[zenith porthole]

From the couple of radios and antique furniture pieces that I have restored, I have had considerable success using natural shellac varnish, rather than a synthetic finish. I know all to well the extreme disapointment that occurs when you go to the trouble of stripping and refinishing a piece, only to have it end up looking like it has been dipped in high gloss sugar glaze. The shellac doesn't seem to be as forgiving as the newer products, as far as touching up/overlapping brushstrokes while wet, but the finish is far superior in matching the original finishes used in the first half of the 20th century.
I do agree that if you are going to go to the trouble of saving a piece of history, unless it is a museum piece, make it look as good as possible while preserving its historical integrity.