What worked for me was a combination of sanding/buffing discs on a Dremel tool. Friction did cause some monokote color to meld into the surface of the wood, but I was using opaque for the refinish, so it didn't matter in my case.
Instead of caustic chems, I have a theory: consider a heavy glove and a chunk of dry ice from the local ice cream shop or megamart. Try rubbing the chunk of dry ice on the edges of the covering. In theory, it should cause the mylar and glue to contract, embrittle, and crack off, the wood should shrug it off, and the glue joints will likely hold if not directly touched. Mark S. ************** It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)