Painting Unfinished Oak Furniture

Preparation

• 1

  Place a piece of 150-grit, or medium, sandpaper onto your sanding block. Put on protective eye wear and a dust mask.

• 2

  Sand in the direction of the wood grain. Use the sandpaper without the sanding block to reach curved or difficult to reach places. Repeat using a 220-grit, or fine, sandpaper.

• 3

  Put on a pair of lightweight cotton gloves. Run your hand over the entire piece of furniture. The glove will drag in areas requiring additional sanding. Re-sand as needed.

• 4

  Remove all of the sanding dust from the furniture. Use a tack cloth to clean out difficult-to-reach areas to be sure it is completely dust free.

Priming

• 5

  Clean your work area to be sure no sanding dust will find its way into your paint. Lay drop cloths to protect your flooring from spilled paint.

• 6

  Open your primer and stir it well.

• 7

  Dip your brush 1/2 inch into the primer. Over-saturating the brush increases the risk of brush strokes showing. Use short brushstrokes to apply the primer in the direction of the wood grain. Prime the entire surface.

Painting

• 8

  Allow the primer to completely dry.

• 9

  Lightly sand the primed surface with 220-grit sandpaper. Clean the surface of sanding dust with a tack cloth.

• 10

  Open your paint and stir it well.

• 11

  Apply the paint using the same technique used for the primer. Allow the paint to dry, and apply a second coat if needed.