Not every cabinet needs to be sanded down to bare wood.

What sort of shape is your cabinet in? If you give a description, or even
better post a photo somewhere, we could advise on less destructive methods
that might produce a great-looking cabinet with a lot less work.

Many cabinets really need only touchups or spot refinishing. If yours falls
in that category, it would be a shame (and a big waste of time) to
completely destroy the original finish by sanding or stripping.

A good starter book on refinishing is "The Weekend Refinisher" by David
Johnson. Look on amazon.com or other booksellers. It has useful sections on
reviving an old finish without stripping.

The finish on your cabinet is lacquer. Avoid refinishing it with stuff like
polyurethane or spar varnish. It's the same amount of work either way. A
lacquer finish will look authentic and it will be easily reversible if you
don't like the result of your first attempt.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html