How to Spray Paint Veneer Furniture With A Paint Gun

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a piece (or two) of furniture in your home that’s made from a dark wood shiny veneer. It’s still in good shape but looks so dated. And it’s also a pain to paint because of the slick surface. I’m going to show you how to prep and paint that furniture with a paint gun – and the results will amaze you!

Transforming an old dark wood veneer piece of furniture into a chic and stylish piece can breathe new life into your decor.

And it’s really not that hard to do once you know what to do.

The trick to getting a good finish is a good start. The prep work is everything!

The main steps to prepping a piece of furniture is to sand and prime it.

Sanding removes the top of the old finish and priming it seals the surface.

So let’s get started!

1 | Sand Furniture Without Getting Sawdust Everywhere

Liquid Sanders

I have never had very good luck with liquid sanders*…the kind you rub on and then wipe off, supposedly taking the old finish with it.

I usually find that you still have a lot of scrubbing to do to get rid of the finish.

So I don’t usually rely on them.

Manual Sanding

So I usually go for good old manual sanding effort instead.

If your furniture has a fair number of details, using a fine grit sanding block with an angled end makes it easier to get into those grooves.

The fine grit takes the finish off without gouging into the surface below. And it doesn’t really generate too much mess (which is always a bonus).

If you don’t have a sanding block, 220 grit sandpaper will work, too. It’s just a little harder to get it to sand into the grooves evenly.

In both cases, you want to sand in the same direction of the wood grain (if there is one). Otherwise, you may end up with scratches on the furniture that you can see when it’s painted.

Electric Sander

If there are also some fairly large flat areas that can be sanded with an electric sander, it’s a much faster but messier way to sand.

I use a DeWalt random orbit sander* for sanding furniture since it is easy to use without leaving gouges in the wood.

To use it correctly, don’t press down on it as you sand and let it move in small circles as you move from one end of the furniture to the next. The furniture finish will be removed in no time!

The only problem is all of the sawdust it spews everywhere. Using it in the garage is bad enough, but trying to use it indoors is impossible!

At least that’s what I used to think until I found a great dust collector.

Dust Collection Option #1

In the past, I have tried hooking up a shop vac* to the sander but it never seemed to get all of the sawdust.

Eventually the dust would start to rise out of the shop vac canister.

And every once in a while the hose would come off the sander at the worst possible moment. Which results in the same mountain of dust covering everything.

Dust Collection Option #2

Then a few years ago, I took a woodworking class and learned how the professionals sand furniture WITHOUT getting dust everywhere. This method works so well you can even do it in the house.

Okay, I should say professionals that aren’t working in their shops. Then they usually have a fancy dust collection system built in.

But as far as portable dust collection, I think this is the best thing since sliced bread.

So what is it you ask?

The Festool HEPA dust collector*. I will warn you now that they are pretty expensive.

But if do lots of DIY projects like I do, I think they are worth every penny.

It works like a vacuum but has a very powerful suction engine and a HEPA filter.

When you attach it to your sander, it really works to collect ALL of the dust!

The end of the hose is rubber and fits very snugly into the dust bag tube for my sander, so it never falls out in the middle of sanding.

There are different models and sizes available, but I have the CT-26E*.

It has large-sized wheels that make it very easy to move around, is compact enough to store away under my work bench, and my favorite part: It has an automated power outlet.

If you plug your sander into this outlet, and switch the dust collector to auto mode, the vacuum will automatically turn on when you start up the sander, and switch off when you stop.

Obviously, for this to work, you need a sander that has a dust bag or hose attachment option (most electric ones do).

And it works best for sanders that have holes in the bottom. That way it can suck up the dust directly as it is created.

The dust collector works great for sanding dry wall or cutting concrete as well as pretty much any other power tool that has a dust bag. For me, not having to clean up after doing these kinds of jobs more than makes up for the price of the vacuum!

2 | Remove Residue

After all of the furniture has been sanded, make sure any remaining grease or oil has been removed from the surface.

Krud Kutter* does a great job of this.

Spray it on and let it sit for about a minute, then wipe it off. It’s amazing how much extra oil and varnish came off on the rag!

Make sure it is completely dry by waiting an hour before continuing to the priming stage.

3 | Prime The Furniture

Adding a coat of primer paint helps to make sure the paint sticks and covers up any stains that might bleed through the paint.

For wood that has been finished before, I like to use this Kilz latex primer* or this Zinsser latex primer*. They are both water based which makes it fairly easy to clean up.

However for unfinished wood, this shellac-based primer* works best.

It provides the best adhesion, seals the knots in the wood and makes sure any moisture or resin in the wood do not cause issues with your paint. Just be aware that it is a little more difficult to clean up.

When the primer has dried, give the furniture a light sanding to remove any rough bits. This will make your final paint finish smoother.

Related: How to choose the best primer

4 | Use A Paint Sprayer Without Getting Paint Everywhere

My favorite way to paint furniture is to with a paint sprayer.

The finish is always smooth, it’s faster and it gets into the nooks and crannies much better than a paint brush or roller would.

As with any paint spraying project, doing two or three thin layers works better for a smooth surface (with no drips) than one thicker layer.

To be honest, paint sprayers haven’t always been my favorite tool. But I finally found a spray gun that works! (And I have tried a lot of them.)

The Homeright Finish Max electric paint sprayer* is my new best friend!

It’s an HVLP spray gun that is easy to use, sprays evenly and is easy to clean up. No separate air compressor required!

The only problem with spray painting is that the paint goes everywhere.

Fortunately, there’s a solution for that, too. This painting tent*. You put down a drop cloth and put up the tent which only takes a few minutes.

Then move the furniture in and start spraying and the paint stays in the tent. Brilliant!

If you’re working outside (like I often am), the fold down screen on the front of the tent helps to keep the bugs and pollen off of my wet paint.

With gloss or semi-gloss paint, I like to wait 48 hours between coats to make sure it is completely dry before putting on the next coat.

Otherwise, you can end up with a tacky finish that everything sticks to.

Use a fine grit sanding block or piece of 220 grit sand paper to lightly sand the surface. This is just to remove any small bumps and blemishes (not remove the paint).

Then spray on the second coat.

After it has dried, take a close look at the finish to see if it needs another coat.

Then you’re done!

Other furniture Painting Tips you might like

• How to paint wooden furniture without sanding
• How to paint metal patio furniture
• Black lacquer bar cabinet makeover
• Spray painting tips for a smooth finish

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