SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Furniture Finishers

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • Finish Repair Worker
  • Finisher
  • Furniture Finisher
  • Hand Sander
  • Lacquer Sprayer
  • Sander
  • Sealer Sander
  • Sprayer

What do Furniture Finishers do?

A furniture finisher is a skilled artisan responsible for applying finishes to wood furniture and fixtures, enhancing their appearance and protecting them from damage. This role involves preparing surfaces by sanding and cleaning wood, mixing and applying stains, paints, or varnishes, and ensuring a smooth, polished result. Furniture finishers utilize a variety of tools and techniques, including brushes, spray guns, and buffing machines, to achieve desired textures and sheens. They also pay close attention to detail to ensure consistent color application and durability. Their work often involves understanding the properties of different woods, finishes, and environmental conditions to select the appropriate products and methods. The career requires a blend of artistic sensibility and technical skill, often collaborating with furniture makers, decorators, and restoration specialists to realize design visions and restore antique pieces to their former glory.

What the work actually is

  • 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.
  • Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
  • Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
  • Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
  • Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Operations Monitoring Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Abilities

  • Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Visual Color Discrimination The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Manual Dexterity The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Control Precision The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Knowledge

  • Production and Processing Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Mechanical Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

High school diploma or equivalent
or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate
Less than high school diploma
Post-secondary certificate
Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

A normal week

  • Getting Information
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
  • Handling and Moving Objects
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Tools used on the job

Technology

  • Accounting software Intuit QuickBooks
  • Data base user interface and query software DuPont ColorNet · DuPont Spies Hecker Wizard
  • Office suite software Microsoft Office software
  • Internet browser software Web browser software

Tools

  • Orbital sander Orbital sanders
  • Paint brushes Grain combs · Multipurpose paintbrushes · Overgrainers
  • Paint sprayers Computer numerically control CNC spray painting machines · Electrostatic spray guns · Power paint sprayers
  • Respirators Canister-type face masks · Protective respirators
  • Paint mixers Paint agitators · Power paint mixers

Who it suits

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Artistic

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

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Questions people ask

How much do Furniture Finishers earn in South Africa?

Furniture Finishers salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What do Furniture Finishers do?

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, Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws and Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.