A furniture finisher will need to have minimum allergic reactions to dust and spirit based products such as turpentine and shellac. All timber furniture finishers work indoors, generally in a shop environment, and are exposed to a high noise level, some airborne sawdust and chemicals from painting and stripping products. There is some risk of injury involved in working with high-speed woodworking machinery. You may be required to lift equipment or supplies weighing up to 25 kilograms.

Furniture finishers use a variety of tools and materials including: wax; shellac; nitro cellulose lacquer; stain; paint; solvents; bleach; sanding blocks; steel wool; rags; brushes; automated sprays; stripping tools; wood fillers; dip baths; nails; screws and tacks; hammers; chisels, screwdrivers; planes and saws. They may also use wood lathes, drill presses, routers and other machinery.

In mass production many of the traditional hand processes are automated and include a conveyer or overhead conveyer system.