Ever wonder what wooden handles look like when you leave them on in the lye bath? That's what the professional furniture strippers used in the past to remove paint. Takes off the finish and most of the stain. Will raise the grain a bit too.
Tom
As far as I know, Dip Tanks/Vats for wood stripping are almost a thing of the past. The Dip strippers I knew, also heated the mixture in the tank. I think some are still used to strip old Doors, and Millwork. Many people made the mistake of taking hard to strip furniture to Dip Tank Strippers like Chairs, etc., and a dip tank will dissolve most glues and you end up with Chairs or furniture coming apart, or most, if not all, of the glue joints loose.
