[tbone]

I have a 1937 Zenith with original finish and grille cloth. The only part refinished is the base that was kicked, and bumped over the years. That just took a quick strip, toner and top coat.
Most of my high end radios had too many blemishes, water rings, or poor attempts at refinishing which were unacceptable to me, so they were refinished.

I will say that today’s lacquers and finishes are made better then 80+ year old finishes, but as stated earlier, they all have their +’s and -‘s.

I have tried French polishing, and it is really time consuming. Not a bad idea for a piece that needs a touch up, but it is the least durable of the finishes.

Polyurethane is a very durable top coat. I like it for table tops and high wear pieces. Waterlox polyurethane is one of the best for leveling. It too can be rubbed out if desired.

When I start a refinish job, I like to use sealers and wash coats between steps. This helps if something goes wrong by allowing you to strip off the top most layer, leaving the rest intact. Wash coats of shellac or Zinsser Seal Coat are great for this.

I found that OZ polish is great to protect a top coat from finger prints UV light etc. if you are looking for a semi gloss mirror smooth finish, you can rub out gloss lacquer with OZ and 0000 wool.

For me lacquer is the way to go on radios. If it does eventually go bad, I will likely be 6 feet under not worrying about my radios.