Furniture Finisher
Quick Facts
Median Salary$40,367
Most Common EducationHigh school or GED
Projected 10-Year Growth+6.47%
Assessment MatchTake the Assessment
What They Do
A Furniture Finisher applies stains and varnishes to finished furniture, and removes and replaces the finish on old furniture.
Core Tasks:
- 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.
- Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
- Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.
- Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
- Remove excess solvent, using cloths soaked in paint thinner.
- 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.
What to expect as a Furniture Finisher
1Earn a High school or GED Diploma
19% of people achieve this level of education.
2Gain skills and experience
See Furniture Finisher related courses on Tallo
3Land a job
829 openings for Furniture Finishers
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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