Suggestions on varnish/paint stripper for ornate wood furniture?

Skip the weak stuff from the big box stores and get some of this. I used to sell a ton of it to a BR furniture restoration shop.
You can find it at auto paint stores and some O'Reilly stores.

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How much precaution do I need to take

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Use in outdoors with good ventilation.
Wear thick gloves. It stings a bit on bare skin.
Definitely do not get it in your eyes.

Not that you want to soak wood in water, but water basically neutralizes it

I use citrus strip exclusively. It is pretty benign and does a good job and is easy to clean up. It is not what most people will suggest but I have used it for years and it works as well as anything I have ever tried, it is cheap, readily available and I have never heard anything about it being dangerous.

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We used some type of “orange” stripper that was supposedly safe and non-toxic. Got it at either Lowe’s or Home Depot.

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Citrus Strip. It works. I have been using it for years and it works as well as anything I have ever used and is pretty benign compared to most. It would probably be safe to consumer...

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Any tips on how to best use it? Apply and let it sit for a bit? Use brush or sponge to scrub it in/varnish off?

I'm new to this. Have a great piece of furniture that is very old but needs a facelift. Really nerding out on this project

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The first few times you do it it is very nerve wrecking because you don't want to mess up. That is why I use this stuff...I have never had it mess anything up and have never heard of anyone having it mess anything up.

I paint it on THICK with a cheap brush...never used a foam brush but it would probably work. wait for it to bubble...it won't take long. It won't be like peroxide bubbling...it will look like paint blistering. When it stops bubbling most of it and the paint can be scraped off with a cheap plastic putty knife. Especially on flat surfaces. I have removed several layers of paint and stain on a piece and the flat surfaces would be nearly perfect after one application. For ornamental surfaces using a putty knife may work to get some of it off but the best thing I have found is a set of soft brass bristle brushes...not the kind that auto mechanics use to clean parts but brushes specifically sold to refinish furniture. The bristles are soft...if you run them across the back of your hand they won't cut you. I have seen plastic and other types but brass seems the perfect mix of hard enough to scrape but soft enough to not scratch. They also won't stain wood when mixed with stripper and existing finishes like steel will. Or not as bad. Treat ornamental surfaces the same way, paint it on thick, wait for it to bubble, scrape as much as possible and then scrape with the brushes that get into the crevices and removes the finish. The more ornamental the surface the deeper the stain is usually because the grain is exposed more and finishes penetrate deeper. When you have removed all of the finish that will come off repeat the process until you have as much off as you think you can get...chances are some will remain in nooks and crannies. Rinse the entire piece with clean water. Don't soak it down, wipe with a rag that is wet but not dripping. Get as much as you can off. It comes off easily but it still takes some effort. When you get it as clean as you can get it you may have to use a heat gun to get in nooks and crannys. Usually I get to a point where I say "thats enough" and move to the finishing phase.

This is not a clean operation. The stripper and finish combination will stain concrete and will certainly stain wood. Use some plastic on anything you don't want to get it on...it will also strip paint and finish off stuff you do not want to strip and will do so for months if you do not dispose of it properly. I usuall use a box to scrape the putty knife off and let the glop fall in the box. The wire brushes are harder to clean while using...they will clog a bunch and you will need to unclog them a lot. They will also sling stripper and finish everywhere so it takes a lot of plastic sheeting to make sure you aren't stripping the hood of your car, for instance.

While using it some will "dry"...if there is no finish left where it dries it will turn white and is hard to scrape or brush off...but a wet rag will get most of it and will soften it up again so it can be scraped or brushed. When you have all the finish off you can get off give the entire piece a good washing with a wet rag with clean water...clean the rag regularly. I usually do this 2-3 times. This stuff is not prone to absorbing into wood but it can and stain or paint will NEVER adhere to it...it will strip for years if it is wet.

One word of caution. The combination of stripper and finish will not, most likely, be benign. The finish will, most likely, be fairly to severely toxic....it may contain lead for instance. The stripper is safe as it can be but when it is mixed with an unknown finish there is not telling what that finish might contain. Even when you have rinsed all of the residue off sanding, which will most likely be needed, can make that stuff airborne...use a mask and gloves. Disposing of the combination of stripper and finish may also be problematic....I have never had a problem with it BUT my county frowns on disposing of laytex pain so I can only imagine what they would say about a combination of chemical stripper and lead based paint. For most hobbyists it would be so little that it would probably never be a problem but it could be depending on where you live.

Its really pretty simple. It is a mess and it can take some work but it works amazingly well and I have never had it damage anything. I was doing so may pieces about 20 years ago that I actually got concerned about being exposed to old finishes and disposing of them. Doing a couple of pieces a month should never be a problem but a couple a week might.

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I used to sell a ton of it to a BR furniture restoration shop.

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I found an old can of that in the paint shed last year. Went to pick it up and the top of the can broke off. It had eaten through the can.