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Originally Posted by Greenman  Tried looking for the thread but couldn't find it. Probably Polyester. Get a scraper and heat gun and try to get under the finish and peel it off. Good luck. |
It's probably me who advised using the heatgun. Yes, that's the best way in my opinion, having tried sanding it off before. As you are finding out, paint strippers won't touch these factory finishes.
I bought my heat gun for $40 Canadian about 10 years ago. I've used it on a few finishes on basses and other furniture refinishing projects and it still works. It's made specifically for the job of stripping paint and looks like a hair dryer, but puts out more than twice the amount of heat on it's high setting. It does the job quickly, and with a flexible metal scraper and a bit of practice you can get the majority of the old finish off. Then you get to do some sanding to get into the areas that are tough, like end grain and inside contours. But the heat gun will save you a lot of grief.
You must use it either outside or, if indoors, with really good ventilation. The fumes from the melting finish are toxic and will set off every smoke detector in your home.
But it's the best way to go for these tough finishes.
