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
My experience stripping molding and baseboards last year: the heat gun
was quicker and a lot easier in removing about five layers of paint from
flat surfaces. But not every speck of paint came off, and the heat gun
had to be followed by chemical. Also, the chemical was better for
grooves and carved sections.

Paul in San Francisco