Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - How do I achieve best possible finish for this?

I'm building a bar and am installing a poplar wood front edge rail as an arm rest for patrons. I want to paint it instead of staining it. I've seen painted wood in the past that looks as smooth as a piece of powder coated metal, having no evidence of wood graining or texture telegraphing through the paint. How do I finish this poplar to achieve that look. The paint color will most likly be black. I also want it to be a ultra high gloss finish. Prep tips, finishing tips, number of coats, and product suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ettev,

I moved this question to wood finishing. Sounds like you want a lacquered finish (like the black oriental finishes). Even tough you are painting, that is better answered by wood finishers.

I would use a sanding sealer to fill the grain, then follow with two coats of high gloss black paint or several coats of lacquer to achieve the desired build. I would spray for the smoothest finish with the least work. Brushing can be quite smooth, but requires more work along the lines of rubbing out the finish. The lacquer finish would be easier to repair in the long run since it can be burned in as needed. Paint will just about need to be an entire coat to repair without showing as a repair.

Having made gloss black items for a bar before, I suggest that you try the black colors out on some scrap wood to find a brand of finish that comes out truly black. I found a tendency of some black to be be gray.

You could probably contact Sherwin Williams and have the mix up Black Lacquer. There are many ways to achieve this, but having the knowledge and experience is a must on High-Gloss Black Lacquer.

Make sure you use a good primer-undercoating to accept the black paint. Fix ALL flaws before you put any coats of paint on. Fix as much as you can before the primer goes on. Once the primer is applied, all voids, flaws, etc, will show up.