Yeah, sanding window trim can be a real pain—dust just seems to defy physics sometimes. Chemical strippers are definitely cleaner overall, but personally, I find the gooey mess a bit annoying. Usually, I end up doing a quick scrape first, then finish with a light sanding...best of both worlds.
Totally get your approach—scraping first cuts down on the mess big time. I've found a similar sweet spot myself:
- Quick pass with a carbide scraper (gets most of the stubborn flakes off)
- Chemical stripper on detailed areas (gooey, yes, but beats endless sanding grooves)
- Finish up with a sanding sponge to smooth it all out
Honestly, there's no perfect method...just gotta embrace a little dust or goo either way. Your combo seems pretty solid though.
Have you found the chemical stripper actually saves you time overall? I've tried it a couple times, but always felt like I spent forever cleaning up the goo afterward...maybe I'm doing something wrong.