What You'll Do

  • Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
  • 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.
  • Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
  • Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
  • Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
  • 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.
  • 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 old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 3.12/5
Critical Thinking 3.12/5
Monitoring 3.12/5
Speaking 3.0/5
Operations Monitoring 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.0/5
Time Management 3.0/5
Coordination 2.88/5
Service Orientation 2.88/5
Complex Problem Solving 2.88/5
Quality Control Analysis 2.88/5
Reading Comprehension 2.75/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness, Perseverance, Achievement Orientation

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Near Vision 4.0/5
Visual Color Discrimination 3.88/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.75/5
Manual Dexterity 3.62/5
Control Precision 3.5/5
Visualization 3.38/5
Selective Attention 3.25/5
Static Strength 3.25/5

Technologies & Tools

DuPont ColorNet DuPont Spies Hecker Wizard Intuit QuickBooks Microsoft Office software Web browser software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.34/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 3.92/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 3.79/5)
  • Achievement Orientation (High importance: 3.63/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Antique Finisher Antique Refinisher Antiquer Cabinet Finisher Caner Chair Finisher Finish Patcher Finish Repair Worker Finish Sprayer Finisher Frame Repairer Furniture Assembly Technician (Furniture Assembly Tech) Furniture Builder Furniture Finisher Furniture Installer Furniture Maker Furniture Polisher Furniture Refinisher Furniture Repair Technician Furniture Repairer Furniture Restorer Furniture Sander Furniture Service Technician (Furniture Service Tech) Furniture Technician Grainer Hand Sander Hardwood Finisher Lacquer Sprayer Machine Grainer Office Furniture Installer Piano Refinisher Recoater Refinisher Repair Technician Sander Sealer Sander Sprayer Stain Sprayer Stain Wiper Television Cabinet Finisher Utility Spray Operator Varnish Finisher Wood Cabinet Finisher Wood Coater Wood Filler Wood Finisher Wood Grainer Wood Polisher Wooden Furniture Polisher

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.