What's the best way to strip stain from Queen Anne legs on a chair

[wbmkk]

I want to do up an old chair which has lovely Queen Anne legs, which have been stained (in the past)

What's the best way to remove this stain ?

Is it simply .. sand sand and keep sanding

or would a chemical stripper be better (I really mean easier) option.

Just been looking online and Wilko have an own brand 'paint and varnish stripper' at £3 for 500ml which seems to be getting good reviews I might try this. There's a Screwfix product too, at £4.99 for 500ml. they are maybe the exact same product ... who knows

 

[opps]

I have never had much success using paint stripper alone. At best the finish has been irregular and required copious amounts of sanding.

Are you sure that it is stain and not something like french polish?

You can use meths or household ammonia to check. They soften french polish (which is shellac based).

 

[Notch7]

get some professional stripper not the DIY version which is pants!

whatever you use, you wont get rid of stain that has soaked in.

If its a post war chair it will probably be NGR spirit stain and a sparay laquer like nitrocellulose or more recently pre cat.

If it really is old it could be shellac.