[TA Forbes]

AND.....

MY best tip for restoring any radio is KNOW WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW.

Too often you see people get knee deep in a project based on incomplete knowledge about what they are doing. This results in cabinets devoid of toner, or are incorrectly and un-intentionally finished with the wrong coloring. This also results in polished escutchions, etc....
(I say un-intentionally because there are masterful cabinets done using different veneer or coloring to achieve an artful result. If you want an example of this go to the Richmond Designs site to see the work of a master cabinet maker/finisher.)

This also results in radios so far out of alignment they are unsalvageable, because the align-er did not know what they were doing.

GOOD ADVICE: Seek out the experts. Make yourself worthy of their friendship. LEARN from them. Make sure you are on "receive" more than you are on "transmit," and when you are on "transmit" it is to ask questions. NEVER think you know it all, as you will find that even the most junior collector may discover something wonderful that is worth knowing.