Decided to refinish the wood and brass on my Agfa Ansco 8x10. It is a Universal model dating from before WW2, based on some information quoted from Richard Knoppow on Phot.net. Bought the camera from a young man that inherited it from his grandfather who was evidently a school photographer back in the day. It has a 5x7 back and a roll film back, and the bed extension, missing the moveable tripod block. I cobbled together an 8x10 back and made the camera useable and love the huge ground glass experience, but the camera doesn't lock down well, and just doesn't work well. Both the front and back standards have some poorly repaired areas that are flimsy, the geared movements are stiff and so on.
Since I'm in a bit of a creative slump, thought now would be a good time to get it back to good condition.

Some observations that might be of interest to others contemplating a similar project:

Brass Hardware: A lot more than you might think. I'm hand cleaning the brass, even the individual screws with Brasso to a low sheen. For the tiny screws a soak in white vinegar with a little salt seems to make them easier to clean. For the screwdriver slots in the tops of screws a Dremel tool with a brass wire wheel at lowest speed while holding the screw with a pair of pliers works well. For the other parts, Brasso and a little rubbing, with some 0000 steel wool on the badly oxidized parts works fine, but it is slow work, kind of like grinding a ground glass. Listening to Hidden Light (lab and platinum printer in Flagstaff), Sean Tucker or Alex Kilbee youtubes are great for passing the time

Finish removal: methylene chloride used to be the main ingredient in paint and finish removers but is now banned so all the available removers use a substitute. I tried every type and brand available and found that they just leave a gummy mess. The finish on mine is lacquer, so I found just using lacquer thinner on steel wool or abrasive pad does a much better job. The obvious cautions regarding ventilation and protection apply. I personally prefer working with very good ventilation in a open garage to a respirator because I'm in Phoenix, with very high heat and very low humidity right now, vapors dissipate very well in this environment. Nasty work but I was in the painting business for a long time so am accustomed to working with chemicals. If you aren't, you might want to reconsider stripping finishes. Sanding will remove finishes, but the nooks and crannies make it almost impossible to get it all off, and you can end up with rounded corners and an uneven finish

Bellows: When I first bought it, I had to seal up all the corners but overall they are remarkably supple. Will decide on replacement or not when I'm closer to being finished. A new one will cost nearly as much as I paid for it, so hesitate to put the money into it