CT 100 Plastic Yoke Cover Problem
 

The plastic cover on the back of my CT 100 yoke is deteriorating and falling off. It doesn't look like anything is damaged as a result of this. The white plastic cover on the front of the yoke is OK. Is this a problem and is this plastic cover available ? :scratch2: Serial number # B8001677 Cabinet number 524 Thanks

Hi Robert, the last time we communicated was five years ago. I have added your cabinet serial number to the Living CT-100 list. You are correct, nothing damaged your yoke cover -- unless you consider time and temperature. If your set had been in a controlled environment for its 58 years, perhaps it would match the quality that the rest of your set seems to be, as viewed in your posted pictures. I know of only one pristine plastic cover that exists. BTW when the crumbling cover is removed it exposes live terminals around the perimeter of the yoke. Take care to keep clear when the set is under power.

Pete

Yr set is JUNK now, please crate it up IMMEDIATELY & send it to me for Disposal....I have a HUGE Sinkhole in my back yard that I'm tryin' to fill up, & the City don't want me tossin' Old Tires innit, JUST Ct-100s...(grin)

I would think that someone who makes repro knobs and bezels, could easily reproduce that cover. They're all shot, and so are the ones on the B&W sets. The one in my first CT-100 had turned completely to white powder, and that was in 1984! Very simple plastic casting, and if the pristine one that Pete knows of, is available either for loan or to have a draftsman make up a perfect sketch of it, I'd say that's something to do immediately if not sooner!

Charles

Hello Everyone,

Pete, thanks for registering my set.

Here is some front view pictures of the CT 100's I've kept it all original so far. I'll look into a plastic part maker.

May be cheaper to just push this defective set into the land fill......just joking :D

How to make your own replacement cover
 

On my web site I have a tutorial on how you can make your own replacement yoke covers using inexpensive sheet styrene obtainable from Walther's Model Train supply.

http://antiquetvguy.com/Web%20Pages/...okeCovers.html

Good Luck and you can contact me directly if you need further guidance in this project.

OMIGAWD, That Set is GORGEOU-erm, the UGLIEST, TRASHIEST thing I ever seen...SEND IT TO ME Immediately, so yr family & friends won't be overcome by its EXTREME Butt-Fugliness !! How do you STAND to be in the same ROOM w/such an AWFUL Contraption ?!? Think of the poor, Innocent Chilluns 'n' Pets... (Well, hell, if I'm "Over-The-Top" enuff, someday, SOMEBODY might fall for it...Hope springs eternal...)

Robert,

I had a pristine, spare, CT-100 yoke, w/a nice shining black cover, sitting on a closet shelf for years. Finally decided to replace the old yoke w/the deteriorating black cover with the spare. Within a year or so the spare had also had it's black cover go to powder. The set works fine. Bob's fix is probably the only way to solve the problem.

-Steve D.

Thanks for all the good advice.
Robert

FYI: Here's a quick and dirty shot of what I consider to be a pristine CT-100 yoke cover. Best shot I could get without moving heavy stuff, but -- if you can blow it up -- check for reflections of yoke and CRT cables bouncing off the shiny black cover.

Pete

Ohydrofarted has a very good article on his website. I have been making somewhat crude yoke covers using the same styrene plastic(They may be cride, but they do work). As I do not have access to a lathe(nor room to put one), I have been using hole cutters. This works, but the sizes you can get are limited. It is also harder to make perfect circles with the drill hanging, etc.

A couple of things-my yoke covers are for B&W sets and have centering rings. These have to be accounted for in making the portion of the yoke cover that is clamped to the CRT to hold the yoke straight. Luckily, in two of the cases, (an Admiral and RCA), spring clamps for holding these on the cover were still in the set. The issue is making sure the centering rings can still be adjusted on your new cover.

One of the yoke covers I re-built was made of two types of plastic, the celluloid that falls apart and a center section made of a later plastic that has held up fine for 50 years(the TV is an 1963 RCA). This made the centering ring issue easier as the rings were mounted on the good plastic.

Pete,
If the pristine cover is available for reproduction, I could ask Ed (the guy who I had reproduce the VT71 and TRK12 masks and makes all the knobs and stuff) to reproduce them.

Any idea how many he would need to make and at what price? I know he is extremely busy but I'm sure he wouldn't mind adding more stuff to the list :)

Darryl

Darryl,

Sounds like a great idea. Based on known CT-100 sets of 164 minus 1 (the known pristine set), the Merrill customer base is 163. Add the remaining about 64 15GP22-based sets on the ETF 'Surviving Early Color Set Database' for a total customer base of 227. If we assume about 2 percent participation, about five clone covers might sell initially. Would a run of say 10 make a viable project?

Pete

I would be interested. I forget how the cover is attached to the yoke. And my poor back prevents me from moving my CT-100 to look. Can the old cover simply be removed from the yoke and a new repo be attached? I assume the repo cover would have a longer life than the original RCA cover. Of course the set would be unplugged during this procedure.

-Steve D.

I sent the link for this thread to Ed so hopefully he will give us his opinion after reading through it.

Darryl

Hi folks,
I could probably make the part in question if I had access to a good original. There wouldn't be any damage or changes to the original in the process of making a mold.

I would have to know the temperatures the plastic part might reach in use. Maybe someone with an infrared heat sensor could take a temp reading of the part on a set that has been working for a few hours.

Steve

It snaps in place. Two small square cutouts -- one just above my index finger-- mate with dimples on the yoke body. There are also two half-moon cutouts that match similar shapes on the yoke body to pass the yoke wiring.

Pete

Ed

Upon closer inspection, the lower half of the cover has some warping. Due I suspect to stress rather than deterioration of the plastic. Since the two notched-out areas are identical on each half of the cover, the stable half describes the whole. Perhaps that is enough for a cloning?

Can someone with a 15GP22 set make the temperature measurement if/when it becomes necessary? I do not have an IR thermometer.

Pete

Thanks Pete.

-Steve D.

If the warping is minor, I might be able to duplicate the warped one, then manipulate the copy to get it back into shape, then make a mold from that one.

Is the yoke diameter the same as the ctc4.

The cover will be in the mail this Monday June 11 to Ed for evaluation.

Pete

Spoke with John Folsom earlier this evening and he brought up rcafan's post. John did confirm that his yoke cover fit both the CTC2 and CTC4 yokes.

Pete

Might be able to sell it to the larger CTC-4 owner base as well.:scratch2:

Yoke cover
 

This might be too simple-- home depot sells in the paint department
A plastic cover for paint can that happens to perfectly fit perfectly on
My ctc4 yoke. Snaps right on.only needed to cut center hole.

Clever alternate solution Neil -- there is the inexpensive 'utility' cover or a 'clone' look-alike with original RCA-design characteristics such as the concentric ridges.

Pete

Update: Ed has the cover and will work on the reproduction this August. Turns out the cover is thinner and less heavy than he expected, which may cause him issues.

Pete

I used Bob's method with styrene sheets.
Doesn't take too long, and is quite simple.
I used a pair of snips, and a drill for the center hole.
This is a before and after of one I did not long ago.

Magnavox300

Certainly nothing wrong with that. Nice job...