If you don’t have protective eyewear and a respirator, put on a pair of old sunglasses and a disposable facemask to provide at least some protection.
If you’re working outdoors, make sure the weather is dry and there isn’t a lot of wind. If you’re working inside, cover any nearby items you don’t want to get any paint on by accident with plastic or canvas drop cloths as well. Alternatively, hang drop cloths up to create a makeshift paint booth.
This ensures you don’t get any paint on the hardware and that it doesn’t get in the way of a smooth, even finish.
Sanding the wood helps the paint adhere and results in a smoother finish.
If there are any hard-to-reach nooks and crannies on your metal furniture, fold up a piece of sandpaper into a small square and use it to sand in these spots to ensure you smooth them out as well.
Any sanding dust left behind may end up finding its way into your paint finish, so be thorough about cleaning it up. If your piece of furniture is metal, dampen the tack cloth first or use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the surfaces after sanding. Let the metal dry completely before you proceed to paint it.
If you don’t use a stain-blocking primer, tannins that bleed through the paint can result in discoloration on the paint’s surface.
For example, avoid using water-based latex paint on a coffee table or dinner table that you use daily. Something like a table or shield that just holds decorative items might be a better candidate for latex paint.
Note that alkyd-based oil paints dry more quickly than plant-based oil paints, which is why they are a better choice for painting furniture. [13] X Expert Source Ez’s Painting LLCPainting Professionals Expert Interview. 12 January 2022.
Paints that aren’t formulated for metal don’t adhere well to metal surfaces, so always use metal-specific paint and primer.
Refer to your paint gun’s owner’s manual for any specific manufacturer recommendations about thinning your paint. Do this for both your paint and your primer if you’re planning to spray on the primer as well.
This applies to compressed air-powered paint sprayers, such as an HVLP spray gun. If you’re working with an airless paint sprayer, turn on the spray gun’s motor instead of using an air compressor.
Alternatively, prime your furniture with a brush or roller instead of using your spray gun. That way, you don’t have to clean the spray gun after you prime the furniture.
Don’t start spraying until you have the spray gun in the correct position.
If you want to test the spray gun out first, do so on a piece of cardboard or a scrap piece of wood to get a feel for it.
The ideal amount of overlap between passes is about 1 in (2. 5 cm). This avoids any uneven spots in the coat.
If you let primer or paint dry in your spray gun, it clogs it up and causes it to sputter and spatter paint instead of spray smoothly and evenly. Refer to your paint gun’s owner’s manual for specific cleaning instructions.
This applies to both metal and wood furniture. Always sand using fine-grit sandpaper between coats of primer and paint. The goal here isn’t to sand off much of the primer, it’s just to get rid of any air pockets and roughness in the application. If your piece of furniture has an underside, flip it over and repeat the process to apply a coat of primer to the bottom, then clean out your spray gun again and wait another 30-60 minutes before you sand the whole piece of furniture.
If you applied primer with a brush or roller instead of with your sprayer, refer to the primer application instructions in the section above for more detailed paint application techniques. Spraying on paint works just like spraying on the primer.
If the liquid doesn’t run clear, repeat the process or take the sprayer apart and rinse the parts separately.
Most water-based paints are dry enough to sand within 4 hours, while some oil-based paints take 6-8 hours to dry. Refer to the paint manufacturer’s instructions for specific drying times if you aren’t sure how long to wait before you sand. If the piece of furniture has a bottom to paint, go ahead and flip it over and apply the first coat of paint to the underside as soon as the paint is dry to the touch. This usually takes about 1 hour for water-based paint and 4 hours for oil-based paint. Remember to clean your spray gun out again after spraying the bottom.
Any piece of furniture should look good after 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint. If you painted the underside of your furniture, it’s up to you whether or not to apply a second coat. If the bottom is not that visible and the first coat looks good, you may opt not to flip over the furniture again and spray on a second coat to save time.
Make sure your final coat of paint is dry before you seal it. Wait a full 24 hours before spraying on the sealer to be extra safe. Polycrylic sealer is water-based and easy to work with. It’s safe to apply on top of either water-based paint or oil-based paint. Polycrylic sealer dries to the touch in about 30 minutes and is safe to handle after 1 hour. If you want to apply 2-3 coats to heavily used furniture, wait 1 hour between each coat.
