Spray Painting Cane Furniture

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Cane furniture are extremely durable but will eventually need refinishing. If you are a DIY person, a good option is to spray paint the pieces. If you have some old pieces, you should consider painting it in a solid color such as soft white or cream rather than just varnishing. Paint will cover black marks and damaged parts much better and gives it a brand new appearance.

Preparing For Painting

The first step is obviously to prepare the piece by removing loose or flaking paint. The best is to use a steel wire brush or sandpaper (100 grit). It is not necessary to take off all the old paint or varnish, as long as the surface is solid and smooth, the new paint can be applied. Make sure the piece is clean and dry before putting on the primer.

What Paint To Use

I prefer to use an oil base wood primer and top coat. Most paint suppliers will provide a good primer and for a top coat I prefer to use an eggshell (mat) finish oil base paint in off-white or cream. If you are going to use a compressor sprayer you will also need some lacquer thinners to thin down the paint by adding 10% thinners to the paint and thoroughly mixing it with a flat paddle.

I am a bit skeptical to use water base paint, but many people say that the modern water paint (Latex) will provide a long lasting and durable finish. If you want to be sure that the paint will not eventually start flaking again, use a good quality oil base wood primer and paint. It will also ensure that no brown spots appear after painting where the old paint or varnish was not totally removed.

How to Spray Paint Cane Furniture

I use a small (50 liter) compressor and spray gun with a 1.7 mm nozzle to spray paint furniture. It makes it easier to reach all the little crevices and hard to get places and is also much faster than an ordinary brush. You could also use a spray can but this can become an expensive exercise.

If you are going to spray paint, build a home-made spray booth from cardboard boxes or other material around the piece to be sprayed. Make sure that you have all the necessary protective gear such as a proper respirator, safety glasses and an overall. Also ensure that you have proper ventilation when you spray (use a domestic electric fan if possible).

First turn the piece upside down to paint the underside. Make sure that all the areas are well covered with paint. Turn over the piece and do the top part. At least one or two coats of wood primer should be painted and left overnight to dry properly. When the paint has dried up properly, sand down with 360 grit sandpaper to get a smooth finish. Now apply at least two coats of top coat to provide a well covered surface that will last.

 If you want to find out more about spray painting furniture, why not have a look at my e-book - "How to Spray Paint Furniture".