Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Painting kitchen table and chairs

I have an old wooden, stained table and chairs that I would like to paint black. Because it is stained, do I need to strip it first--or can I just prime and paint it? Also, what type of paint would be best to use?

Sand, prime, and paint
the sticky at the top of the "Painting" forum has instructions for painting cabinets
All those apply to furniture like yours

I'd get the primer tinted gray if at all possible

The answer is ......depends.

The proper way would be to strip it down to bare, and begin with fresh wood. In that case, I would talk to a wood shop, and see what your options are. A very nice pre-cat black lacquer would look fabulous, and last quite a long time. But for you to do it, not so much.

Your options would be to strip it (sounds ohhhh so easy.....hahaha), and then prime and paint. I would skip the stripping, and clean thoroughly with a cleaner.

Prime with XIM (solvent primer) and a very good oil enamel. The lasting time of the finish would be somewere in the weeks to months catagory. And as an added bonus, if you apply your finish too thick, your morning paper will stick for years to come.

This really isn't much of a DIY project if you catch my drift.

Good Luck.