Work ranges from stripping old finish with solvents, sandpaper, or dip baths, to filling cracks and repairing broken parts with putty or glue, to mixing and hand-rubbing or spraying new stain, paint, or lacquer to match a specified color. Finishers often split time between restoration work on damaged or antique furniture and finishing pieces fresh off a production line. Many eventually go independent or join small custom furniture and restoration shops rather than staying in a factory setting.
Pros
Hands-on craft work restoring and finishing furniture with visible, tangible results
Entry with just a high school diploma and on-the-job training
Only moderate day-to-day time pressure compared to many production trades
Cons
Employment is projected to shrink over the next decade (-3.3%)
A relatively small, geographically limited occupation nationwide
Regular exposure to solvents, stains, and other contaminants during stripping and refinishing
A typical day
The restoration bench holds a 1920s walnut dresser this week, and the finisher's morning starts with stripping — old varnish lifted carefully, the patina underneath preserved because that color is eighty years of light and cannot be bought. Midday is repair and prep: a veneer chip patched with matching grain, dents steamed up, surfaces sanded through the grits with the discipline of someone who knows finish magnifies every shortcut. The afternoon is the art: stain custom-mixed to match the original sample board, then the first coat of shellac flowing on in long, even strokes. New production work has its own rhythm — spray booth, sealer, topcoat — but the restored dresser going home to someone's grandmother's room is the work that gets photographed.
Tasks at the job
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.
Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.
Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.
Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors, though not always in a climate-controlled space, and most of the day is spent on your feet. Noise levels can be distracting or uncomfortable. The role involves regular exposure to hazardous equipment or conditions and contaminants, and standard protective equipment (gloves, safety glasses, and similar) is expected.
There's a regular, moderate amount of time pressure.
Education necessary or common
High school diploma; some on-the-job training or apprenticeship
Licenses & certifications
OSHA 10
Spray finishing certifications (employer or coating-manufacturer training)