One of task's for this year in trade off for some fishing time is I am going to have to paint the front door. It's an old fashioned wooden door with a circle top section of stained glass which is broken into 4 sections. The paint is in pretty good nick but with hair line cracks in the lower sections where it weathers most. Top section is pretty good as it's under a porch. My question to the pro's is could I get away with just keying in or would I have to strip back with heat gun. I want to get the best possible result.

Thank You

In reply to Post #1
No need to burn it off , get yourself some 80 grade sandpaper ,scrape off any loose paint give it a rub down , prime any bare wood then fill any bits that need filling with 2 part filler , rub the filler down when it's dry then undercoat then gloss .

In reply to Post #2
If you're really fussy you could rub down the undercoat aswell

In reply to Post #1
I'd recommend giving it a light sand, a decent electric sander always does a better job.
Start with 180 grit and see what the finish is like, it should be smooth to the touch with the palm of your hand, if you consider there's still a lot of high spots go to 120 or maybe even 80 grit, briefly until an even finish is achieved.

Fill any cracks with exterior grade decorators caulk, and i would highly recommend using a Zinsser Primer/Sealer.
It's quite expensive but worth it.

When dry, very lightly key the surface and apply 2-3 coats of your exterior paint finish.

The key to getting a smooth and flat finish is very lightly denibbing with a high grit sand paper or denibbing pad between coats.

You can hand sand, but as i mentioned earlier a decent electric sander is better.

In reply to Post #3
He said pros, not cowboys

In reply to Post #1
was in the same situation, a really good 3
panel oak door that was never looked after,
I did most of the below advice, but, as a sh1t
painter I laid the door down on a bench so
it was flat, didn't get any runs, also found
exterior caulk worked well.
Hope this helps.