I use BIX stripper if stripping off the finish down to the wood. It works pretty quickly, doesn't smell too strongly, and you clean up with water. I use a plastic scraper, usually, to take it off the smooth surfaces, and a tooth brush to do the nooks and crannys. There are different formulations for things like paint, like the red, white and blue piano done for the bicentennial, and it might take several applications if there are several layers of paint, but for most finishes, it is a one coat process. Apply, scrape, steel wool w/H2O, dry, sand, finish. John S.
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