[Arran]

Citrus strip is kind of so-so as a remover, it will take old lacquer finishes off with no problem but there were multiple types of paint in use years ago just as there is now, casein paint, oil paint, water paint, etc., and some are more stubborn then others. One problem that you may also run into is that it may have multiple layers, including the original lacquer under it all. I use the old fashioned paint stripper with methylene chloride, because it will pretty much take off anything short of one of those catalyzed finishes that they used on the German radios, the longer you leave it on the more it will take off. Citrus stripper usually works, but its slower, and tends to dry out if you don't cover it with plastic, and you will have to add more if there are multiple layers, it's also more expensive, and you can forget about removing polyurethane with it. It's true that it is not as toxic, but when the old paint may or may not contain lead, it may not matter much unless you are stripping inside.
Regards
Arran