21CT55 SN: B8801131 Joins the Living List

[ohohyodafarted]

Well it's been a very long road. I purchased this set from another Milwaukee collector last summer. The set was about a 5 on the ten scale. The cabinet was fair for it's age, but the top was pretty bad. The back was missing as were 2 sheet metal panels form the HV doghouse, and the rectifier cage cover. The rest was there, although in need of a complete overhaul

Step one was the cabinet. After disassembling all the components from the cabinet I proceeded to completely strip and refinish the top. Safety glass was stuck to the crt escutcheon from melted foam rubber gaskets that had turned to goo. I used a blow dryer to slowly heat the glass to soften the rubber goo and with a little bit of coaxing the goo eventually let go. The glass and crt escutcheon were cleaned with mineral sprits to soften and remove the rubber goo.

I stained the mahogany veneer top with a water based stain that I custom mixed to match the rest of the cabinet. Then 2 coats of blonde shellac. Then 6 coats of acrylic automotive lacquer. Wet sanding with 400 wet sandpaper after coats 4, 5, and 6. After wet sanding the last coat I steel wool with 0000 steel wool and then polish with white polishing compound and a slow RPM buffer with a lambs wool pad. Lastly I paste wax with Minwax past wax.

The carcass of the cabinet also needed to be refinished due to flaking varnish. I use lacquer thinner to soften the flaking varnish and then steel wool the flaking areas. Then 2 coats of shellac and 4 coats of acrylic automotive lacquer using the same finishing technique as used for the top of the cabinet.

I removed the spindle legs and removed the brass ferrules from the wood spindles. I buffed the brass ferrules with a scotch bright wheel on a bench grinder. The brass ferrules were then reinstalled on the wood spindles and the entire leg assemblies were then given 3 coats of acrylic automotive lacquer. Legs were then reinstalled.

The brass picture frame trim which holds the safety glass in place was also striped, polished and then coated with clear lacquer. I also spruced up other brass such as the Victor "V" on the pencil box and the "Deluxe" emblem on he speaker board in the same mannor.

The grill cloth was very very dirty. I was able to remove it from the speaker board. I soaked it in a strong solution of OxyClean and hot water. It took several batches of fresh solution to get all the stains out. I then reinsed in cold water and let it air dry on a clean bath towel. I re-attached the cloth to the speaker board using 3M Scotch #77 spray adhesive.

The crt shroud is made from low density polyethylene, LDPE. Somewhere along the line, someone had a difficult time getting the shroud to install so they decided to take a razor knife and cut 2 inches off of the front edge of the shroud. Fortunately they left the part they cut off on the crt escutcheon . SOOOOOO.... I obtained a hot air plastics welder from ebay for $30 and also ordered some 1/8" LDPE welding rod. After experimenting to get the hang if it I was able to re-weld the 2 inches of the shroud that had been severed from the front edge of the shroud, reattaching it just as it had been originally.

Lots of time was spent cleaning all the various components of the crt/deflection yoke and purity magnet ring hardware systems.

I recreated a new cover for the deflection yoke to replace the celluloid cover that had completely disintegrated. I posted a thread some time ago about that technique.

The crt was the original that was shipped with the set. It was manufactured in the 52nd week of 1954. Unfortunately it was very nearly dead, so I had it rebuilt at Hawkeye and it is like new again.

The chassis was pretty dirty so I spent two entire evenings cleaning the crud off if it. The chassis was missing two sheet metal panels from the HV cage. Thank yous go to Steve Kissinger who loaned me the missing panels off of his 21CT55 so that I could photograph, measure and make patterns, from which I then fabricated exact replicas of the missing panels.

I fabricated a reproduction metal back for the set. John Folsom furnished me with photos of an actual back from a 21CT55. As it turns out it's very similar to the back for a CT100. I used the back from one of my CT100's along with the photos from John and was able to replicate a back for the 21CT55, using 18 gauge perforated sheet steel and a sheet of 18 gauge cold rolled mild steel. I purchased a small spot welder on ebay for the job. It worked great. I used the spot welder to attach the perforated sheet metal to the outer frame that I fabricated from the 18 gauge cold rolled. As an added touch I attached steel plate where the holes for the controls on the rear of the HV cage are accessed. I used my computer controlled New Hermes engraving machine to engrave the control names under each hole.

Using the same materials I fabricated a new reproduction rectifier cage cover which can bee seen in the photo of the top side of the chassis. Fortunately this set uses the same design for the rectifier cage cover as the CT100 and I was able to use a cover that I got off of one of my ct100's as an example to copy. There is a small difference in my reproduction. I used a solid piece of cold rolled for the back side of my reproduction cover because it was easier to spot weld it this way.

At this point I reinstalled the crt escutcheon , safety glass, and brass trim into the cabinet. I used some 1/8" thick foam cell weather strip tape that I got at ACE hardware to act as a replacement gasket between the safety glass and the crt escutcheon .

The chassis needed a complete recap, and so that was done and 9 electrolytic cans were re-stuffed too. Most of the tubes were very weak and so 18 tubes were replaced with NOS.

The 2500PF 30KV doorknob was leaking, so that was replaced. Turns out the 6BD4A HV regulator had taken a dump and this puppy will put out over 31.5KV if not regulated. That is most likely what took out the door knob cap.

