More information from O*NET OnLine:

Furniture Finishers - 51-7021.00

O*NET-SOC Description

Shape, finish, and refinish damaged, worn, or used furniture or new high-grade furniture to specified color or finish.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

Finish Repair Worker
Finisher
Furniture Finisher
Hand Sander
Lacquer Sprayer

Sander
Sealer Sander
Sprayer
Stain Sprayer
Stain Wiper

SOC Occupation Groups

51-0000	Production Occupations
51-7000	Woodworkers
51-7020	Furniture Finishers
51-7021.00	Furniture Finishers

Related Occupations

47-2042.00	Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles Bright Outlook
47-2043.00	Floor Sanders and Finishers
51-6093.00	Upholsterers
51-7011.00	Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
51-7042.00	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
51-9022.00	Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
51-9123.00	Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
51-9124.00	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
51-9195.00	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
51-9195.03	Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing

Tasks

Brush bleaching agents on wood surfaces to restore natural color.
Brush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into wood grain and apply lacquer or other sealers.
Confer with customers to determine furniture colors or finishes.
Design, create, and decorate entire pieces or specific parts of furniture, such as draws for cabinets.
Disassemble items to prepare them for finishing, using hand tools.
Distress surfaces with woodworking tools or abrasives before staining to create an antique appearance, or rub surfaces to bring out highlights and shadings.
Examine furniture to determine the extent of damage or deterioration, and to decide on the best method for repair or restoration.
Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
Follow blueprints to produce specific designs.
Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
Paint metal surfaces electrostatically, or by using a spray gun or other painting equipment.
Recommend woods, colors, finishes, and furniture styles, using knowledge of wood products, fashions, and styles.
Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
Remove excess solvent, using cloths soaked in paint thinner.
Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.
Replace or refurbish upholstery of items, using tacks, adhesives, softeners, solvents, stains, or polish.
Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
Spread graining ink over metal portions of furniture to simulate wood-grain finish.
Stencil, gild, emboss, mark, or paint designs or borders to reproduce the original appearance of restored pieces, or to decorate new pieces.
Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.
Wash surfaces to prepare them for finish application.

Detailed Work Activities

Advise others on ways to improve processes or products.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Clean workpieces or finished products.
Confer with customers or designers to determine order specifications.
Design furniture.
Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
Examine condition of property or products.
Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces.
Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
Operate grinding equipment.
Operate painting or coating equipment.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Remove accessories, tools, or other parts from equipment.
Repair furniture or upholstery.
Select production input materials.
Shape surfaces or edges of wood workpieces.