Thanks for all the suggestions. I had the pressure washer fired up last weekend, and plum forgot to try that as a first attempt. I will go from less caustic on up and will report which finally does the trick. I will say that the base is extremely reflective and I'm looking forward to a whole new look. The original black was reflective in a much more subdued manner, and has become progressively more dull (and less reflective) over the years.
