RCA cataract removal

[DaveWM]

Originally Posted by TUD1

Had a good idea today while I was burying the mouse I finally caught. I dug a hole in the ground, put a tire on top for safety, and voila, poor man's cataract removal studio. I'm going to get a heat gun one of these days and start doing cataract surgeries that way. Water is taking too long.

would not recommend water or heat on that one. as mentioned a simple steel wire will cut thru it. Green is zenith type adhesive, stays soft and can be cut.

[WISCOJIM]

Originally Posted by TUD1

Went to Lowe's and got a heat gun today.

Careful! If you heat it too fast or unevenly you will end up shattering it.

.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by TUD1

Went to Lowe's and got a heat gun today. It's kind of a piece of crap, but I'm sure it will at least last for two cataract removals.

It's probably a little better than the Harbor freight jobs, $8.88 on sale. They're a few years old and still going strong. They don't have a cold setting, so you have to let them cool off before putting them away.

[TUD1]

Originally Posted by DaveWM

would not recommend water or heat on that one. as mentioned a simple steel wire will cut thru it. Green is zenith type adhesive, stays soft and can be cut.

Like I said, the Colorama is junk. I'll probably get the glass off and neck it in the backyard.

[DaveWM]

Originally Posted by TUD1

Like I said, the Colorama is junk. I'll probably get the glass off and neck it in the backyard.

I realize that, my point is practicing on a zenith style adhesive will not help you gain useful experience for using a heat gun on an RCA style adhesive.

[Electronic M]

Best to use the technique that matches the type of glue. Sort of like you would not want to use carb cleaner on a mass air flow sensor, and you would not want to use sensor cleaner to clean a carb...Best to use the right tool for the job especially when the Zenith method is cheap to gear up for.

[TUD1]

Guess what you guys! I just took a heat gun to my 1969 RCA Hi-Lite tube, and I had the glass off in half an hour. As soon as I saw the fingers meet up where it was delaminating, I heard a loud POP, and the glass fell right off. I even got the glue off in one big sheet.

[Titan1a]

Awesome! Good show.

[Electronic M]

Given the way it came off I guess it was RCA type glue....Odd, I've never seen RCA glue turn yellow-green like that before.

Nice job!

[TUD1]

This tube did have the moldy RCA style. The tube you're thinking of is the 1973 Craporama tube. I haven't touched it yet.

[DaveWM]

Originally Posted by TUD1

Guess what you guys! I just took a heat gun to my 1969 RCA Hi-Lite tube, and I had the glass off in half an hour. As soon as I saw the fingers meet up where it was delaminating, I heard a loud POP, and the glass fell right off. I even got the glue off in one big sheet.

Good job, just remember they are all different, some easy some not so much and all are dangerous so always wear at least eye protection (full face shield) and some heavy garments. There is no way to tell if one is going to implode on you, and no one has quick enough reaction time to get out of the way when it does during the removal process. One last thing to remember the CRT now has NO implosion protection. I don't "think" its likely to spontaneously fail, but just something to keep I'm mind esp if there is any horse play around the set (little kids or teens that are not fully baked). For liability reasons I would hesitate to sell a set that had implosion protection that was removed by me.

[rcaman]

I had a 25" color crt to implode on me when i was 16 or 17 it is something you will never forget. I HAD ONE SMALL SCRATCH ON MY NOSE but the explosion and mess was a memory maker ever heard a bomb go off. i have full respect for a crt. steve

[Electronic M]

I always clean the removed safety glass spotless then caulk it to the masked off edges of the CRT face....I see that as being a period correct safety solution. Before bonding there was always a separate plate of safety glass in front of the screen mounted to the cabinet, and that was seen as a proper/sufficient safety measure at the time. When bonded safety glass came on the scene, for a few years it existed along side a non-bonded version that consisted of the same piece of glass with a rubber gasket around the perimeter that was held to the CRT face with the CRT mounting hardware. Ever compare a 21FJP22 with a 21FBP22? The way I see it converting a bonded tube to an edge caulked tube is no different than converting a 21FBP to a 21FJP, and should be just as safe as a factory original 21FJP once completed.

[DaveWM]

Perhaps, but I am not aware of any non bonded or non banded rectangle color tubes out there in sets as standard equipment. All the ones that has separate glass were that I can think of were roundies, which I think may have different mechanical qualities that the rectangles as far as likely implosion stresses.

I have seen some old BW tubes (rectangle) but IIRC the glass in front of them was some kind of tempered or other form of safety glass. I don't think the rectangle color tube glass has any special safety qualities other than to act as a part of a bonded system.

I don't think the use of silicone around the edge provides the same protection as the bonding. But I am not hear to argue the point, as its been discussed many times before. I also don't condemn the practice just saying I would be leary of selling one that way, too old to spend time in from of a civil jury trying to explain it.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by DaveWM

Perhaps, but I am not aware of any non bonded or non banded rectangle color tubes out there in sets as standard equipment. All the ones that has separate glass were that I can think of were roundies, which I think may have different mechanical qualities that the rectangles as far as likely implosion stresses.

I have seen some old BW tubes (rectangle) but IIRC the glass in front of them was some kind of tempered or other form of safety glass. I don't think the rectangle color tube glass has any special safety qualities other than to act as a part of a bonded system.

I don't think the use of silicone around the edge provides the same protection as the bonding. But I am not hear to argue the point, as its been discussed many times before. I also don't condemn the practice just saying I would be leary of selling one that way, too old to spend time in from of a civil jury trying to explain it.

I've busted the safety glass on both round and rectangular color CRTs and I can tell you the glass breaks the same way, and is almost certainly the same type/formula of glass.

I can understand your caution, but eventually that is something all of us will not be able afford as replacement CRTs dry up.

Any implosion with or without safety glass is going to throw glass out the front of the set. Members here have told stories of mid 50's sets with separate glass as well as color tubes with bonded glass spontaneously imploding and throwing glass out the front of the set. Any set even untouched factory originals have some chance of imploding spontaneously...In 99.99% of CRTs implosion is either an act of god or an act of the human(s) around the CRT when it goes off. The only way to 100% avoid it is to not own pre tension band era CRTs.... They way I see it if a CRT is no more dangerous than other models I have that are ~10-20 years older then it is plenty good enough.

I never let implosion (on completed sets) worry me...Hell, I've got a caulked rectangular tube within ~3' of my bed and am around it 6-24 hours a day every day except ~2 weeks of the year vacationing. I'm more likely to be struck by lightning than even mildly injured by an implosion from a de-catted CRT that is mounted in a TV....Implosion injury during the removal process however is a lot more likely than lightning especially RCA tubes that require heating.