I use a heat gun and a painters 5 in one scraper. Plastic scrapers have a tendency to melt when you get the varnish hot enough to come off. I would not use any of the chemical removers unless you are taking all the wood off of the boat. Otherwise no matter how careful you are it will get on the decks, walls etc. and strip that paint as well. I also use a regular scraper that you pull instead of push like the 5 in one. The nice thing about a 5 in one is that it has several different areas including round that is good for scraping the edges. Good luck with your project. Jim aboard m/v Sea Eagle "Semper Fi" **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)