Painting Furniture With a Spray Gun

Sharing is caring!

If you are thinking about painting furniture as a business or have a very large project to tackle, you have probably thought about using a paint sprayer. Paint sprayers (or spray guns) can save you time and give you a more professional-looking finish. I’m going to share how to get started painting furniture with a spray gun.

I’m going to be totally upfront, I don’t do a lot of my painting with a spray gun. I much prefer to hand paint for several reasons. First, I find it therapeutic and relaxing – while a sprayer isn’t super loud, using it isn’t “peaceful” either. Secondly, I don’t have a great setup for using a sprayer so it takes me lots of time to set up and clean up before and after. That said, there are certain projects where using a spray gun really is preferred. So instead of skipping these projects altogether, I pull out my trusted sprayer and get to work!

When to use a spray gun to paint furniture

There are many furniture painters who spray exclusively. If this is a business, you may want to invest in the right setup it really can increase the number of pieces of furniture you can paint. However, if you’re like me, you may only want to pull out your paint sprayer for specific projects. Below I’ve listed those projects that I prefer using my spray gun for.

2. Large pieces of furniture

If a piece is very large, that’s another great reason to pull out your sprayer. Or a cabinet or hutch with shelved you also want to paint. You will save a lot of time if you have a big surface area to cover!

4. Using a paint that doesn’t self-level

Not all paints are created equal. When hand painting, using a self-leveling paint is extremely important to minimize brush strokes. However, there may be times when you want to use another product. Enamel paints (like Benjamin Moore Advance and INSL-X Cabinet Coat) are highly durable and a great choice for high-use surfaces like tables, chairs, and even kitchen cabinets. But they don’t level quite as well, so when using these I usually reach for my spray gun.

What’s the best paint sprayer to use?

Let’s talk a little about the sprayer I recommend, the Wagner Flexio 5000. Using a quality sprayer will definitely make a difference in your finished project. Becuase I don’t spray that often I couldn’t justify spending a lot of money on a fancy spray system. I didn’t want one that required a separate air compressor, but I do love that the motor is separate from the “gun” itself (those that are all one piece were too heavy for me to use comfortably). I find this sprayer is easy to use, easy to clean, and gives you a smooth finish! And it’s not that expensive. I did get started using a cheaper sprayer, but find this one works so much better and is worth the upgrade. I wish I had just started with the Flexio 5000.

Steps for painting with a spray gun

Now it’s time to get painting! Here are the steps I take when painting furniture with a spray gun. The preparation is a little more intensive than hand painting, but just remember you will be saving time in the painting step.

Step 1: Prepare your piece of furniture

General Furniture prep

The basic prep work for a piece of furniture you are planning on spraying is the same as hand painting. I’ve detailed the steps of removing hardware, cleaning, and sanding in a previous article. You will also need to make any necessary repairs and prime as you normally would (you can spray your primer as well, just be sure to use a water-based primer or have the correct supplies for cleaning out your sprayer if you use something else).

Protect unpaintable areas

In addition to general prep work, you also need to ensure that any areas you don’t want painted are taped off. This includes hinges and the insides of cabinets or drawers. Use painter’s tape and plastic sheeting to ensure the paint will only go where you want it to. I’ll be honest, this is the part I hate the most and one of the reasons I don’t spray more. I will try and leave drawers in when possible – I simply put some screws into the existing hardware holes (backward), close the drawers all of the way, spray, and then open them after painting.

Step 2: Prepare your workspace

While it’s always helpful to work in a clean and dust-free area, it is especially important when using a paint sprayer. The air used in the sprayer will kick up dirt or dust in the area and it can easily end up in the painted finish. Using a sprayer also creates overspray which can get all over the other things in your space. Protect the area with a spray tent like this or simply put down a large peice of cardboard or dropcloth outside.

Step 3: Prepare to spray

Strain The Paint

Now that you’ve prepared your workspace, let’s get into the spraying process. It is super important to strain your paint! Even if it is a brand-new jar or can. Any little bits will clog up our sprayer and make a mess of your finish. I place the strainers right on top of the sprayer’s paint container and fill it this way.

Thin Paint if necessary

Once strained, you’ll want to check the paint’s viscosity. Every paint brand has a different thickness, so depending on what you are using you may need to add water (for water-based paints). Take the viscosity cup, dip it, fill it completely, and then time how long it takes to run through the small hole in the bottom. Aim for 30-35 seconds. If it’s too thick, add water. Once you’ve done it a few times you will probably get the feel and may want to just “eyeball it.”

Adjust the sprayer Settings

Finally, you want to adjust your material flow and airflow. Wagner has great information on this in their product manual. I generally keep my airflow around 5-7 and start with my material flow on the lower side (if I find that not enough paint is coming out, I will increase as necessary). The most important thing to do before you get started? Test your spray pattern on a scrap – I like to use broken-down cardboard boxes. And play around with the settings until you feel the flow is uniform and even.

Step 4: Paint your piece of furniture

Now for the fun part! You are going to want to make sure that you are spraying in a uniform way to ensure an even finish. Here are some tips:

• Make sure your nozzle is set in the correct direction. Vertically if you are spraying up and down and horizontally if you are spraying side to side.
• Hold the sprayer approximately 6-8 inches from the surface. Move across like a typewriter, holding the sprayer at a consistent distance. Go slow and steady.
• Pull the trigger and start spraying beyond the edge of the area you are spraying, then work your way across the surface and off the other edge before releasing the trigger.
• Return in the opposite direction, overlapping by about 50%.

Once you have finished your first coat, let it dry and lightly sand. There may be some small imperfections you see while spraying. Leave them and let them dry, then sand after! Almost always, touching the paint while wet will make the imperfection worse.

Once you have done several coats and are happy with the coverage, you can open up any drawers you have and use an artist’s brush to paint the edges. Inspect the entire piece and do any touch-ups as necessary.

Step 5: Apply a topcoat

This process follows the same steps as the paint, but generally, topcoats are thinner than the paint. So you may need to make some minor adjustments to the sprayer settings. Usually, I decrease the material flow and increase the airflow slightly. Test on some cardboard before applying!

Step 6: Finishing touches

Once the topcoat has dried, it’s time to do those fun finishing touches. Remove all of the painter’s tape and plastic and again do any necessary touchups. Clean up the existing hardware or add something new! Line the drawers! Whatever you want to make the piece one of a kind.

Summary

Using a paint sprayer can be a game-changer for furniture painting, offering a smooth, professional finish while saving time—especially on detailed, large, or high-gloss projects. While hand-painting is what I love best, having a reliable paint sprayer can make certain jobs much easier. Whether you’re painting as a business or tackling a big DIY project, mastering a spray gun is a valuable skill that can elevate your refinishing work.

Have you used a paint sprayer before? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments! And if you’re just getting started, let me know if you have any questions!