Remove Paint

• Removing all of the paint from a bookcase requires an extensive amount of sanding. When you first start to sand the bookcase, you should use coarse sandpaper, from 40 to 60 grit. Go over the sandpaper in an even pattern, removing bits of the paint at a time. Do not focus on one spot until the paint is removed and then move on because this often results in uneven sanding, which leaves dips in the wood.
  
  

Finish

• Once you have sanded the bookcase until all, or at least the majority, of the paint has been removed, you should focus on the finish of the bookcase. Coarse-grit sandpaper generally leaves scratches and ridges in the wood, which can impact the appearance of your paint job. Smooth out the wood surfaces of the bookcase by going over the entire case again with fine-grit paper, such as 180, which removes these ridges and leaves an even surface on which to paint or apply stain.
  
  

Alternatives

• A couple of chemical alternatives can be used in the place of sanding. While these alternatives can leave trace chemicals behind on the bookcase after paint removal, the paint removal process is usually quicker than sanding paint from a bookcase. Chemical paint removers, such as oxygen bleach or wood strippers, are applied to the wood surface, left to sit on the surface for approximately 30 minutes and then wiped off, which removes much of the paint along with it.
  
  

Using Both

• Sanding and chemical wood stripping can be used in conjunction to speed up the process of paint removal even further. Ace Hardware recommends scratching the surface of paint with coarse sandpaper to create ridges in the paint's surface before applying a wood-stripping agent to the wood to help the agent penetrate into the paint and wood. Once you create the ridge with the sandpaper, apply the oxygen bleach or wood stripper as normal, let it sit for the amount of time the manufacturer recommends and wipe the paint away.