Madera is a business in Lakewood, NJ. We are a furniture company providing our customers with high end custom options.
Our work environment includes:
Modern Work Area
Growth opportunities
Overview:
We are seeking a skilled Furniture Finisher to join our team. The ideal candidate will have experience in furniture finishing and possess a keen eye for detail.
Responsibilities:
Preparing Surfaces: Sanding, smoothing, and prepping wood and other materials to ensure a clean, even surface for finishing.
Applying Stains and Paints: Staining, painting, or dying furniture to achieve the desired color, texture, and finish, ensuring uniform coverage and color consistency.
Clear Coating and Sealing: Applying protective topcoats such as polyurethane, lacquer, varnish, or other finishes to protect the furniture from wear and enhance its appearance.
Sculpting or Texturing Finishes: Creating custom textures or finishes, such as distressed or antique effects, by manipulating the wood surface and applying specific techniques.
Polishing and Buffing: Polishing and buffing finished furniture to a smooth, glossy, satin, or matte sheen, depending on the client's request.
Repairing and Touching Up Finishes: Fixing or restoring damaged finishes by sanding, refinishing, or blending new layers into existing furniture to match original colors and patterns.
Ensuring Consistent Quality: Inspecting each piece of furniture for any imperfections or defects in the finish, ensuring the product meets high-quality standards before delivery.
Maintaining Tools and Equipment: Cleaning, maintaining, and troubleshooting tools and finishing equipment (e.g., spray guns, brushes, air compressors) to ensure proper function and longevity.
Managing Drying and Curing: Ensuring that all finished furniture is dried and cured in the proper environment, at the correct temperature and humidity, to avoid imperfections in the finish.
Managing Multiple Projects: Juggling several finishing projects at once, prioritizing based on deadlines and customer requirements, while maintaining consistency and quality.
Customizing Finishes: Modifying finishes to meet specific client preferences, such as custom stains, glazes, or textures, to create unique and personalized furniture.
Repairing Furniture: Performing minor repairs on furniture pieces, such as fixing scratches, dents, or damaged wood, and ensuring a seamless, flawless finish after repairs.
Inventory Management: Keeping track of finishing materials, such as paints, stains, varnishes, and sanding products, and ensuring that stock is ordered and maintained efficiently.
Documentation and Reporting: Documenting work completed, finishes used, and any issues or special considerations for each project, often for future reference or client records.
Maintaining Clean Workspace: Keeping the finishing area tidy, organized, and free of dust and debris, ensuring a clean environment for working on high-quality finishes.
Working with Woodworking Team: Collaborating with carpenters and furniture makers to ensure the finish complements the craftsmanship of the piece and meets overall design specifications.
Troubleshooting Issues: Addressing any issues during the finishing process, such as uneven coats, bubbling, or color mismatches, and coming up with solutions to fix the problem.
Experience:
The ideal candidate should have experience in the following areas:
Proven Experience in Furniture Finishing: At least 2-3 years of hands-on experience specifically in furniture finishing, working with a variety of wood types, veneers, and other materials.
Knowledge of Wood Finishing Techniques: Expertise in traditional and modern wood finishing techniques, including staining, varnishing, lacquering, oiling, waxing, and painting.
Surface Preparation Skills: Experience in preparing wood surfaces for finishing, including sanding, smoothing, and removing imperfections to ensure a clean, even application of finishes.
Staining and Color Matching: Proven ability to apply stains and dyes accurately, achieving the desired color tones and effects. Ability to match stains and finishes to existing pieces for consistency in custom projects.
Knowledge of Paint and Coating Application: Familiarity with different types of paints and coatings (e.g., polyurethane, lacquer, shellac) and methods of applying them, including spray finishing, brushing, and wiping.
Spray Finishing Proficiency: Experience with spray guns and airless sprayers for applying finishes evenly and efficiently, especially for larger pieces or intricate designs.
Understanding of Finishing Products: Knowledge of different finishing products, including natural oils, water-based finishes, and solvent-based finishes, and their respective pros and cons.
Attention to Detail: Exceptional eye for detail to ensure the finished piece has a smooth, professional-grade look. This includes addressing imperfections, bubbles, or streaks in the finish.
Clear Coating and Polishing: Expertise in applying clear coats (e.g., polyurethane, lacquer) for durability and achieving the desired sheen (matte, satin, gloss). Experience in polishing and buffing surfaces to a high-quality finish.
Repairing and Touching Up Finishes: Experience in repairing or restoring the finish of furniture, including refinishing damaged areas, touching up nicks, scratches, or dents, and blending touch-ups seamlessly.
Knowledge of Customization: Ability to modify finishes to meet specific customer preferences, such as custom stains, glazes, or unique texturing techniques, to match unique furniture designs.
Surface Texture Techniques: Proficiency in creating different textures or effects in finishes, such as distressed, antique, or rustic looks, depending on the client’s needs.
Experience with Furniture Restoration: Familiarity with restoring antique or vintage furniture, including stripping old finishes and reapplying a new one, while maintaining the integrity of the original piece.
Drying and Curing Knowledge: Understanding the necessary time for finishes to dry and cure properly, as well as the best conditions for curing to avoid imperfections like streaking or clouding.
Health and Safety Practices: Knowledge of safety practices when working with chemicals, paints, and finishing products, including the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilation, and safe storage.
Equipment Maintenance: Experience maintaining and cleaning finishing equipment, such as spray guns, brushes, and air compressors, to ensure optimal performance and long life.
Project Management: Ability to manage multiple finishing projects at once, ensuring all jobs meet deadlines, quality standards, and client expectations.
Knowledge of Environmental Considerations: Familiarity with eco-friendly or non-toxic finishes, including water-based and low-VOC products, for sustainable furniture finishing.
Client Communication: Experience working with clients to understand their vision and preferences for the finish, offering expert guidance and suggestions to help achieve the desired outcome.
Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to troubleshoot issues that may arise during the finishing process, such as streaking, uneven color application, or incompatibility between finishes.
Job Type: Full-time
Schedule: 10 hour shift
Work Location: In person