[Phlogiston]

You know, if you get a $20 tube tester you are probably going to have to fix/recap it first.

For a person that expects to work on tube-type equipment an investment in a good quality emissions tester or even a mid-range mutual-conductance tester is going to pay off in the long run.

Maybe you can find someone nearby to test them for you.

I would not mess with the shadow meter until you get the other issues resolved. It might be fine, but it will be a lot easier to tell with the radio working.

P.S. I would be very careful how you clean Philco controls - they can be damaged by the wrong cleaner, just like the dial. I also would not drill a hole. If need be, the rheostat and the switch can be separated.