Painting Furniture?

Question

I have a china cabinet that I want to paint myself. It's cherry and is shiny. I'm assuming that it has wax on it ??? What steps would I follow to paint it black and also what type of brush/technique would I use to not have visible paint strokes? Thanks !!!

Answer 1

That's an easy one...! Follow these steps to have a great looking china cabinet:
Step 1: Wash the entire cabinet with TSP. You can find it in any hardware store and I suggest you use the liquid form instead of the powder as it isn't toxic and you won't have to rinse it after. If you use the powder form that you will have to mix, you'll need to protect your hands and any other skin and you will have to rinse at least twice.

Step 2: Protect all glass edges with painting tape.

Step 3: Paint the entire cabinet with an oil based primer paint. You can't use a latex primer as the paint is more than likely a varnish or stain and latex won't stick to it. Oil based primer is the best though it will cost a wee bit more and will smell more than latex but nowadays, you can get a quick drying oil based primer that doesn't smell as bad as it used to.

Step 4: Paint your cabinet with any kind of paint you want. You can use latex, melamine, oil... whatever. You just can't stain it. I would use a really high quality latex paint. You might think about using a sponge brush as opposed to a bristle brush. I would also use a sponge roller. This will reduce the brush lines in your painting and will make the paint smooth and even. Use the roller as much as you can and the brush just to do the areas where the roller doesn't reach.

Step 5: Enjoy your new cabinet!

Answer 2

It has a clear finish on it, either varnish, shellac, or laquer. If it is a solid cherry cabinet I would suggest that you leave it with a clear finish, because something like that is heirloom quality and painting it would destroy its value. If, however, it is simply cherry veneered over particle board, have fun painting it. If you decide to paint it here are the steps you will follow. If you suspect someone has waxed it wash the piece with a product like Simple Green, some sort of citrus based wax remover, or wipe it down with Toluene, next get out some 80-100 grit sand paper and sand the finish until you have an even scratch pattern over the entire area, then switch to 100-120 and sand until you have an even scratch pattern in the finer grit, since your final finish is paint, the last grit you need to use is 120. Next, spray on your favorite enamel Primer, let it dry according to manufacturer's instructions, look over the entire piece for any rough spots, or dings, and sand them out, next lightly sand the primer with 200-220 grit sand paper and apply a second coat. after this coat dries, lightly sand with 200-220 and spray on your first coat of the finish paint that you are using. Lightly sand between each coat, and continue building up the layers until you achieve the look you want. Do not sand the final coat.

Tips on using a sprayer:
Use an HVLP (high volume, low pressure) sprayer.
Begin and end each pass beyond the edge of the piece.
Overlap each pass by 50%
Multiple thin coats are better than few thick coats, so be patient.
Practice your technique on a piece of scrap first.

If you use a sprayer and leave thin coats you will end up with the smoothest finish possible, no runs, drips, brush marks, or roller stipple. Plus, sprayers are way more fun than brushes and rollers.

Answer 3

The best way to achieve a nice smooth finish is good preparation. Start by cleaning the whole piece with a damp cloth. Then wipe it down with naphtha solvent to remove any waxes or oils that might be on the surface. If the current finish is nice and smooth, then "scuff" sand it with 220 grit wet or dry sandpaper used wet. The water keeps the sandpaper from loading up with finish. If wet or dry sandpaper is not available, then use a non-loading sandpaper. the trick here is not to sand the finish off but to give the finish a "tooth" or something for the paint to grab on to. Follow that with a tack cloth to remove all the dust from sanding.

Now you're ready to paint. If you don't want brush marks in your final finish, the best method for applying the paint is spraying. If you don't want to invest in or rent spray equipment, good results can be had by using spray can enamel (such as Krylon). First spray a coat of primer made to use with the type of paint you are using. When the primer is dry, wet sand it with 320 wet or dry and follow with a tack cloth when it dries. Now you can spray your color coats. Most paint cans have instructions for achieving the best finish. The trick is to maintain a constant distance from the workpiece. (don't swing your arm in an arc) It is always best to spray more thin coats than one thick coat. I would spray 2 or 3 light coats, then let the paint dry for one day, scuff sand with 400 wet or dry, tack cloth then go for the final coat. When you spray your final coat, work from the top and avoid spraying toward an area that you've already sprayed. This will prevent the airborne particles from sticking to the wet surface and creating a bumpy surface. If you want an extra glossy surface, once your paint has cured(at least a week) you can follow it up with polishing compounds. I painted a large oak computer workstation black using this technique and it turned out awesome.

If spraying is not an option, use a paint with a long drying time. this will give it time to self-level and minimize any brush marks. Using foam brushes tends to leave fewer brush marks than bristle brushes. Also don't stroke the paint too much. You just need to get it on there evenly and let it level out.

Good luck.

Answer 4

You will need to sand down the surface first to take off the varnish so the paint will hold.

The best way to keep from having paint strokes (other than just being very careful while painting) is to put on a couple of coats of polyurethane, sand it down slightly so it is smooth and repeat until the surface is smooth (if you don't want a shiny surface again, use a matte or semi-gloss polyurethane)

Answer 5

The best way to prepare you cabinet for a new look is to use a stripper on it. Their are many types of strippers on the market, and come are very messy, smelly, and then their are some that works that that have no smell. Go to your local hardware store they have many types. You will need to sand after you strip it.

Stain is the way to go if you don't want paint brush lines to show. but i must agree to paint cherry is a bad idea it's so nice when it is stained and finished.

Answer 6

That's probably not a good approach. Better off to use spray acrylic lacquer or enamel for the color and then clear coat it with the same formula but in clear. This is what furniture manufacturers do. Follow preparation instructions from the paint manufacturer. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Oh. my! Are you sure you want to paint over cherry? Natural wood will always be in style; I'm not so sure about black.

Answer 8

cherry wood is expensive, good quality material. please don't paint it, the paint will never come off properly.

Black paint shows any scratches, just look at black cars.

If you are desperate for something to paint, get a cheap secondhand cabinet and give/sell the cherry one to someone who will like it (me?)