Everyone loves a good before and after

The problem with before and after... you have to have decent before photos to appreciate the after.  I don't have decent before photos.

"What's the story with the two sewing machines in the Dutch Barn?"my beloved asked this morning, "Are they trash?"

"Nooooooo..." I said just as the canines and I were heading up the hill.

"Oh, so now you are storing machines in there, too."

"Well, actually,"  I lied, "I was hoping that you would help me put that up on a couple of saw horses when I get back from the walk so that I could wire brush it and paint it." Referring to the 114 year old treadle base I bought last Saturday for 10 bucks.  It came with a machine and a cabinet.

So now I was committed.  DARN.  I wanted to SEW today...

The treadle works.  It clearly was re painted at some point.  It has some rust and is dirty.  Its a project.

 I took the cabinet off.  It was held together with "carpenter's duct tape."  AKA the sheet rock screw.  These little C brackets attach the drawer casements to the treadle stand.

So rather than sewing, I spent the day with this treadle base.

Steven, helpful man that he is, offered his drill and some wire brushes.  I was hoping he might take over....false hope...

I determined that it would be best to take the treadle apart.  It is so rusty that I have to be able to really clean it before I repaint it.

But I could not get the pedal off.

I was afraid to bang on the pin holding the wooden (imagine MY surprise, wooden parts on treadle irons) pitman rod in place.  So I didn't.  But I think that I will later when I work on this project some more

The cabinet has been "repaired".  More sheet rock screws.  I don't think that I will keep the treadle top.  I have already ditched the drip pan...it reeks of mold... and the top is is bad shape.
I did salvage the drawers and their casements.  But just in case I keep the top, I replaced those sheet rock screws with the some wooden screws of the correct length.  Morons.

I could sand it and stain it and it would look ok.  But the plywood is delaminating on the right side and there is dirt and debris embedded in there.  That is a decision best left to another day....

Not photos of after,  but during...

PS I got the pin out of the pitman rod.  Because it is wood I think that I will gently clean it and paint it.