I didn't want to make a "Federal Project" out of refinishing mine. I removed the entire top from the cast iron base first. So I just bought a few (like 6) small wire brushes, wire-brushed it hastily, steel-wooled with 0000 grade, rinsed it with lacquer thinner, lot dry. Then I brush-painted using Rustoleum black semigloss and a decent artist brush that wouldn't leave brush marks. After that, I bought gold paint from the art supply store at the mall and painted the Singer letters and those designs on the ends. Those gold paints come in different hues, and some are more "24k," some more brassy, some yellow, some coppery. I ended up using one of the deeper golds.