CABINET
Removing the baffle appeared: It's held in by screws and brackets at the bottom and at the sides, but the top edge is attached by no less than 4 Spire clips which not only touch each other but also rest against the top of the cabinet. So, they can't be rotated, nor can Mike Phelan's sewing machine needle trick be used because of their small dimensions. I found a solution, details
here.
The cabinet seems to be made from plain, brown Bakelite, and polished up well using nothing more than Greygate’s Polishing Paste No.6 with no pre-cleaning or wax required. The painted metallic grey/green portion was a little chipped in places, but looked fine after touching-up with a silver metallic paint pen.
As always with these sets, the plastic piping around the baffle was the real let-down. I have simply removed it from the set for the time being. If I ever get time, I will try warming it in hot water and stretching it. I have since been given another VHF90A which has a much lower serial number, and interestingly, this has real brass trim.
The tuning knob was grubby, and responded well to a wash in warm soapy water. Fifty years of sunlight have made it slightly opaque, but it looks fine when illuminated.
I replaced the missing “Chinese hat” bright with something from my scrap pile. It’s silver rather than gold, but beggars can’t be choosers.
The brass ring around the dial, and the inserts on the volume knob were polished and lacquered, and the loose grille cloth was washed and re-stuck to the hardboard baffle with Copydex (I think).