Painting Old Furniture

Great pieces of old furniture can be found at auctions, flea markets and estate sales, usually they just need a little tender loving care to make them a great piece once again and in most instances are economical to buy. By following the simple steps below you can turn your old finds into great pieces.

Remember to always work in a well ventilated area

First clean the piece with a mild soap and water removing all the chipped paint and dirtIf you piece has old wax buildup, shellac or old varnish you must dull this with a solvent such as paint thinner, rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits otherwise it will repel the paint. Use steel wool dipping it in the solvent and then rubbing over the piece. Rinse the pad in the solvent and repeat the process as necessary. Let the piece dry thoroughly.

Sand with medium grit sandpaper switching to a fine grit sandpaper as the surface becomes smooth, wipe the dust away with a tack cloth. You can use a dry bristle brush in tight areas to get the sanding residue out.

Be sure to wipe the piece completely-any sanding residue left will show up in your paint.

Paint the entire piece with a stain blocking primer giving it one coat. Let dry thoroughly then lightly sand and wipe with a tack cloth to give a smooth surface

Paint the piece with a basecoat of paint of your choosing then sand lightly and let the piece dry. Add a second coat to completely cover the wood

Now the piece can be decorated with a folk art motif, stenciling or any detailing you like.....or left plain.

Varnish with a good varnish to protect your work and add durability to the piece