Painting a Bed Frame With Varnish

Bed frames can be made beautiful with a nice coat of varnish. Varnish, while a finishing for wood, is colorless. This allows the natural grain of wood to shine through, unlike stains, which contain pigment to make wood look darker. Varnish is actually made from cooking oils turned into a resin that coats and protects wood. A bed frame's wood grain can be greatly accented with varnish, making it a beautiful accent to your bedroom.

Screwdriver
Pliers
180-grit sandpaper
320-grit sandpaper
Compressed air
Oil-alkyd varnish
Paintbrush
400-grit sandpaper
800-grit sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Unfasten any metal hardware from the bed frame using a screwdriver and set the hardware aside. Take the frame apart with the screwdriver and pliers.
- 2
  Carry the disassembled bed frame to a well ventilated area that is not dusty. Dust is an enemy of varnish and will stick to the finish when drying.
- 3
  Sand the bed frame using 180-grit sandpaper to get rid of splinters, then smooth it with 320-grit sandpaper.
- 4
  Blow off the sawdust from sanding with compressed air. Make several passes over the bed frame to ensure all the sawdust has been blown off.
- 5
  Apply a coat of oil-alkyd varnish using a paintbrush, going with the wood grain on the bed frame. Let it dry between six and eight hours.
- 6
  Gently sand the first coat of varnish with 400-grit sandpaper, then blow off the dust with compressed air. Apply a second coat of varnish, let dry and sand lightly once more with 800-grit sandpaper to finish.
- 7
  Carry the piece back into the bedroom and reassemble the frame with a screwdriver and pliers, then reattach any hardware.

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Beds