Hi Howard
If I could only say things never go wrong in my shop!! Sure does change the learning curve though. I don't think I would use a heat gun. Had a client once that started his house on fire 3 times with a heat gun.
3rd time I took his gun away.
I can't give you a brand because the one I use [Bix] is no longer made. The Bar Corp. bought them out and discontinued the line. It has / had a water wash, most have a solvent wash.
The trick is to let the stripper do the work. Paint a semi-paste on the area and if it starts to dry, paint more on. Should not take long for shellac. When its ready to remove, you will be able to move the finish with your brush. If you need to remove to color also, let it work a little longer. If you used a dye, the color maybe difficult to remove. The can will tell you what solvent to wash with. Use a putty knife on flat surfaces and stiff brush on the carvings. Dipping the brush into the solvent to scrub the residue away. Tough finishes may require a soft brass brush. If the stripper did its work, the residue will come off easy, if not, you didn't let the stripper do its work. Shellac should come off much easier than a turn of the century varnish.
I can't say enough how dangerous this can be!!!! Methylene Chloride is bad stuff!!! I have a friend that has burns on his arms from this stuff. The fumes stay near the floor, make sure there are no pilot lights or flames. Gloves, goggles, mask[Not dust filter !!!] are required!!!!!!! I have a steel tray I do this in.
The safer the stripper brand,[ not to say any are really safe] the slower it works. If you have any questions, ask!! This is too dangerous to guess about.
Good luck Randy