to make sure the primer smells would be ok. Amazing service!

I can't say enough about Break Through paint, either--The stuff is fabulous. I used micro-fibre rollers & brush, had some bubbles with one roller while applying a second coat and panicked, but then it dried fine, no bumps or bubbles. It dries so fast that with the right set up, you could easily paint an entire kitchen's cabinets in a weekend. I'd suggest using BIN primer if the cabinet doors have any adhesive remnants, otherwise just wash 'em down and slap on the Break Through. I tested with BIN (shellac) primer, water-based primer, and no primer; No difference in the end product except in one door where I couldn't sand some adhesive off.

It dries so fast that with the right set up, you could easily paint an entire kitchen's cabinets in a weekend.

I have. ;)

Because it's so quick and easy, you can invest most of your time in prepping really, really well.

I/we typically clean, lightly sand, clean again and paint.

Never, ever, ever use TSP.

Lori A. Sawaya - What do you use to clean?

A few drops of Dawn in a bucket.

Have also used a 50/50 mix of water and denatured alcohol.

Google for info on both (that's what I did).

Also, I don't mind sanding. I use the brush attachment on my sweeper when done sanding and then wipe down with a tack cloth.

TSP is evil. It must be flood rinsed. Says so on the label. If it's not rinsed thoroughly it will prevent the paint film from fusing to the surface. Result is flaking, chipping and sometimes full on peeling off in strips.

SO many people/bloggers recommend it and it's not a good plan. Which is why I slip in that comment about not using TSP whenever I can.

Lori A. Sawaya - with the PPG Breakthrough do you roll or spray? If you spray, what sprayer would you recommend for a DIYer, and did you dilute the PPG?

We bought an affordable Wagner sprayer from Home Depot. Didn't dilute it. Simple just takes time and patience.

Take care not to rush to 2nd or 3rd coat, there needs to be curing time for several hours even after the paint is dry to the touch.

Edna Miller

I bought a sprayer but didn’t need it—used a small roller And it turned out beautifully with the PPG paint.

As an aside, if you know you have a project coming up you can find a Fuji sprayer used on Ebay or Craigslist, use it for your project and resale it for the same amount you paid for it. They are hard to find and go fast, but if you are patient and persistent you will find one.

Or buy it new and sell it for $75 less than you paid for it.

ETA: The process for removing oil based stain is the exact same process for removing the protective oil for new guns.

My comment was not meant to discuss the intricacies of spraying, only commenting that a cheap sprayer is not always a money saver. An $800 Fuji sprayer is going to resale used at $700+, where a Wagner Flexio is going to cost you $150 for a very serious drop in quality.

A warning or two-I bought a Wagner sprayer on sale and was really disappointed-It didn’t aerosolize the paint well at all-Maybe we got a bad one? Used it once & gave it away. I’d also be cautious about buying a used paint sprayer without carefully inspecting and probably also testing it-If it’s used for exterior oil stain they’re difficult to clean and can clog.

I got an Earlex 5500 sprayer new to use on our cabinets but I just didn’t need it: The PPG Break Through was so easy to work with and self-leveled beautifully when rolled-No orange peel at all. I agonized over what paint to use but my local paint dealer is a straight shooter so I went with it. I know I sound like a commercial for the stuff, but it’s great: Dries fast, little smell, easy clean up if you don’t wait too long.

BTW we used the Earlex we bought for other projects: Deck railings, furniture plus we sprayed the unfinished bsmt ceiling joists & hvac ducts flat black to give the rec room an industrial feel and honestly, there’s no way I’d ever sell it. NOT easy to assemble or figure out how to thin the paint, tho. If you’re stressed or pushed for time