I am restaining a bedroom set, how do i use chemical stripper?

I plan on restaining my set of bedroom furniture. I was told to strip the old finish first with chemical stripper and then finely sand the surfaces with a smooth sandpaper.

I've done plenty of sanding, but havent ever used chemical stripper. What tips should i know? The legs of my night stand have some detailing, but not too much overall. What is the best kind of chemical stripper? Do i need any specialty tools to help it remove the stain quicker, easier, more evenly?

Firstly, do it outside and wear gloves! If you've got time and don't mind doing a few passes at it, get a citrus or "safe" stripper. (3M makes a decent one) They aren't as caustic as other chemical strippers though they don't work as quickly or take off as much at a time. My husband considers it a fair trade-off. They have a very strong citrus smell but aren't any where near as bad and other chemical strippers. Also, make sure the stripper is for what you have, i.e. a stripper meant only for paint won't touch stain and varnish. And remember, the longer it sits, the more it's going to take off. A putty knife is great for scrapping the stuff off, but get a cheap one you're comfortable throwing away. Fine steel wool is helpful too. A stripper that is more the gel side verses liquidy will be better on vertical surfaces. You can also get strippers that are specifically for furniture with detail work.

Hope that helps.

strippers are a pain in the azz
and its almost better to replace the wood vs stripping
id lite sand blast it before i would use a stripper
if replacing isnt an option.. and you really want to do this
get a drimel and plenty of sanding pads..
this will save the wood and the stain will look better then
killing it with stripper