After I replaced the HV regulator tube, I was having trouble getting the specified 25KV out if it. Thanks to John Folsom for some 66Meg resistors I was able to get the bias voltage on the regulator back where it belonged and now I can regulate between 22KV and 28KV.

Final checkout was pretty straight forward. After replacing a bad AGC tube and the usual several days of tweaking, I had a pretty decent picture.

Then it was time for final assembly, and my usual anal-retentive convergence job (I was surprised it converged as well as it does for a set of this vintage) it was time to take some final photos and write this report.

All in all I spent about 14 weeks in restoring this set. I felt it was worth it because it's probably my most significent color acquisition.

I hope you enjoy the photos.

Bob Galanter


REFINISHED CASE WITH SAFETY GLASS AND BRASS TRIM


REPRODUCTION BACK. CAN YOU GUESS WHAT I USED FOR THE CRT CUP?


TOP VIEW OF FRESHLY CLEANED CHASSIS


BOTTOM VIEW OF CHASSIS AFTER RE-CAP


REAR VIEW AFTER INSTALLING REBUILT CHASSIS


REAR VIEW WITH BACK INSTALLED


FRONT VIEW OF FINISHED RESTORATION


SCREEN SHOT OF GATED RAINBOW


SCREEN SHOT OF LIVE SNL COMMERCIAL ON WTMJ CH 4


NICE ORANGE SCREEN SHOT


WIZARD OF OZ CLOSEUP


WIZARD OF OZ EMERALD CITY SCREEN SHOT


WIZARD OF OZ DORTHY SCREEN SHOT

[Sandy G]

Wow.....I'm in AWE... Hold up whilst I run & get me my "drool" towel...(grin)

[firenzeprima]

wonderful tv set, but the color in not very really

[Robert Grant]

Good old NTSC.

14 weeks of work, and too anxious to spend 5 seconds turning the "TINT" knob! (ROTFL).

SERIOUSLY, Yoda, an absolutely beautiful achievement, perfect in every detail. I doubt any 21CT55 looked this good on the factory floor 54 years ago.

Congrats on a job well done, and thanks for sharing the story and the photos with us.

Rob

[Pete Deksnis]

With that early and now rebuilt 21AXP22 Bob's using, which should have the same phosphor as a 15GP22, the set will perform as well as a CT-100

stay tuned

[kx250rider]

MAGNIFICENT! I have a lot of respect for you, as I know exactly how much work that can be!!!!! I've done a 21CT55, and I had put so much time into it that I didn't bother with any of the cosmetic details that you did so well. That chassis shines like a Scott radio!

Charles

[radotvguy]

nice job . thats a lot of work but looks great

[compucat]

Wow. We're not worthy, we're not worthy. How can anybody like a flat panel tv after seeing such a beautiful example of industrial design. That is a remarkable restoration. We should all be able to do half as well. I love the brass trim and emblems.

The tube cap looks like it is made from a plastic microwavable instant soup bowl. Am I right?

[Sandy G]

[QUOTE=compucat;2568714]Wow. We're not worthy, we're not worthy. How can anybody like a flat panel tv after seeing such a beautiful example of industrial design. That is a remarkable restoration.
Ezzacly. That bad boy's from what, 1955 ? 54 years old...Reckon anybody will get the Warm Fuzzies over the latest 2009 54" wunderkind plasmaticHDTV thingy in 2063, assuming ANY of 'em are still around then-Which I doubt...But I guarantee if you "fire up" that '55 TV in 2063, you'll have a throng of people eager to see it...An' I see no reason why it wouldn't STILL work...

[Tomcomm]

Bob....Great restoration, probably the best of all 21CT55 posted. I wonder how many of the 16 or so known 21CT55s are owned by this forum's members, operating or not? I would like to get a current accounting of members that have them and their intentions regarding proper restorations like yours. Mine is alive but is not a restoration, not even a "red-neck" attempt. I'd like to see more screen shots' possibly from the "Digital Video Essentials" evaluation DVD thru a good modulator after you get yours optimally setup....Tom

[bgadow]

Lots of work, but a set that deserves it. Encouraging to see that 21AXP rebuild working. Curious about the black beauties still in the chassis-non critical circuit or were they later replaced? I think I have 2 old paper caps left in my CTC-5, 1600v in the audio circuit...regular supplier didn't have them and they still work.

[ohohyodafarted]

Bagadow,

Yes! your are correct, the black beauties need to go. Dont' know why I failed to pull those? I guess it was just something I overlooked. The set had been worked on by another party and there were a few errors int eh chassis that I had to fix. As a result I was very focused in making sure everything was correct according to the schematic and I spent a lot of my time double checking to make sure every cap was in the set (as I found 2 that were missing) and also that they were connected according to the schematic. I also found a 2 caps that were connected wrong.

Mark,
You are close on the crt cup. Think Stainless and Pet store!

Bob

[old_tv_nut]

Bob, 14 weeks actually seems like a short time for all you did. Just beautiful!

By the way, if you ever get the urge to break into my house at night and work on the CTC-5 cabinet, I promise not to call the police.

[Tony V]

Another fine resto Bob! Thats as probably as close to new as most of us will ever see. What a beautiful set!
-Tony

[jeyurkon]

That's a beautiful finish. The wet sanding really makes a difference. We see too many TVs and Radios that are glossy but have a surface like an orange. Yours is like a mirror!

John