'Cleaning' vintage radio exterior
 

I own a vintage FM radio (1947) which has a brass looking faceplate on the wood cabinet. I am wondering if it is OK to clean the metal or would that reduce it's value. I would be a little afraid of scratching the metal. With the age it is officially an antique.

It's OK to clean it. If it's really brass, it may have been lacquered, so cleaning won't do anything unless the lacquer is first removed, Brasso used, then relacquered. It would almost have to be removed from the cabinet to do this.

However, since this is from 1947, that's late enough that it might not be solid brass but brass plated or brass painted. In either case, there may be parts of it where the plating or paint has worn off. Try a magnet on it to see if it's actually steel with a fake brass finish. Examine closely and just try a damp cloth first, gingerly applied, and then dried off. Go slow until you know how the surface is going to respond.

Reece