Styx, here in the U.S., connecting neutral to a case is a severe NEC violation. If you look at any 2-wire appliance in your home (mixer, toaster, fan, light, sewing machine, etc.), you'll find both hot and neutral are isolated from any (ANY and ALL) externally-available parts. They've even started polarizing 2-wire line cords just to make it even better (the wide blade - neutral - on a table lamp is connected to the shell of the lamp socket, which is more prone to being touched first in most situations).
Newer appliances are now grounded with a 3-wire cord, such as washing machines and refrigerators. Even our 1978 model Bernina (Swiss) sewing machine has a 3-wire grounded cord. If it isn't double-insulated, there should be a ground connected to the case of the appliance.
Now, Nigel doesn't ground anything (I don't think -- well, maybe if he has a disobediant child ...) and his shop is an orchestra of all kinds of leakage voltages on the cases of his various instruments and appliances. But I'll bet he doesn't connect the cases to neutral, either! Not grounding a case or cabinet is one thing. Connecting it to one side of the line is disaster. With most 2-wire cords, simply reversing the plug in the receptacle will instantly make such an appliance a killer.
The only time that ground is a killer is when you're 1500 feet above it with a flameout.
Dean