Sash window restoration

Hello !

I'm kinda new to the hole woodworking game. The last time I seriously touched anything like this was at high school.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I've got a double hung sash window that needs to be repainted. I had to replace the cords which I've done and half put it back together. I've stripped of most of the paint with a heat gun on the inside side of the window, and part of the frame where it was badly painted about a thousand times.

My question is, do I need to go right back to the bare timber before I start to repaint it. I have tins of the orginal paint that was used on the window, and it will be the same colour. I've not taken out the glass or removed the paint on the timeber holding the glass in - this doesn't look too bad. It is mainly the sides of the window, and the windows frame itself on the inside. I've taken most of the paint off, and hit it with a fine orbital sander to make it nice and smooth. It will be painted in a colour, so I'm not going to apply anything clear to it. How far back do I need to take it ?

The inside frame of the window is quite bad as well. The heat gun didin't take off as much as I'd like here, and I think I'll have to use some paint stripper. Sanding indoors too - with an electric sander - what do you normally do to stop dust going everywhere - just cover everything with a drop sheet ?

Once it is all sanded - and right back to the timber if need be - how do I paint it ? Do I just put the colour back on it, or is there something I need to paint onto it first ?

Any help would be greatly appreaciated. I've got about 3 other windows like this, that will eventually need the same treatment.

Thanks,

G