Occupation

Furniture Finishers

Human Advantage 65%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.7 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

Shape, finish, and refinish damaged, worn, or used furniture or new high-grade furniture to specified color or finish.

Also Known As: Antique Finisher, Antique Refinisher, Antiquer, Cabinet Finisher, Caner, Chair Finisher, Finish Patcher, Finish Repair Worker +41 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. 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.
  2. Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
  3. Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
  4. Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
  5. Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.
  6. Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.
  7. Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
  8. Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
  9. Remove excess solvent, using cloths soaked in paint thinner.
  10. Examine furniture to determine the extent of damage or deterioration, and to decide on the best method for repair or restoration.
  11. Distress surfaces with woodworking tools or abrasives before staining to create an antique appearance, or rub surfaces to bring out highlights and shadings.
  12. Stencil, gild, emboss, mark, or paint designs or borders to reproduce the original appearance of restored pieces, or to decorate new pieces.
  13. Disassemble items to prepare them for finishing, using hand tools.

Supplemental Tasks (9)

  1. Confer with customers to determine furniture colors or finishes.
  2. Recommend woods, colors, finishes, and furniture styles, using knowledge of wood products, fashions, and styles.
  3. Wash surfaces to prepare them for finish application.
  4. Follow blueprints to produce specific designs.
  5. Paint metal surfaces electrostatically, or by using a spray gun or other painting equipment.
  6. Replace or refurbish upholstery of items, using tacks, adhesives, softeners, solvents, stains, or polish.
  7. Design, create, and decorate entire pieces or specific parts of furniture, such as draws for cabinets.
  8. Spread graining ink over metal portions of furniture to simulate wood-grain finish.
  9. Brush bleaching agents on wood surfaces to restore natural color.

Education & Training

Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
61%
Less than a High School Diploma
36%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
3%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Microsoft Office software

Software (5)

  • DuPont ColorNet
  • DuPont Spies Hecker Wizard
  • Web browser software

Tools & Equipment (56)

  • Adjustable hand clamps
  • Adjustable handwrenches
  • Air compressors
  • Automatic nail guns
  • Baking ovens
  • Barrel tumblers
  • Belt sanders
  • Canister-type face masks
  • Computer numerically control CNC spray painting machines
  • Cordless power drills
  • Dipping tanks
  • Electric buffers
  • Electrostatic spray guns
  • Finishing hammers
  • Flat cold chisels
  • Flat hand files
  • Grain combs
  • Handsaws
  • Heat guns
  • High pressure water sprayers
  • Layout squares
  • Long nose pliers
  • Measuring tapes
  • Mini hacksaws
  • Mop brushes
  • Multipurpose paintbrushes
  • Multipurpose screwdrivers
  • Nail punches
  • Offset socket wrench sets
  • Oil stones
  • Orbital sanders
  • Overgrainers
  • Paint agitators
  • Paint rollers
  • Paint scrapers
  • Pencil brushes
  • Pickup trucks
  • Pincers
  • Power grinders
  • Power paint mixers
  • Power paint sprayers
  • Power planers
  • Power sanders
  • Power screwdrivers
  • Protective respirators
  • Putty knives
  • Rubber mallets
  • Scrubbing brushes
  • Soft mallets
  • Spanner wrenches
  • Spokeshaves
  • Spray guns
  • Steam irons
  • Stroke sanders
  • Timber wedges
  • Work vans

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Skilled Trades Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 1
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers 91% match
Zone 2
Furniture Finishers You are here
Zone 3
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 77% match

Production & Automation Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 1
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers 77% match
Zone 2
Furniture Finishers You are here
Zone 3
Gem and Diamond Workers 78% match
Zone 4
Industrial Production Managers 76% match
Zone 5
Microsystems Engineers 74% match

Resume Builder

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Related Occupations

Compare skills gap with any of these related roles.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating WorkersClosely Related Grinding and Polishing Workers, HandClosely Related Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersClosely Related UpholsterersClosely Related Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersClosely Related Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Floor Sanders and Finishers Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
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Real Talk

Hear from real Furniture Finisherss about their work:

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