Carpentry and Woodworking - Refinishing Aspen Cabinets

I have some 50 year old custom kitchen cabinets made out of Aspen, with a very light finish. I'd like to strip them down, fill some minor repairs in them, and stain them a dark oak color.

Is there anything morally unacceptable taking a nice naturally light colored wood and making it that dark? Any thoughts on whether it will turn out OK? I plan to test on a new board.

What do you suggest I use to strip the wood down? Chemical? Sand? Both?

Thanks for any suggestions you might have...

I don't think I've ever finished anything made with aspen but generally wood can be stained a darker color. use a stripper first to get rid of most of the original finish and then you can start sanding. Another option would be to apply a tinted poly over the current finish although I don't know how close you can get to the color you want and still be able to see the wood grain.

What kind of repairs do you need to make? Fillers often don't stain/finish well.