Those pictures looking pretty stunning Bob :yes: Are those bars still there even after moving the modification to the high voltage cage area?

Thanks. I guess if you have to ask then they're gone ;)
Seriously though, they are still there but much fainter than before. Relocating the filter didn't have much effect but switching from 6800 to 5900 pF did. I put a couple caps in parallel (5600 + 300) to get that oddball value.

It is about time you got back on this TV! What's going on, did you have a holiday or something???

Seriously, looks good and I am glad that you have it going so well. Please keep us posted Bob...

Lol - I actually have been working on it every day. Easily the most frustrating chassis I've worked on to date.
Now, I need to go back to the last one I restored and try installing the filter. And I have two more sets with the same chassis to restore some day :drool:

I'm still chasing down the hiss and squeal in the audio. I pulled all the tubes so I'm down to just a functioning tuner and sound output. The squeal remains.
My next thought was bad mica caps, but they all appear to be ceramic. Even so, I'm going to test each one.

All the caps tested OK, but I think I found the problem. It turns out it works better if you actually solder all the connections :stupid:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6...a3388a89_z.jpg
Now on to the cabinet.

Naah. Just makes for interesting problems later.

Please dont ask how I know this... Vivid memories of an RCA roundie flyback and one missed solder connection and a jumpy width that didnt happen until the entire set was put back together completely... set back and all.

I let the set play for a couple hours and the audio issue has resurfaced. My next thought is that it could be the cap across the audio output transformer breaking down. The original was 600 v and I replaced it with a 630 v. I recall seeing a service note about replacing this cap with a higher voltage one.

That's weird if it's breaking down in that location. How many volts across it?

I always wondered why that particular cap was rated 1000vdc in sets, seems to me it shouldn't have more than about 400v across it at any point in time.

I suppose the audio signal can add to the DC volts, but I'd of never thought the audio signal would be very much for a couple watts TV speaker. :scratch2:

Positive-going back-EMF spikes can get stacked 'on top' of the supply voltage, 'specially if the voice coil were open.

This question often comes up. Yes, there are spikes on that capacitor and it should be at least 1000VDC. I know that there are Orange Drops rated at 1600VDC out there. Might be a good thing to have. Also, not having a speaker connected can cause a high reflection of the signal back to the tube. I know this is just a 6V6GT single ended amplifier. But I have seen a few audio amplifiers that had the tube sockets burned. All because of the reflected signal. I don't think that you have to not use it now, but I would get some 1.6KV caps the next time you order some.

How bout a couple double value caps in series?

I imagine that would work too. I do have a few of those orange drop 1600v on hand though. I'll install one later tonight and clean out the tube socket pins too.

I started on the cabinet this afternoon. 55 F and sunny :D Never expected to be working on an unheated porch in January!

No chips or deep scratches. I'm going to clean it with some mild detergent then buff with Novus #2

The CRT gasket foam is rock hard and crumbling. I'll replace it with some closed cell foam insulation.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6...22fdb370_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6...4bd51fe9_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6...1932e038_z.jpg

I removed the faceplate and cleaned the cabinet with some warm soapy water.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6...912f0f87_z.jpg

The speaker cloth has faded quite a bit.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6...b01b4738_z.jpg

I recall someone had asked about the clarity of the faceplate. Here it is before any cleaning. I hope it clears up.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6...e0cd7060_z.jpg

There's some flashing left from the bakelite molding process.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6...86e3ac25_z.jpg

Time to finally lose the caster wheels. Now I can bring it inside.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6...64f2593f_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6...16aac01f_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6...90b79a33_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6...bea7ffd4_z.jpg

Bob,

I see that you were able to remove the nuts that hold the speaker board to the cabinet. What method did you use? I started to take my speaker board out and the nuts didn't want to budge without breaking. Did you pry up on the two "capture" parts in the center of the nut? Did any of yours break?

Bob,

I think it was me that asked about the clarity. I was able to polish the clear faceplate with no problem. But when I look at either one that I have (I have two) in bright light, the clear plastic has sort of a very faint swirl pattern in both of them. I suspect the plastic was about as clear as they could get it but there was still some kind of white swirl in it. Mind you, very faint and it doesn't affect the picture. But I was just interested to see if anyone else noticed it.

