how to paint dressers + my new favorite tool!

I found 2 of these dressers at a local thrift store for $25 each. I loved them because they were lower for my 2 youngest boys to reach, they were solid wood with dovetail drawers,  and they were matching—there were 2!

The prep always seems to take longest but is the most important step – taking out the drawers, removing hardware, wiping them down, and sanding rough edges.

But THEN the fun part begins. I have never been so excited about a tool in my life: the Homeright Finish Max Sprayer. You just fill it up with paint/primer/sealant/stain whatever, make sure it’s thin enough to pass through (they give you a little tool to test this --- I had to add just a little water to the Sherwin Williams all-purpose primer I used), and then go.to.town!

I had the first dresser primed in a minute, couldn’t believe it. I would suggest using water based primers and paints so clean-up is a breeze.

Then, came paint! This color is 6356 Copper Mountain from Sherwin Williams. Again, thin it out a little in the white cup and then spray away.

Since it is for my boys, I wanted some extra durability, so I finished it off with about 3 coats of satin polyurethane. I didn’t have to thin this out at all, and it also cleans up with water.

I love how they turned out, and I’m finding all sorts of things I can paint with this sprayer. You will be seeing much more of it in upcoming projects! Things I love:

* you can use any color of paint like a spray paint, except you don’t have to battle nasty fumes.

* the price is amazing. We had another stain sprayer we used to prime some furniture in Virginia that was twice the price and did not spray well at all.

* it’s quick – I have never knocked a painting project out so quickly.

* it uses less paint. I didn’t even use 1/3 of a gallon for these dressers.

* the finish is smooth and beautiful – I’m sold.

A few tips to help you out:

* make sure the tube inside the paint cup is tilted the way your sprayer will be tilted.

* If the paint starts to spatter a bit, check the nozzle. I left it out in the garage while I went back inside and it got a little dried and I just quickly peeled it off.

* Clean it up right after so you don’t have to scrub dried paint off of the inside.

* Like spray paint, do multiple light coats and let it dry in between instead of one heavy, dripping coat.

I love how they turned out, and here they sit in the garage (painting + moving box central) waiting to move into the boys’ room at the new house. I used the industrial handles from the hardware store, which were $3.xx a piece. I thought they fit the dressers perfectly and I’m still trying to decide what do with the odd drawer – 2 knobs or fill them with wood filler and match the rest. They look like eyes to me:)

Also, I have to tell you that I was about ready to spit nails when I used some Walmart screws to attach the handles and the screw broke off in the MIDDLE of the wood. They were so cheaply made – do yourself a favor and get the real titanium screws that most hardware store sell. Grrrrrrr. I just super-glued the head back on for looks. Go for the good ones.

The BEST part is Homeright wants to give Finish Max Sprayer away to a lucky reader! Just tell us in the comments what project you would use the Finish Max for. Good luck and happy spraying!!