The GFI breaker in my basement shop drives me nuts.

Yes, they can be a pain in the ... But better that than something shocking.
The isolation transformer is a good idea, although the ham I mentioned about
from the 30's was killed in a transformer operated rig, when the ac shorted
out to ground in the transformer.

Construction of a small box with a GFI outlet to only power a few items such
as the S-38 might be one alternate approach.

When in high school, I got my hand across a 1500 volt power supply and was
picked up and thrown across the room and knocked the doors off my closet. I
was dazed but unhurt. It knocked sense into me, and I have been afraid of
high voltage ever since. I now short things out two or three times before
working on high voltage and then still do not trust it. I have now gotten
to be pst middle age without any further shocking developments.

73, Colin k7FM