Furniture finishers sand, stain, and finish new or repaired furniture.

Furniture finishers work on both new and old furniture. When working with old furniture, they examine it to determine if there is damage. They take the furniture apart and mask areas that they want to protect. On older pieces, finishers may treat warped surfaces to restore their original shape. They may also bleach surfaces to lighten them or wash off dust. They fix damaged veneers or replace missing parts. Furniture finishers attend to details to ensure old parts match new parts.

Furniture finishers prepare surfaces for finish. They smooth or shape surfaces using sandpaper, pumice stone, or chisels. They may remove old finish by scraping or using chemicals. They fill cracks with wood putty and repair broken parts using glue or nails. They polish or wax restored areas to match the surrounding finish.

Once the surfaces are prepared, furniture finishers select the finishing products. They choose paints, stains, and lacquers to finish wood surfaces. Finishers brush, spray, or apply hand-rubbed finishes to the wood. They may apply graining ink to make metal pieces of furniture look like they have a wood finish.

Furniture finishers also replace or treat old upholstery or leather. They may add stencils or gold trim, and paint designs to reproduce the furniture's original appearance. To make new furniture look like antiques, finishers distress surfaces with abrasives before staining.