I am excited to see how that Davis turns out! It is a PERFECT candidate.
Dan, I understand your position. Skip's method is amazing and I've used it multiple times. In fact, I'm going to try and save what is left of the finish on my Alvah National (my very first treadle). On the flip side, I am using non-traditional finishes on the woodwork. Wipe-on poly is my finish of choice because I know life happens! None of my cabinets ever have decent finishes when I get them. Sometimes, I spend more time gluing down lifting veneer than working on the head!
Like Skip says, make your own tutorial! I'm not very skilled with metal/paint finishes so I'll be sticking with the French Polish method for the heads. It will be very interesting to contrast the two methods. Right now, I'm avoiding buying machines with cracked paint. Could you start with one of those?