[header] How to strip wood finishes [title] Wear a dust mask and protective goggles. [step] Sanding old paint or varnish releases minute dust particles into the air that can irritate your eyes and lungs. [title] Use coarse sandpaper to sand with the grain. 
[step] Use a sanding sponge or wrap the sandpaper around a sanding block when stripping flat surfaces to ensure a smooth finish. [title] Switch the sandpaper to a medium grit once you begin to see the wood grain showing through the paint or the varnish starts to dull.