Meow, Meow - I don't know if what I did to the treadle base is recommended or not. We took it apart as much as we could. I took it outside and washed it with warm water and car wash detergent using a sponge and soft bristle brush. Rinsed it with a hose and then we dried it off. Left it to sit in the basement overnight. Next day I put painters tape around the area where the pitman attaches and also around the other joints (don't know what it's called). Sprayed it with two coats of flat black Rustoleum and one coat of glossy Professional Rustoleum. I did put two coats of the glossy on the pedal. The machine itself I followed Glenn's tutorial best I could. It's not perfect but I'm happy.