I'm not sure if you will be able to find Oil based...it's getting harder and harder to find these days...

Latex does work. I wouldn't worry about sanding except the wood putty. I have yet to sand anything before painting it. Then I would prime it good (I use Kilz) and allow that to dry. Then I usually do like 2-3 coats of paint to make sure things are good and covered. I use brushes for around the hard to reach places and a small roller for the rest. Allow that to dry a few days and then if you want extra protection from scratches and such, use a sealer.

Sounds good. THANKS!

If you go over to the paint forum and scroll around a little, you will probably find a post on painting furniture. There is lots of good advice over there.

I had a painter use the Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo enamel paint on some old cabinets on the advice of another GW member (Grlwithaspirin, maybe?). I loved it - it wears like a semi-gloss without the super-shiny finish. I think it would work great on a dresser.

We just finished painting an entertainment center that was originally stained. The people on the paint forum generally recommend either Cabinet Coat paint (hard to find), BM Satin Impervo, or SW All-surface enamel. We used the BM paint and it came out pretty good. I wanted a white storage system for the playroom (similar to PBK), but since they were so expensive, we decided to try to paint our oak cabinet. DH didn't spend alot of time on it either, b/c we didn't care for it to be perfect (a. since we figured we'd be replacing it next year with the new TV standards, and its not in a room that is seen by guests). He used primer (a mix of what we had in the garage, some parts were painted in Kilz and then Zinnser), and then a small roller + brush for the rest. He sanded only between primer and paint, and used approx 2 coats but didn't wait much for the coats to dry. So basically, what I'm trying to say that even though he didn't do things by the book, it still turned out pretty good, even with a tough wood to paint (oak has all that grain that shows through the paint, my original reason for wanting to replace rather than attempt to paint). We have used Satin Impervo before for trim painting and DH has prefered it over semigloss latex. I once used the All Surface Enamel for outdoor rockers. I think it was harder to use than the impervo, but still good quality paint (it was recommended for outdoor use unlike the Impervo). HTHs!