Manhandled this thing in from the shed today.
 

There was a break in the rain today so I finally brought this TV in that I found at the dump. Don't have time to look it over real good yet, but I couldn't help a quick inspection. Looks like it has had some tubes replaced, and one seems to be burnt(?) I didn't get the multimeter out yet, see any solid chassis ID, or obvious reason why it won't power on.

If you are talking about the tube in the third picture. That tube has lost its vacuum and is completely useless and needs to be replaced. Although the brown ring around the white splotch is somewhat unusual it most likely is not a burn mark. The white splotch should be a nice,silvery color not milky white.

Hi, The set has a MW series chassis from 1962. The chassis i.d. is on the metal bracket under the gone to air 5U4 rectifier tube. There are 3 SAMS out on that chassis,582-2 table top,587-3 floor model & 628-2 chassis with compactron tubes. All the best Tom

Thanks Tom! Looks like the 5U4 is readily available, I'm going to get back into it tomorrow and clean off the others and look for more of that.

This is the first TV, and glass tube device I am getting into, I plan on spending time tonight reading.

Got it out, the others look good. It's broken across the bottom. Is this usually the case, or did this maybe happen on the way to/from the dump? Also I have the picture if I find an exact match, but is there a way to know which way this should go in? The socket has 8 holes in a circle and 5 pins on the bottom of the tube.

Something probably hit that tube and broke it.

The 5U4 is the low voltage(3-400v) rectifier, with it bad the set will be completely non functional but the tube heaters should light.

There is an index pin on the base of the tube so it can only go in one way.

I've got a replacement on the way, and I noticed the index on closer inspection. I noticed the brightness and contrast were all the way up, so I believe I know what I will be running into next.

I was told this should be a good learning set, and after really getting in there with a brush and flash light I think it does look simple enough.

That is a very good set to learn on! It will probably need capacitors like most 50+ year old TVs. I have a 19" LX-chassis GE sitting in the garage, which is one year later and very similar, but I have yet to open up.

But I think when you power it up slowly, there might be an encouraging sign.
I recall those GEs as having worn-out CRTs but still working into the 80's without a total recap, something rarely seen on a Philco or RCA of that vintage.

make sure the filter caps are good before you put in the new 5U4, it could blow if those are shorted.

Only set I ever found with a 5U4 ruined like yours (twas a 1952 Majestic brand) is had several shorted/high leakage lytics, and every damn paper cap was a dead short or leaky below 50V. If the caps failed suddenly and a ton of current is drawn through the tube, it is possible for redplating and hot spots bad enough to cause heat fracturing of the glass to occur....

Thanks for the warning.

I was already tempted to go through and check/replace all of them and replace the power cord before trying the new tube.

If there is more work then that to be done then I will buy the Sam's and keep going. I've learned a lot real fast since picking this up the other day thanks to this site and sources I've found through it.

The new tube is here but I'm not getting back into this yet.

I want to wait until I have time to replace the old caps, electrolytics and power cord before I do anything else because I don't have or want to buy a variac yet.

My questions today are. Does anyone know how much time I should allow for this, any easy ways of getting to everything with out pulling the chassis, and (one more) a parts list without buying the sams.

Next time I open it up I want to have as much as possible ready to go. Best I can tell for chassis id would "1-42wm xN67" the x could be a 6, 8, b(?) I can't really tell from the pictures I took.

More pics

If you have a dimmer switch that can sometimes be used as a poor man's variac....YMMV

Unless it it has a removable metal hatch under the chassis (Zenith was known for having those, but I don't know about GE) you WILL have to REMOVE the chassis to work on it....

If it is old enough you might be able to get a cheap sam's from a re-seller for it IF you can find the correct sam's number for the chassis. Another way to get cheap sam's is to find a library that has them and make a photocopy....Libraries at older technical schools/community colleges, and main branches in major cities often have them.