Furniture Finishers

Confer with customers to determine furniture colors or finishes.

Brush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into wood grain and apply lacquer or other sealers.

Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.

Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.

Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.

Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.

Recommend woods, colors, finishes, and furniture styles, using knowledge of wood products, fashions, and styles.

Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.

Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.

Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.

Wash surfaces to prepare them for finish application.

Remove excess solvent, using cloths soaked in paint thinner.

Follow blueprints to produce specific designs.

Paint metal surfaces electrostatically, or by using a spray gun or other painting equipment.

Examine furniture to determine the extent of damage or deterioration, and to decide on the best method for repair or restoration.

Distress surfaces with woodworking tools or abrasives before staining to create an antique appearance, or rub surfaces to bring out highlights and shadings.

Stencil, gild, emboss, mark, or paint designs or borders to reproduce the original appearance of restored pieces, or to decorate new pieces.

Disassemble items to prepare them for finishing, using hand tools.

Replace or refurbish upholstery of items, using tacks, adhesives, softeners, solvents, stains, or polish.

Design, create, and decorate entire pieces or specific parts of furniture, such as draws for cabinets.

Spread graining ink over metal portions of furniture to simulate wood-grain finish.

Brush bleaching agents on wood surfaces to restore natural color.