I have an old painted chiffarobe - c1930? c1950?

[jeff47]

3. Lead based paint was banned in 1978.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead-based_paint_in_the_United_States)

So anything painted before 1978 may have lead in the paint. Or it may not. If you get a lead paint test kit at the hardware store, make sure you are testing every layer of paint. You may need something like a knife to chip off the layers of paint.

You can still sand it, you'll just have to do some additional things to protect against lead exposure.

- Work outside.
- Use a massively oversized dropcloth to catch any dust. As in many feet extra in all directions.
- Use a respirator (similar in concept to a dust mask, but much, much, much better filtration)
- Cover as much of your skin as possible. Gloves, long sleeves, pants, etc. I highly recommend buying disposable coveralls like this (That's the first hit, feel free to shop around)
- Get a box fan, and bungee-cord an "allergen" quality furnace filter to the intake side of the fan. Run the fan nearby to help catch dust.
- If you use a power sander, make sure you use whatever dust-catching capabilities it has.
- The drop cloth, dust, clothing, and furnace filter will become hazardous waste. So before you start, find out how to dispose of them.

Lead is primarily a danger to children, so if there are any kids in the house make sure they stay far away from your operation. Lead isn't too much of a danger to adults until you reach high concentrations and one piece of furniture shouldn't have enough lead paint to harm you. But it's better to be safe.