I'm not joking. I wooded this deck box in 1999. 8 coats originally(my typical,"I quit" point) plus one coat each spring=21. The thick coating comes off like ribbon candy(see the sheets on the back?).

Just keep the gun and knife moving. A flat sanding with 80 grit takes the rest off(you should never sand much), and it's ready for a little finish sanding.

I wiped some paint thinner on to see how the wood looks. A few battle scars but nothing I'll do anything about. Not bad for being built in 1961.