Start with coarse 80-grit sandpaper in a manual hand sander or power sander. Using enough pressure to remove the paint but not so much that it damages the wood. Move to medium 150-grit abrasive and finish with fine 220-grit, brushing away dust from the surface each time you change paper.
Similarly, should I strip paint before sanding?
Stripping a finish is faster than sanding to remove it. So then I point out that stripping is faster, and in the case of paint could even be safer than sanding. … It’s almost always better to strip than to sand.
In this way, which grit sandpaper would be best suited for removing old paint and finishes? In most cases, this would be anything ranging from 30 to 80 grits based on your specific job and surface you are working on. If you desire to get a rougher surface as an end result you may be using near to 30 grits. And for a slightly smoother surface use the macro grit grading near to 80 grits.