If the balusters are plain square stock, you might be able to do it, if they are turned with lots of ins & outs, you will need to buy new. I don't think there's a sure way to get white paint out of oak pores with gel stripper. The stripper softens the paint so if the pigment is not already embedded in the pores, the stripping action will ensure that it is embedded.

The only stripping method with a chance to clean the wood rather than give it a white pallor is the flow-over method. That entails taking the spindles out.

I'm posting a picture so it is easier to see what I'm saying. The rails and newel posts are wood with coat of poly. The spindles/balusters will remain white. We want to darken what is currently the honey oak. Thanks!

Careful with chemical strippers (soy gel stripper is a chemical and it is a stripper). Once they are applied, they can INHIBIT new application of stain and finish. Yes. The thing that "helps" to get stuff "off" prevents new stuff from going "on" (funny that).

Be VERY sure you know the correct way to apply and REMOVE the stripper itself. I suggest you find some type of test wood to experiment on. You will need to neutralize the stripper once you have removed the finish.

Without neutralization, you will find your new finish bubbles and peels - for many years. This is very annoying. Sanding is a better bet.

Good luck. Strippers sound like a great idea until you realize, on your third attempt, that they stop anything else from being applied successfully.

Yikes. That all looks to be in good condition. In other words it is not broken.

DO test out the soy gel on scrap pieces far away from your staircase, such as out in the garage. The stuff droops as all get out, and from my experience is way overpriced for the terrible way it works.

Citri strip available at HD is much more effective in my experience.

However, I would use neither since everything appears to be in good shape.

But if I were determined.. I don't think I have enough determination in me to attempt this job. I'd spend the money and have everything replaced rather than attempting to strip and refinish in this case.

Stripping and refinishing when the finish is old, beat up, barely hanging on and everything around it is the same is much easier. That way you can really get at it without having to worry about wrecking the surroundings since they are all going to be redone anyway.

Not to be mean but I think you're making a Big Mistake.

Dura Seal is meant to be applied over perfectly sanded raw wood. Any coarse or cross scratches will show as flaws. It will be very difficult to remove all the old finish from the deeper recesses. If you don't have all the old finish removed, the new will not absorb. These could be touched up with a glaze or marker between poly coats though. Wherever there is end grain, the wood will soak up the stain and turn quite dark. These would need to be pre-sealed to control absorption. The control mechanism for penetrating stain is that the wood absorbs as much as it can and the rest is removed mechanically. This characteristic is attractive for floor finishing. The stair treads need to be done like the floor for durability. These other components aren't walked on, so a glaze type of stain is suitable.

Since you're doing areas that can easily be sprayed or brushed, that would be a better method. When I am refinishing someone's floors, I always advise them to engage a painter that is competent in using a spray or brushing stain on the other stair parts. In your case, you won't get a perfect match but you can make it slightly darker to complement the floor and pick up the color in the softer grain.

For fun, remove one of the rosettes the handrail brackets mounts to and try refinishing it to see how difficult it is and how it will turn out. Then imagine doing it while it's still attached to your wall, multiple times. Imagine the mechanics of stripping and sanding all the finish just from the bottom newel post.

Your home looks identical to mine. How did it turn out?

What color stain did you pick? I love it!

Thank you! My floor guy "watered" the bare wood and applied Minwax Special Walnut stain with a satin poly. The damp wood took on a darker color than the sample he did on the dry wood.