• Refitting Retro TV Cabinet
    19 replies, posted
Alright, so I found this old TV Cabinet on the side of the road in front of a house, so I thought it would be a great idea to take it. [img]http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/4337/downsized0307001618.jpg[/img] What I want to do is refit this cabinet with a more modern set. Like, I want to gut the interior of the cabinet and install a different TV, so it looks retro, but works. Does anyone know how I can go about doing this? Are there any guides online about something like this?
Make sure to discharge the capacitor and tube before gutting.
Old TVs like that might have some toxic shit in them, wear a mask when you're taking it apart.
[QUOTE=breakyourfac;20618001]Old TVs like that might have some toxic shit in them, wear a mask when you're taking it apart.[/QUOTE] Only the tubes.
What are the dimensions? It might prove to be difficult to find a modern TV that will actually fit. As mentioned in a post above you'll want to discharge the capacitors, however it is unlikely that you'll be in danger of exposure to toxic material. You should document your project, I'd love to see the finished result if you can pull it off.
Looks like you might want to sand it down and refinish it even maybe. More pictures please?
Instead of destroying it, how about trying to fix it if it doesn't work. TVs from that vintage are getting pretty rare and are good collectors items. CRTs from that vintage are usually pretty easy to repair because all of the internals are pretty big and easy to access. This guy: [url]http://www.youtube.com/user/drh4683[/url] Can most likely help you fix it by telling you where to get parts, etc. [QUOTE=Van-man;20618201]Only the tubes.[/QUOTE] CRTs from that vintage use heavily leaded glass around the sides of the tube and a slightly less toxic metal in the face glass. The phospher material used on the inside of the CRT is toxic if inhaled. The traces on the board are usually made from aluminum, but the solder is heavily leaded. The old capacitors those things use also probably have significant quantities of PCBs and other nasty things. Carelessly ripping the thing apart can break any number of these components and release the nasty stuff, which will persist for years. All the more reason to fix it instead of throw it in a landfill where it will cause an environmental disaster.
Put a flatscreen monitor in it and turn it into a cool computer.
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;20617902]Make sure to discharge the capacitor and tube before gutting.[/QUOTE] use an 11k ohm resistor to do this. oh and all that lead will be fun to play with
[QUOTE=gerbils_alt_2;20623845]use an 11k ohm resistor to do this. oh and all that lead will be fun to play with[/QUOTE] So you can get cancer, anemia, reproductive system damage and so much more. Sounds like fun :downs:
[QUOTE=ButtsexV2;20618667]Put a flatscreen monitor in it and turn it into a cool computer.[/QUOTE] This. I bet you could get a 15" lcd off of craigslist, for 50$, take off the casing and stick it inside, and since there will be room, you can fit a computer inside. (or behind it.) Something like that. Or just keep it where it is, cause it looks awesome.
An LCD would not conform to the shatter guard on the front because the old CRT was rounded, not flat. What exactly is wrong with it? No picture? I used to be quite good at troubleshooting old tube sets when I still had my Westinghouse.
Gut it, but in an LCD monitor and make it into a MAME cab :v:
Why the fuck would you want that as your monitor? Do you really want a TV that big sitting on your desk?
[QUOTE=pentium;20642870]Why the fuck would you want that as your monitor? Do you really want a TV that big sitting on your desk?[/QUOTE] Beanbag chair + Retrofitted TV on the floor + running emulator software = fuckwin :haw:
Yuo still gotta realize that most LCD's now are 16:9. He's going to ahve a hell of a time finding an appropriately sized LCD that will work.
Be careful, these old TVs can hold a hell of alot of power. Even when they haven't been used for along time.
I tested the TV. It turns on. I can hear the humming of it working. There are two problems though. One minor and one possibly major. The minor is that the screen doesn't actually turn on. It stays black. The possibly big problem is this metallic smell that comes out when I turn it on. I think it might be leaking some sort of gas or it's burning. Obviously I haven't turned it on since.
[QUOTE=Fahrenheit;20650202]The possibly big problem is this metallic smell that comes out when I turn it on. I think it might be leaking some sort of gas or it's burning. Obviously I haven't turned it on since.[/QUOTE] Nah, that's just tubes for ya. :v:
[QUOTE=Fahrenheit;20650202]I tested the TV. It turns on. I can hear the humming of it working. There are two problems though. One minor and one possibly major. The minor is that the screen doesn't actually turn on. It stays black. The possibly big problem is this metallic smell that comes out when I turn it on. I think it might be leaking some sort of gas or it's burning. Obviously I haven't turned it on since.[/QUOTE] Pm the guy on Youtube that I gave you a link for, he can help you troubleshoot the thing. One problem that's common with those old sets is that the capacitors are dried up or have high ESR and cause things not to work. Another problem are cooked resistors, which are also pretty easy to find.
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