Hey guys!  I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time now.  Since starting this blog, I’ve received many emails inquiring what equipment I use to achieve glossy painted furniture.  I don’t mind the questions at all, but I thought it might be a good idea to write a post about my favored tools and equipment so anyone who’s interested can come right here to read all about it!  I know this post won’t interest everyone and that’s okay.  But I really hope it can help someone out there who’s searching for the right tools.  Let’s get started! *This post contains affiliate links*

Cleaning

First things first, when painting furniture I always start with cleaning it.  My favorite products to do this are:

• TriSodium Phosphate – TSP for short. This white, granulated compound dissolves in warm water.  It really does a great job in removing oily, sooty dirt from furniture and cabinetry.  Make sure you rinse/wipe the surface with clear water after using.
• Spray Nine Degreaser – I love this spray for cleaning up greasy and oily surfaces.  I use this all the time on the kitchen cabinets I paint.  You just wouldn’t believe how much cooking grease collects on your cabinets!  I’ll spare you details.
• Denatured Alcohol – This is great for wiping down your surfaces after cleaning and sanding.  It flashes (dries) immediately leaving zero oily residue.
• Lacquer Thinner– I will sometimes use this solvent to dissolve old lacquer and varnish off of hardware.  If you’ve ever tried to polish brass hardware but no matter how much you scrub it, it just wont polish chances are it’s coated in clear lacquer.  I throw the hardware into a bucket with lacquer thinner for an hour or so THEN polish it.  Works like a charm. Please be advised, these solvents and chemicals should be used with caution.  Read all of the instructions and take proper care when using and disposing.
• Bar Keepers Friend – I’m no barkeeper, but this stuff is absolutely my best friend!  It’s my go-to for polishing brass hardware.  It’s basically great for everything.  Get some today!
• Brasso– This stuff is also great for polishing hardware.  Smear it on then use a cloth to wipe it off!
• Microfiber rags– I use these for absolutely everything!  Best rags ever.
• Shop Towels– All I would need in life to be happy would be to somehow win a lifetime supply of these
• Tack Cloths– I always tack everything after vacuuming and before painting especially when using high gloss.
• Shop Vac– My husband got me this cutie for Christmas one year!  Best gift ever!
• 3M Hand Masker– I use this life-changing tool almost everyday!  It pre-assembles the tape to the plastic or paper.  Taping off drawers has never been faster or easier!  It’s handy I tell you!

Safety

This is so important, guys.  I’ve been guilty in the past of not taking the proper precautions when using such hazardous materials, but I am leaps and bounds better.  I can’t stress this one enough.  Follow the directions and take the proper precautions!

• Respirator Mask– This is by far the most important thing in my shop.  It might not look cool or glamorous, but protecting your lungs is pretty cool.  This one is actually really comfortable.
• Mask Cartridges– Make sure you always replace your mask’s filters as often as required
• Nitrile Gloves– I love these gloves for things like pouring and mixing paint, polishing hardware, cleaning and sanding.
• Heavy Duty Gloves– I use these heavy duty gloves when touching solvents is required, like cleaning out my spray gun.  Please don’t allow any solvents to touch your bare skin, friends.  Our body can absorb those chemicals so quickly.
• Paint Suit– Isn’t this a cutie?  I’ve made the mistake of not wearing this when spraying before.  I actually had green hair for 2 weeks.  Not good.
• Protective Eyewear– You don’t want any of these chemicals in your eyeballs folks

Sanding

Oh sanding, how we all hate you so.  Its a necessary evil.  These things have made me hate the job a little less.

