Best way to strip 2-pack marine varnish?
OK, so I'm totally over the whole thing about having a beautifully finished timber handrail on my (fully exposed) balcony... :((
It was finished with endless coats of International's "Perfection" 2-pack marine varnish (with Everdure 2-pack sealer underneath). Looked absolutely stunning for a several years, but now I can pull off whole strips of it starting at the ends -- like cheap sticky tape :~.
The timber underneath is still sound, so I'd like to strip off the remaining varnish (from the underside of the handrail and other places where it doesn't yet peel off easily), and repaint it (this time with ordinary paint which lasts much longer and is much easier to maintain).
The handrail has a elliptical profile, so the curved surface prevents use of a belt sander -- any low-grit sanding needs to be done by hand, which I can't face.
Can I just use an ordinary paint stripper? Or does 2-pack varnish need something special to remove it thoroughly? Will a heat gun work successfully on 2-pack? If so, what temperature?
TIA for any advice!