[EdHolland]

Well, I was sort of right about the finish... But I found more evidence of the previous restorer's care and attention here. It has been given a light wipe over the original finish with shellac, quite clearly with very little preparation. 0000 wire wool takes off the "new" layer to reveal the original finish. Luckily this means the original decals are safe .

This morning, I spent some time sanding the top and the curved transition to the dial with 220 grit to remove the poorly adhered stuff, and level off the areas where the original finish has flaked. Then I'll fill the grain in the really exposed areas before testing a refinish. This is the most noticable area of the radio so it will be interesting to see how it can be recovered.

Also, I need to re coat (paint?) some areas that have a thick dark brown finish. The areas are like moulding at the transition between panels. What would folks here recommend?