The PHILCO Phorum

All, I'm almost finished with my bosses 47-1227. The wierd directional FM tuning problem was solved my a new 7F8 tube. I'll have the turntable up and running once my boss gives me the turntable info I had him order from Chuck. Over 30 years ago the transformer shorted and this radio got so hot all the wax caps melted and the chassis was charred. I'm hoping that a 1amp slow blow fuse will prevent this from happening again. If anyone has any fire prevention tips I'd love to hear them. It's my first radio restoration and it will be going into my bosses house so it needs to be safe. The cabinet has some checking in the laquer finish and some minor scratches. It's in too good shape to strip and was wondering if anyone had some tips for improving the finish without stripping. Can I lightly sand the finish, stain, and re-coat with Lacquer? Shellac?
Thanks,
Keith

Fire prevention tip: Don't leave it plugged in all of the time; unplug it when not in use and when leaving the house.

As for the cabinet, it might be worth trying some Howard's Restore-A-Finish, walnut color, on the cabinet to see how that does before taking more drastic steps. It is my understanding that the Howard's does not contain silicones. You don't want any silicones on your radio cabinet, especially if you are considering a refinish in the future. Silicone contamination will keep lacquer from adhering properly to the wood. This is why Pledge or other spray-on furniture waxes should be avoided. Howard's Orange Oil or Feed-N-Wax are better for the cabinets, and AFAIK, contain no silicones.