Bob wrote:
I'm planning to restore some painted wood to a more natural state. A few
years back, using heat to strip old finishes was commonplace and electric
heat guns were flying off the shelves. I only see chemical methods
mentioned now. Is there a good reason for this?

TIA

Chemical strippers are expensive, messy, but do a great job. Torch can
be used outdoors, but run risk of burning/charring wood. Depends on the
job, how much, etc. I've done both. I wouldn't use a torch on antique
furniture, and I wouldn't use chemical stripper to do all the window
frames on the outside of the house.