stripping staircase

Hi guys,
I have made the decision and have started stripping our victorian staircase. I am using a heat gun and it's working fine and the paint is coming off and it has been varnished which is coming off with lots of sanding. I know its going to take forever but think it will be worth it in the end. What i want to know is it possible to buy very small sanding drill bits for in the tiny areas of the spindles etc. Also i am using very coarse sand paper to get rid of the varnish but should i then use fine sand paper after that for a better finish and what is best to finish the stairs in, Varnish or stain. I am thinking stain but once applied is there some kind of protection coat that should be applied. I am not doing the steps they are going to be carpeted its the handrails and spindles.
Cheers Lee

First,,, make sure you wear a dust mask, the paint/varnish you are stripping may contain lead !!!

There a a few sanding tools for this but it's still painstaking work. There's the Dremmel DIY tool, cheap and cheerful but does the job, with multi change heads. Or a corner sander with velcro sanding pads.

You need a fine finish if you want it to look good, so spend a bit of time on it before staining/varnishing.

Varnish, oil, stain depends on the type of wood you have uncovered ??

I'd be very careful using power sanding tools, especially those with fine heads like the dremel. They can be a bit harsh and leave marks in the wood, making more work for you. I know it takes an age to do it by hand and it's tempting to look for a faster method but with a heat gun and scraper you have more control to leave a better finish. Sand down using gradually finer grades to achieve a good finish prior to varnishing.

A dremmel is fine for the painstaking donkey work, It's the only tool i know that gets into those awkward spots!! I did comment on taking your time with finishing..