Door Refinishing: General Finishes Exterior 450 + $25 Harbor Freight HVLP Gun | Russell Contracting

Front door refinishing in Fayetteville, Georgia: this weather-beaten leaded-glass entry door gets a full refinish with General Finishes Exterior 450, and every coat is sprayed with a $25 Harbor Freight HVLP spray gun. General Finishes stain is mixed right into the Exterior 450 to make the toner that brings the color back. The clear coat failing on this door let Georgia heat and humidity bleach the wood white and open up scratches and worn spots. Here's the full process: sanding the failed finish back, masking off the leaded glass, spraying the toner coat (General Finishes stain at about 15-20% in Exterior 450), then clear coats of General Finishes Exterior 450 — all of it laid down with a $25 Harbor Freight HVLP cup gun. No thinning, and the cheap gun's transfer efficiency honestly surprised me. Exterior 450 working specs, straight from General Finishes: • Recoat: minimum 2+ hours at 70°F / 50% humidity • Sand lightly between coats with 320-grit (no steel wool on water-based finishes) • Light use in 7-10 days; full cure in 21 days • On a correctly prepped exterior door, expect 3-5 years before it needs a fresh coat Safety note: I spray wearing a battery-powered respirator off Amazon (about $39) — it feeds filtered air to the mask so you're not breathing overspray. Link below. I'm Russell, a custom cabinet finisher in Woodstock, Georgia — cabinet refinishing, custom built cabinets, kitchen cabinets, and kitchen remodels, plus entry door refinishing like this one. Russell Contracting | Woodstock, Georgia | 770-883-7042 Products used: • Respirator — Rsenr Electric Wearable Air Purifier: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094DDRWD1 • Clear topcoat — General Finishes Exterior 450 Water Based Topcoat: https://generalfinishes.com/wood-fini... • Stain (toner) — General Finishes stains for exterior work: https://generalfinishes.com/faqs/prod... • Spray gun — $25 Harbor Freight HVLP cup gun (bought in store) #DoorRefinishing #GeneralFinishes #Woodworking