Furniture Finisher
What the work is
Applies finishes such as stain, lacquer, paint, oil and varnish to furniture, and polishes and waxes finished furniture surfaces.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Prepares furniture surfaces for finishing by sanding, scraping or stripping old finishes
- Mixes and applies stains, lacquers, paints, oils or varnishes to furniture surfaces
- Uses brushes, spray guns or other tools to apply finishes evenly and smoothly
- Inspects finished furniture surfaces for quality and makes any necessary touch-ups or repairs
- Polishes and waxes finished furniture surfaces to enhance shine and protect the finish
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a cabinet and furniture workshop with a machine room and a finishing bay. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A drawer slides shut with a soft, even sound that tells you it is right
- You run your hand along a finished tabletop and cannot find a single flaw
- A customer collects a frame and says it makes the picture look better than the picture is
Hard days
- Dust, noise and ear protection for a whole shift on a big order
- A beautiful board that turns out to have a flaw in it after you have cut it
- A customer who changes the measurements after the timber is already cut
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 399531, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.