Beginner Furniture Painting using Fusion

Hi! Welcome! You’ve obviously come here for a reason and I’m here to help. If you’ve never painted furniture with Fusion Mineral Paint before then you’ve come to the right place. Below I will lay out a step by step to make it easy for you to follow along on exactly how to paint your first piece of furniture with Fusion Mineral Paint

• First step – Clean your piece with a degreaser.  I use Fusion TSP.  The reason I use Fusion is because it’s non-toxic, doesn’t require me wearing gloves or rinsing my piece after.  If you use another type of degreaser please make sure that you rinse you piece off with water before going to the next step.  Some degreasers can create a resist and will keep your paint from sticking.  The reason you clean first is that you do not want to sand existing oils and dirt on the surface into the grain of the wood. Here’s a prep guide below to help. If you’re are painting over laminate or a surface that can’t be sanded, a wood that’s red or has knots like Cherry, Mahogany or Pine, Metal, Glass or Wax see the chart below for next steps.

• Second – Scuff Sand your piece with 150-220 grit sandpaper.  I use the Fusion sanding pads. You can use any type of 150-220 grit sandpaper that you have on hand.  The goal is to put micro scratches in the surface and give your paint something to stick to.  Think of your paint like a glove that you’ll be putting over the surface.  You want to give the surface tooth so that the glove sticks.  If it has nooks and crannies you can’t get into to sand no worries.  As long as you scuff up as much as you can.  No need to do a heavy sanding or remove all of the existing finish unless you are planning to stain with a penetrating stain like Fusion Stain & Finishing Oil.  If you’re planning to stain see our post on Staining here. Remember that any chips in the existing finish may show through your new finish so make sure to sand them smooth. If you have dents that can’t be sanded out you can use Wood Putty to fill those areas and sand smooth.

• Third – Use a damp rag to wipe off all saw dust residue. Let dry throughly.
• Forth – READY TO PAINT! The main thing you need to know about Fusion is that it’s self leveling and it’s best not to overwork the paint. Brush it on and leave it. If you missed something catch it on the second coat. Continuing to brush over Fusion just causes more brush strokes in your finish. Fusion needs to be applied with a Synthetic or Synthetic Blend Brush for best results. We recommend the Staalmeester brushes for a gorgeous finish. Fusion can also be rolled on using the Fusion Microfiber Roller or Fusion Microfelt Rollers. Rolling is a great way to get a smooth brush free finish on flat surfaces. Believe me I’ve tried many rollers and none provide the finish that these two rollers provide with Fusion Mineral Paint.

Last but not least, YOU CAN DO THIS! Although starting a furniture painting project can be somewhat intimidating we know if you follow these steps you’ll be successful and have a piece that you are proud of. We’re here to help if you need us, please reach out here.