Strip

A big mistake when starting to strip a piece of furniture if leaving the piece fully assembled. Break it down as much as possible to make the job easier. Also you need to remember the care of your stripper. Never leave the top off of the stripper (they evaporate quickly). Also make sure you apply enough remover to the surface to keep it wet. It will evaporate and it also dries out the wood. Being patient while the stripper is working is key. Most strippers require 15-20 minutes to remove any varnish or paint. And when you are stripping don't leave blocks of paint on the surface with intentions of sanding it off. This will require much more time, and that is what the stripper is for.

Stripping a painted piece fo furniture has less chance of damaging the wood than tank stripping, and it also leaves the wood a brighter color. Which if you plan on staining your wood you can stain it a lighter color if desired.

Most strippers have either a semi-paste or a thin liquid consistency; the premium agent in these is methylene chloride. When working with built-up layers of paint or varnish (which is what I enountered), begin with the semi-paste to remove a majority of the paint. You can use the liquid stripper to complete the stripping. The ideal temperatures when using a wood stripper is between 60 and 70 degrees, and never use it in direct sunlight.

Before beginning, make sure you have covered your floors with the plastic drop cloth (which needs to be around 4 mi. thick), and any other surrounding furniture. You will also want to have your gloves and safety goggles on along with your old clothes during this step. If you are working indoors, like I did, make sure you have all windows open and all fans going to help with ventilation. A respirator can be handy just in case the fumes get to strong. And if this happens take time out to step outside and get some fresh air, remember you are working with very harmful chemicals.

Remember to strip parts separatly. Remove mirrors and drawers prior to stripping. Remove any handles before stripping too. You can place these in a bucket of stripper if you feel it is necessary.
Apply the semi-paste stripper to the surface of the wood using the natural bristle paintbrush. Work from top to the bottom when stripping and always spread the stripper in one direction with the brush. Apply it thickly, making sure on carved areas that you have a generous amound applied. As the stripper starts to work you will want to keep the surface wet, so applying more stripper can help this. As you apply the paint remover, the old finish will start to soak it up, and the reaction from the stripper will stop. So applying enough remover is essential.

It may take several applications to lift off all of the old finish. Patience goes a long way here. Remember to let the stripper do the work. Scraping or chiseling the paint off could cause it to gouge and damage the very wood you are trying to salvage.

When the stripper has done its job it will appear bubbly and you can tell the paint has been lifted off of the surface. Use your scraper to lift and remove the residue. To help save money, using the residue on paint that was not removed the first time works just as well as applying more remover. Simply scrape the surface and then spread the residue to the parts of the surface where the paint did not fully come off. You will more than likely need to apply more remover also but then can help save in the long run. You will find common household imtems handy in this process. If you have carved areas it can be difficult to get in the curves and edges of the carvings. Using toothpicks, paperclips, or any other small object can help get in the small groves of an object.

Once most of the old finish is removed, you can then apply the thin liquid stripper using the natural bristle brush. The liquid will splatter more easily than the semi-paste, so be careful when applying. After applying, wait a few minutes, and then use the brass-bristled brush to work the solvent into the carvings and corners. This brush really helps get into the grain of the wood, especially with that paint that has had plenty of time to soak into the wood.

After you have removed all the old finish that you see fit, washing the surface is necessary. You will want to remove any film or "paint haze" caused by a little of the paint left. Make sure never to use a water rinse, it will raise the grain of the wood.