How do I paint furniture for a glossy finish?

Question

I am thinking of painting my bed frame, my bookcases, and most importantly, my desk. I want them all to become white for my room; however, I do not know how to approach the process of painting those pieces of furniture. I would like a smooth and glossy finish on each piece, especially for the desk in order to write and draw smoothly. Can someone please outline the procedure for accomplishing this?

Answer 1

1. Make sure the surface you're painting on is smooth and clean. You might have to sand it down a little to make sure it's smooth.
2. Get paint that has a glossy finish. If you're furniture is made of different materials (i.e. wood, metal, etc.), make sure you get the right kind of paint for that material.
3. Get a few brushes, of different sizes. You will need a large one for the large surfaces and a small one for all the little cracks and corners. Make sure the brushes are soft and of good quality.
4. When you're painting large surfaces, like the top of your desk, move your brush in only 2 directions - up and down and right and left. Finish off with all strokes in one direction.
5. Use enough paint to let it spread out a little after you've made the brush strokes. Also make sure the paint is thin enough to even itself out (but not too thin that it will splatter all over). That will allow the paint to spread evenly and give you a smooth finish.

Answer 2

I did this same thing a few years ago, and learned a few things the hard way. With that in mind, I will give you some pointers on how to do it without wasting a lot of money and time.
First, lightly sand the furniture, just to give the paint something to grab onto. Next, Primer it with a spray primer which is close in color to the one you plan on using. If you don't use primer, you will end up applying up to 4 times more paint than you would if you had used primer.
Then, apply the spray paint evenly, one coat at a time. Letting it dry in between. Spray back in forth in one direction. The next coat, spray in the other direction. 3 coats should do a real nice job.
Now, for the desk top. Either put a clear varathene coat on top, or have a piece of glass or heavy plastic to fit.
One more thing. Be sure to paint the furniture outside, as you really don't want or need to breath in all the fumes.
Good luck.

Answer 3

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RE:
How do I paint furniture for a glossy finish?
I am thinking of painting my bed frame, my bookcases, and most importantly, my desk. I want them all to become white for my room; however, I do not know how to approach the process of painting those pieces of furniture. I would like a smooth and glossy finish on each piece, especially for the...

Answer 4

Sand it really good. No old varnish, stain or paint on them (that could peel or make it bumpy or textured in appearance). Don't worry if some of the stain soaked into the wood and it's just "stained" that way but still smooth.
You'll want to apply a pre-coat. Do it once and then sand it really good. Then do it one more time and sand it very lightly.
Then apply your white, high gloss paint. Let it dry completely before putting on another layer. I recommend three layers of high gloss or semi gloss white paint. After the first coat, if you notice any rough spots go ahead and lightly sand those.
Then after the third coat is completely dry then apply a glossy clear finish for wood that will protect the paint and the wood and make it really shiney, glossy and smooth. Just one coat should do, but apply two if you feel it's necessary.

I recommend letting them air-dry where there is no moisture in the air and where they won't be enclosed. You want that wood really dry and able to soak up as much as possible before you put on your final two coats of white glossy paint, otherwise over time it'll start to soak into the wood.

Good luck!

Answer 5

If you want a glossy finish, you need to buy a gloss paint. to get a smooth surface I recommend using a spray paint. You should spray a layer and let dry. Sand with fine sandpaper when completely dry and use slightly damp lintfree cloth to remove all dust. You will want to do several layers in this fashion. Be sure to let the final product dry for at least a week in dry air(air conditioned)longer if the air is humid before placing any presure or weight on it. You might want to use polyurethane(clear coat) as a final coat to protect against scratching.

Answer 6

You really got some good answers, I just was going to mention that a piece of glass on the top of your desk would be awesome and would serve several purposes. One is to protect the top layer, obviously and two you can slide pictures etc. under the glass if interested. Good luck to you. Also, if your apprehensive and don't trust yourself to do it, it's worth paying more for a professional. This way it will last you a long long time.

Answer 7

For best results, make sure you keep your working area within the proper temperature range recommended for the paint. Paint woodwork in small sections. Keeping a wet edge to avoid lap marks.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

if you spray paint and then lacquer or cover with auto acrylic you will be amazed nothing better then a qualilty auto finish smooth like a mirror finish and durable even outside

Answer 10

Take the funiture outside set on dropcloth. Use a deglosser, cleaner.Then spray with a high gloss enamel ;-)