Just an aside...I hope you are wearing the most expensive re-breathing mask from Lowes with a filter ??? If not please do. Those tiny misting droplets on your skin are in your lungs too , if you aren't. And wear long sleeves and pants etc. Googles too...please...if you aren't do so.

Look forward to seeing your project. I always wondered what the time thing was about...I follow it but am glad to know what will happen if I don't . Thank you ! c

Yes, I'm wearing all of my gear! I used to just wear a dust mask, but found that it didn't do much to protect from the fumes. I wear a mask when I sand, too. I didn't used to wear any kind of respiratory protection. Yikes!

Thankfully I didn't make a mess, but did a little internet searching, and found all sorts of sad stories of people having to take the whole thing off and start over.

All of the sanding paid off, because the paint that's on so far is wonderful. I wanted a silky satin finish, and I think that's just what I'm going to get. I thought about brush painting (which is what I almost always do) and just envisioned painting for days and days.

"dust mask, but found that it didn't do much to protect from the fumes"

Nuisance dust masks protect only against particles.
They will catch some of the airborne paint drops before they get into your lungs, but the vapors from solvents and the drying paint go right through them.

To protect against solvents takes at least a partial face mask with the correct cartridges.
The first cartridge will often be a particulate filter to prevent particles from clogging the active cartridges behind it.

if you start to smell solvent it means the active cartridge has probably saturated and needs to be replaced.

Occasions solvent breathing is not that likely to do more than give you nasty headache (absent other health issues) but prolonged and repeated exposure (usually full time work with the solvent) can cause permanent damage (brain and various organs depending on the solvent).

Here's today's tip: don't try to spray paint a large piece of furniture.

I should have chosen a spray paint with a built in primer or prime the night stand first... it was still a bit blotchy after 2 coats...

Thanks, franksmom, I always wondered how important those instructions were on spray cans.

I'm so frustrated. I've used this exact paint before with no problems. I usually use spray paint for odd shaped pieces, wicker, picture frames, etc.

I decided that I'd spray paint this dresser so that it would be fast and easy, rather than brushing on multiple coats of latex.

Well. I sprayed the drawers and ran out of paint, so decided to get more paint and do the frame. 6-7 coats later, the top of the dresser still has an uneven sheen. I tried spraying it vertically, standing on a stool over it, wiping off overspray between coats, etc. The top still looks bad, the drawers are still unfinished, and I've spent $30 on paint.

Had I just bought regular paint and brushed it on, I'd be done right now, and admiring my fabulous new furniture.

I'm going to try buffing the top down and adding a coat of paste wax, but if it doesn't work, I'm going to scuff sand the whole mess, prime it (again) and repaint.

I'm still going to use spray paint, and have a very cool vintage phone table that's waiting in the wings for it's red glossy spray, but a large piece with a flat surface? Never again.

Thanks for the heads up.

When you said you were spray painting a dresser I was wondering what your secret was to an even finish. I went through a "I hate spray paint phase" but I'm over it now and do use it for small projects. I just can't get the sheen even for larger pieces. The last time I tried I ended up using a poly over the topcoat out of frustration. It fixed the finish but I'll have to sand it off before I ever paint again.