• Mirka– This sander has been a game changer in my refinishing.  If you just clicked the link and are currently trying to pick your jaw up off the floor from sticker shock, I get it.  Trust me.  I’m not at all suggesting that you have to have the Rolls-Royce of sanders in order to be legit.  But I’ve spent many hours of my life sanding furniture and cabinetry, and this tool has made quite the difference in my job on many levels.  When you’re ready to invest more money in your tools, this sanding system is a great one to consider.
• Festools Sander– Festools is widely known by professionals to be the absolute best brand on the market.  If I didn’t own a Mirka sanding system, I would own a Festools system hands down.  These two sanders can be purchased without the dust extraction vacuum to make the cost a little more manageable.
• DeWalt Sander– If you’re just not ready to invest the money in a professional sanding system, this option is a good one.  I used this sander for several years with good results!
• DA Sander– If you’d rather run your sander from an air compressor (pneumatic) rather than electric then a dual action sander might be for you. This is also a good option if you want to sand and polish your paint finishes like I outlined in this post.
• Sanding Sponges– I love these so much!  From sanding chalk and milk paints to sanding furniture before and after primer, these sponges are awesome.  They’re also amazing for curved and ornate pieces because they allow you to reach all the nooks and crannies.
• Flexible Sandpaper Roll– The first time I saw this stuff I thought, geez what a gimmick!  I was wrong, this stuff is pretty great.  It doesn’t build quickly and really lasts a long time.  It can roll up to reach all of the hard to get to spots!
• Abranet Sanding Discs– These discs work with my Mirka.  I mainly stock grits 100, 180, 220, 320.
• 3M Sandpaper– 3M sandpaper is just the best.  It’s not the cheapest, but I have used every brand under the sun and 3M really takes the cake.  I only use the super high grits (800-3,000) when I polish my finishes.  But I do like to use this 600 grit paper on my DA sander when sanding my primer before laying down any high gloss paint.  Always make sure what size paper you’re ordering.  My DA sander is 5′ and my Mirka is 6″.  One time I ordered a couple hundred dollars worth of Abranet discs in the wrong size.  Eye Roll.

Spraying

The most frequent question I’m asked is, “do you spray or brush?”  I spray 99% of everything.  The only time I will brush is if I am using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but I don’t really do a lot of that type of painting anymore.  I mainly spray high gloss finishes on furniture and satin finish on cabinetry.

• DeVilbiss Finish Line 4– This is the HVLP (high volume low pressure) gun that I use for all of my furniture painting.  I really love this gun.  I feel like it’s a good, middle-of-the-road gun for intermediate DIYers and beginner professionals.  It’s very easy to take apart, clean and put back together.  I don’t use the aluminum paint cup anymore though, the next bullet is the cup i use.
• 3M Disposable Paint Cup and Liners– I am SO glad I found these disposable cups!  Clean up is faster.  You can seal the cup with a plug and come back to the same paint later if you don’t finish your project in one spraying session.  If you turn your gun upside down and spray out all of the air in the cup, it creates a vacuum in the cup allowing you to spray upside down and at all angles.  I swear my high gloss finishes have gotten better since using these!
• PPS Adapter– If you were to buy the DeVilbiss gun and the 3M paint cup and liners that I just linked to, you will also need this adapter so the new cup will attach to the gun!
• Air Compressor– I have this compressor to run my paint gun, dual action sander and other pneumatic tools.
• Titan 440i Airless Paint Sprayer– I have two of these machines, and I love them so very much.  One is dedicated to waterbased paints and the other one is for oil based paints and primers.  I mostly use these sprayers to paint cabinets and larger things, i.e. house interiors and exteriors. Even though I have used this machine for furniture, I don’t recommend it because it’s just too big/powerful for smaller jobs.
• Titan Capspray System– While I don’t own one of these machines,I’ve really been considering adding it to my shop.  My friend Jenny has one, and she raves about it.  If you’d like more info on it, please visit her blog as she has tons of valuable information there!

 

Whew, that’s a lot of info in one post! Whether you’re a hobby painter or doing this full time, hopefully this compilation will come in handy in your own refinishing journey!  If you have any questions for me, please don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments!

I’ve made this graphic for you to pin on Pinterest for future reference!  xo