'56 Hoffman Color-caster

[Sandy G]

Yeah, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE do NOT trust this dream set to wax/paper caps...Even if they're guaranteed new-old-stock.

[Cruiseomatic]

I won't. It was just a thought when he told me he had them, to keep it original as much as possible. After the cabinet,newer type pic tube and electrical restoration and re-painting the mask.....After all this I don't think it will be worth much. What do ya'll think? Looked at where the cabinet is missing veneer and it looks like they glued veneer down and stained it. If thats the case then it could be re-finished. No, I'm not saying I will do it but I do need something to cover up all the "Battle Scars" of 53 years....The front is the worst,next to the left side,then the top.

[Phil Nelson]

If you are curious about recapping, including "restuffing," read this article:

http://antiqueradio.org/recap.htm

Meanwhile, please phone your service guy right now and tell him not to use NOS caps from that period, whether wax paper, plastic coated paper, or whatever. They are all junk because moisture invisibly gets inside them over the years, whether or not they are used. Even if they test OK at the moment, they will not last under normal operating voltage.

The article shows the different types, but since you're not doing the work, that is mainly FYI for your curiosity. Just tell your guy to use new caps. Whether you want to pay him extra to "restuff" the old cap shells with new ones is up to you. I wouldn't pay extra for that, personally. Once the chassis is back in the cabinet, you are not going to pull it out every time a visitor stops over. As for future value, I suspect a future owner would pay more for a set that has been restored responsibly, rather than patched together with unreliable NOS parts.

Phil Nelson

[jeyurkon]

Add me to the list of people in favor of not using NOS paper caps. However, if you already have them and want to do some of the work yourself, you could take the NOS caps and restuff them. Have the guy who is doing the work for you order the correct caps to use and restuff the NOS ones with them. That way the caps would be ready for your tech to swap when he recaps the set.

They will be hidden though so unless you have your own reasons for wanting it to look more original underneath, you don't really need to go to the extra work of restuffing them.

John

[Cruiseomatic]

I told him to go with new caps. There are some that test very good to good that he said should just be left alone. Some are completely dead and some are just goners. I took it to him tonight and we'll find out in about a week to a week and a half and see how it went.

[Charlie]

Cruise-O,

He really should change out ALL of those paper caps... even if the originals test good. If he leaves them in there, they will indeed fail.... especially once all the rest of the caps and lytics have been changed... those old originals left in there will not last long at all. They will be the weakest link.

If you buy a Comet with a set of tires that are 40 years old, you're gonna change all four or they will start blowing with use. If you change 3, and leave the 4th because it still looks okay, it too will still fail soon with use simply because it's old and the rubber isn't strong like it used to be. Same thing applies to these paper/wax caps.

Leave them in there, and you'll have to pull that chassis out again later. Change them now and be done with it while you already have it apart.

[zenithfan1]

Ditto on what Charlie says.....

[peverett]

Ditto to what Charlie indicated. I restored a 1953 Emerson once and left one paper cap in. This cap was on the AGC line with 4 volts across it. Very shortly thereafter the TV started having AGC issues. Changing the paper cap fixed it. Some have said that you can "reform" old electrolytics. I have also tried that with very poor results in radios. Within 6 months, the radio is humming again. Replace all electrolytics and paper capacitors with modern ones!

I actually know of a person who has a story similar to Charlies about the Comet. He had an antique car with 20 year old tires and tried to drive it to a car show several hundred miles away from his home. At least some of the tires had to be replaced on the trip after failing on the highway. I guess he thought they looked ok-like the paper caps.

[sampson159]

its like changing some of your spark plugs or draining some of the oil.replace all of them.do it right the first time.i ,have done the same stupid thing through the yearsw.change out one cap or a few.guess what happens?

[Cruiseomatic]

I'm taking the pic tube to him later today, I will indeed let him to know replace all the caps and lytics.

[Cruiseomatic]

Well I found my set on ETF. And tested the pic tube, He put HV to the prongs of the neck and seen voltage shoot to the prongs into the neck and see them in the neck, He said that it should not be doing that.

Little past halfway down,



http://www.earlytelevision.org/21_inch_color.html

[DaveWM]

lost you on that, the pic tube was tested and there were sparks involved?

I did not think that would happen unless a rejuv was done.

[old_tv_nut]

I think he means used a tesla coil to see if there was internal air glow or sparking, and there was - meaning tube gone to air

[Cruiseomatic]

Originally Posted by old_tv_nut

I think he means used a tesla coil to see if there was internal air glow or sparking, and there was - meaning tube gone to air.

Yes exactly.

[RobtWB]

Any progress to report?