sanding
This is related to something that I am working on, described here:
How should I refinish vintage wooden closet doors?
Is it possible to remove the existing finish with a flap sand disk like the one below ?
I have tried my chance with a sander but no luck. I am afraid to test it with the belt sander.
Q: Is there a version of the below disk that can be attached to a drill ?
A cheap and easy solution would be to strap an air filter to a box fan and run it in the room for awhile. I've seen several variations of the basic concept. Here is one example:
Build a do-it-yourself air purifier for about $25
You'll probably want to rent a proper floor sander. A small random-orbit will take ages and you'll probably burn through most of its useful life.
The sander should come with a variety of paper grits. As with any woodworking project, start with the heaviest and transition to the finest. The final should be somewhere in the 100-120 grit range.
How far you need to go depends partly on the stain color--is it markedly different from the current color? Is it dark? Dark stain is more likely to compound if it's not completely removed. You'll see the old stain through the new as dark streaks or patches.
If you go the route of renting a sander, the work will be easy enough that you can get through the old stain without much effort, and you'll be confident of achieving a good result.
Best Answer
I wouldn't recommend that no. As mentioned in the other post, the layer that gives the doors their wood grain appearance is likely very thin (unless they are solid wood doors, which I doubt).
So the main drawbacks of this method are:
What do you intend to do after you remove the finish? Stain/Seal, Paint?
Edit: You can attempt to utilize a gel stripper to remove the finish. Now this would have to be done very carefully.
One or two layers should eat through the finish pretty quickly. Do NOT let it sit for very long on veneer as it can penetrate and eat through the glue meaning...no more veneer. (I would like to put this disclaimer up front: If not done carefully and correctly (and potentially even then) this can cause veneer to peel off.
If you go this route don't leave the stripper on long...30 seconds to a minute tops, then scrape it off and wipe off any remainder. If you can get through the finish, you can use sanding sponges and get the stain layer off by hand easily enough,