Can you paint lacquered furniture?

[Darth_Kitten]

:shrug:

Got some lacquered pine(?) dressers that I think are a tad too light for my bedroom, so I wish to paint them a deep brown. Thing is I don't have the patience for sanding or anything like that. :(

Any suggestions?

[LeftyFingerPop]

1. You probably can...

If you have a good paint store in your area, go there and ask for their advice.

My guess is that if you have a glossy finish, you will just need to rough it up a bit with some sandpaper so whatever coating you put on there will stick.

They will probably tell you to prime it first with something like Zissner 1-2-3.

Good luck.

[Raven]

2. I agree with Philboy, you are definately going to have to rough it

up so new paint will take hold. I don't think you have to sand away the old finish completely but the surface will have to be rough. A primer will also be a "must".

[CreekDog]

3. only if you...

[KG]

4. a primer that would stick to the lacquer would eliminate the need to sand.

you could always repaint the bedroom to match the dressers. :)

[LeftyFingerPop]

5. Sitting here thinking, here's what I would do...

1) Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy a pack of sandpaper of varying grit.

2) Pine is soft, so take the 100 grit sandpaper and just hand sand it quickly. As Raven said, your goal is not to sand the finish off, but rather, to take the "shine" away.

3) If the 100 grit is too rough and starts taking some of the pine away, move up to 120.

4) Buy some mineral spirits. Soak a soft cloth in mineral spirits and wipe down the piece to get rid of the sanding dust.

5) Buy some primer. Have the store tint it to the finished paint color. It will look streaky as you put the primer on, but will improve as it dries.

6) Enamel oil based paint will give you a very hard, strong finish, but it is so hard that it does have a tendency to chip. Latex paint is easier to clean up (just water), but the finish may not be as durable. I guess your choice of paint types would be based on how much abuse these pieces of furniture will get.

[hippywife]

6. Re: Philboy's suggestion:

4) Buy some mineral spirits. Soak a soft cloth in mineral spirits and wipe down the piece to get rid of the sanding dust.

If you've never used mineral spirits before, please read and follow all instructions on the label!

[LeftyFingerPop]

7. Good point...

Ventilation!!

Also, don't use it ANYWHERE near a flame source such as a hot water heater or a furnace. Don't do it in your basement.

In fact, best to do all of this outside on a day that is not windy so your paint job doesn't get messed up.

[hyphenate]

8. There is a spray paint

out there for painting plastic that should work. I believe it's something like "Krylon." Check with your local Lowes or Home Depot in the paint section.

Otherwise, there is very little that will permanently stick to the wood unless you sand it down.

[LeftyFingerPop]

9. Before and after pics...

This is an old child's chair that was lacquered over some painted design on the top. I roughed it up, and then primed with Zissner, and then painted with enamel.

[Raven]

10. Georgeous! And who puts nail on the bottom of the chair like that???

You're a real pro!

Also on the mineral spirits, after they have been used, wet them and but them in a plastic bag and dispose of them asap.

[LeftyFingerPop]

11. Thanks!

Yes I put the nails so I could paint the bottom of the legs at the same time as the rest of the chair.

Excellent point about the mineral spirits.

In fact, after I was done with the cloths, I never even brought them back into the house. I put them in a tightly sealed plastic bag, as you said, and left them in my driveway until it was garbage pick-up time.

[Darth_Kitten]

13. LOL I did not see this post before posting mine below.

:D

[Darth_Kitten]

12. Gorgeous, did you spray paint it, or use a brush?

Does it matter?

[LeftyFingerPop]

14. Thank you...

Just took my time with a brush. I think that took 3 coats plus the primer.

Don't get discouraged after the primer coat...expect it not to look so good, but it will look progressively better after each paint coat.

If you are methodical and move along at a nice comfortable pace, you will be surprised how little time the brush takes.

[Darth_Kitten]

15. Well, the dressers aren't large......

just spent the better part of yesterday constructing one of the #$#!@!.

:)