Using an old paintbrush, start from the top and move down. Concentrate on one section at a time to gain confidence and keep you from becoming overwhelmed by the breadth of the project. Brush the stripper on in one direction. Depending on the quality of stripper and layers of paint on the wood, it generally takes strippers between 5 and 20 minutes to work. Give the stripper enough penetration time it may take a few applications to remove all the paint.
Paint tends to build up in cracks and corners.
Allow more time for the stripper to work in these areas. Use a knife blade to work the stripper into these tough spots. Use a carver's chisel. Once the paint has blistered, begin scraping it. Scraping instruments can vary from a butter knife for window sashes to a wood chisel for corners.