Chemical strippers provide an easy, effective start to refinishing furniture. But they can also make a mess as the gooey residue runs down furniture legs. The solution is to catch the goo with disposable foil pie plates.
Drape a plastic drop cloth over the work surface and lay several sheets of newspaper on top of it. Set the piece to be stripped onto the newspaper and slip a pie plate under each leg. Brush on a thick coat of stripper, wait for it to dissolve the finish, then scrape the messy goo down the legs and into the foil plates. Empty the plates and replace the soggy newspaper as needed.