Need help with Stripping Furniture

I am trying to refinish some very dark stained chairs, but stripper will not remove the finish at all. All it does is streak the finish a cloudy white film. I can not tell if the chairs have been waxed or have another finish on them. I have also tried paint thinner with no results. Sanding does remove finish on the flat surfaces; however, there are so many small edges and crevices it is impossible to access them with sand paper.

What can I do to remove the old finish and stain. I want to stain the chairs a lighter color and then put a glaze on them.

Thank you for your help