Stripping
When using stripper. keep several things in mind.
1) Always wear eye protection no mater what. If you dont wear respiratory protection, you will get cancer in 40 years. If you get splashed in the face, you will be blind instantly.
2) Stripper usually works best at about 75* liquid temp which may actually be about 15* lower than the air temp. It will probably boil at slightly over 95* liquid temp. and we dont want that. If the chemical is cold, like around 50* it may not work at all.
3) Let the chemical do most of the work. Wait for it to blister the paint, then just scrape the whole mess off with a plastic scraper which looks like a paint scraper but it is usually a black plastic.
4) For the legs, carvings and grooves etc. it would help if you had a High Pressure washer. Let the paint and stripper blister and blast the sucker off. Watch for splashing - the eye thing again. If you dont have a pressure washer, with gloves on, grab a handful of woodshavings or sawdust and rub this hard into the cracks and carvings and this will pull out most of the old finish. If you dont have either, use a scrubby pad.
5) Get the stripper in paste form rather than a liquid. The paste will stay in place on vertical surfaces until you are ready.
6) Most stripping chemicals will neutralize with water or lacquer thinner so wipe the piece down good when you are done. Let dry overnight and prop the legs on scrap 2 X 4's. They absorb the excess water and dry out. If you put the legs on concrete, they will stay wet for weeks.