And for what it's worth, that foam gasket on mine was as crisp as a 50-year old wedding cake! I didn't replace it yet.

BTW, nice to see this restoration. My chassis is copper plated and the reason I have spare parts is because I bought a 16R12 for parts. Mine was missing the HV cage. I was lucky that both were copper plated.


Nice job as usual!

Looks like some idiot production manager was screaming at the workers to get productivity up. Which usually means the workers have to skip steps to keep the quality decent... So they didn't take the time to remove the flash.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6...86e3ac25_z.jpg

I used pliers on the four in the corners. I got a good grip on them and sort of unscrewed them while pulled back.
I tried to pry up the capture teeth with a small screwdriver on the rest, but couldn't manage it. I had to mangle them by bending them with needle nose pliers.
None broke though and I might be able to unbend and reuse them.

I propped it up in front of a window and, yes, it sure does have those swirls.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6...4e54e629_z.jpg

Here it is after cleaning with warm soapy water and Novus #2. Not much of an improvement. Those swirls are definitely in the plastic and not surface dirt.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6...bfc353f7_z.jpg

LOL - I bet you're right.

I'm just about done with the cabinet. Cleaning and buffing the speaker grille is a pain :drool:
There is some minor chipping along the top edge and discoloration from the control panel, but otherwise it came out great.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6...4f6a41f2_z.jpg

That cabinet looks great. Was that just a hand buff with Novus #2?

Thanks! Yep. Around 6 passes on the top and 3 on the rest.

Now on to the control panel. Some areas appear to have been sprayed with some substance that effected the plastic.
It's a little foggy and bumpy - especially on the left side. Perhaps something like pledge reacted with it ?

I'm just going to buff it as best I can.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6...02ec8c60_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6...48640bb9_z.jpg

I finished buffing out the knobs and put the set back together.
I've had it playing for a few hours and it's working quite well :banana:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6...eb03aae0_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6...0c7762a3_z.jpg

Hi Bob, looks good. Thanks for taking the time to investigate those cloudy swirls in the faceplate. I think that in 1950, plastic technology was not quite perfected as it kinda is today. You really can't see the swirls in the clear plastic but they are there. No biggie.

Thanks for showing how you removed the speed nuts from the speaker board. I tried also to pry the capture teeth and was unsuccessful. I thought about just cutting them. But pooh-poohed that idea because I didn't want to be sorry later for being in such a hurry. I will go back and revisit that after I move to Florida. My 26R12 is already sitting in the den of my house down there.

When I get the speaker board out, I can investigate the flash from the Bakelite. I have one large scratch on the top of mine. Looks like someone sat a chassis on the top and slid it along. It is about 2.6" long.

My control cover door cleaned up nicely. And, the picture that I posted along time ago shows that my volume control knob was more of a mahogany color than a brown. One of the members of ARF sent me the correct color knob.

The 26R12 that I had as a teenager is long gone. But what I did was to modify the amplifier in the set with a Loudness Compentrol and change the 8" speaker to a Philips/Norelco dual cone 8" speaker. It did widen the frequency response. I doubt I will do it to my present set because as with your restorations, I strive for originality as it came from the factory.

Thanks for taking the time to document your restoration. Interesting how both of the chassis I had/have were copper plated. And, some of the 12" models came in both copper plated and cadmium plated. And, it is interesting that both of your vertical transformers went open. Do you think wet environment and corrosion or massive failure in the vertical circuit?

way2wise has the 14" version of this set as well. I don't know if he did a documentary on its restoration.

Looks real nice, Bob, and what a picture. Thanks for the tour.

The top picture on entry #64 shows a set top antenna in the background. Unit with the three push buttons. I always liked them. Who made it, Speco? I don't think it was Radion, which was a Chicago firm.

It took me a while to find one of these. I can't find any name on it, bu it's an "American 5-K" according to this website.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3463/5...a336c5a1_z.jpg

Thanks. Weird how they copper plated some chassis and not others. Only the yoke support is copper plated in this set.

I believe it was a massive failure that killed the vertical transformers. Most likely from one of the nasty hack repair attempts I found throughout the set.