after looking close at the zenith ,and removing alot of mouse packing & pooping i decided that i will restore the complete tv cabnet and all.the picture tube is useble, the chassie can be rebuilt, its not as rusty as first thought looks like all the crap might have protected it, the only thing i have never done before is document it step by step as i go . thats what i am going to do in this case ,so bare with me i will post progress as i go,if there is anyone out there that could post any pictures of what this cabnet looked like when it was new like the different color sceams that was offered that would be a big help ,i have to replace to complete bottom ,the o.s.b is coming appart ,i will replace it with 3/4 plywood and the top will have to be steamed back into place and reinforced ,but i would like to see the different stan's they offered for that model ,and the shade of green on the pic. tube bezzel .im not sure yet what year this is ,and i need a complete schematic for it i have pay pal if anyone has a schematic they can sell me . thanks

i seem to haveing trouble uploading all my pictures,only 3 or 4 at a time are making it ? before i can start today im going to scub off dirt and bird poop ex.

all disasembled ready for the big cleaning . this is so dirty i have to start i my garage.

pictures of chassie after first round with shop vac .

the rest of parts

Looks like you have quite a project on your hands! Good luck with the restore. keep us posted on the progress.

Wow...BIG project. This would overwhelm me even if I had the space to do it.

I did notice in the first pics that it LOOKS like the color and hue adjustments were "cranked"...so wonder if you are gonna find some problem there. Of course I know you'll be overwhelmed with joy when you GET to that point though :P

I do love the over-explanation of the two color knobs though. Drives home the point that color was new I guess. I have yet to even see a roundie, or ANY running "first color" sets. Hope I sometime see one of these first color sets. I don't see any small enough for me to ever take on.

all but one of the plastic knobs behind the control board crumbled in my hands ,so ill hunt for some in the spare part boxs of knobs i have,iv got like a 5 gal bucket of used knobs hopefuly i have some.

alot of the work will go into the cabnet ,i have no problem with wood part its the staining and clear coating ill need to work at. i just cant bring myself to destroy this cabnet without trying first.i have alot of automotive sanding tools and boxs of different sand paper grits from 30 threw 1000 grit so i should be able to sand fine finish . plus i know a guy i grew up that builds kitchen cabnet he can give me pointers on staining .

I may have a bunch of the knobs you need. PM me if you do.

Frank

That cabinet is eminently restorable. Looks to be structually sound. Is probably fake veneer so might need a new real veneered top, but you can't tell until cleaned up. I have good luck cleaning cabinets with Orange Goop non-pumice hand cleaner (auto parts stores and Harbor Freight.) It might just come back with that and then some staining and attention to the trim.

I'd pull the tubes on that chassis, put some duct tape over the top of all the coil cans, and scrub and hose it down in the yard with your favorite home spray cleaner, set it in the sun to dry.

today i think i matched the colors on the bezzel, i know as soon as i start on pot metal bezzel cleaning that corsion off there probley be pit holes and who knows what, i might sand blast it and reshoot it with original colors . i noticed the digital camera shows up the color better than i can see it. does anyone have a picture of what the tv looked like new , i would like to get as close as i can ,even if i have to have the color matched.i was thinking about cleaning it that way and just blow dry it with the compressor ,just stay away from coils and transformers with high pressure air.

before i can really start on the tv ,i will have put my truck in the garage and replaced the left rear leaf spring i broke the main leaf getting this tv ,rough roads and the truck is only 35 yrs old ,they just dont make them to last. lol

Geez... I didn't realize that Zenith would be so heavy! :D

it was a vary BIG zenith ,its just one of those things you put off until it gets worst ,it allready had three crack leafs i just finished it off iv had new springs in the shed since i restored the truck in 04 . i was going to wait till i put the tommy lift on the truck ,guess theres ben change in plans

Very cool - I'll be following along. What are the model and chassis numbers? I may have documentation and service info I can share.

Mark

ok got done scrubbing a 1/4 of dirt and who know's what off of the cabnet / bezzell / lower inspection cover, buffed off rust from leg mounts & painted flat black . the inspection cover has some rust in spots ill buff it off and probley paint white .

here is the bezzel after cleaning & before sanding and repainting ,if anyone has a clear picture of the bezzell on this model of what the paint looked like complete please upload a picture here, i probley will not shoot it till saturday .the last picture on the tire is the wrong one thats before cleaning ,theres something kinda going on with uploading pictures to this website. i bought some paint for the bezzel ,close as i can match it without having it mixed for me ,i sanded and cleaned and painted chassie inspection cover .

i will replace the cabnet bottom tonight or saturday its time for some pizza

cool ill uncover some numbers and get them to you, thanks

PIZZA! I WANT!!!!

Is the CRT original? It doesent look like it is laminating, or is my monitor going bad?!?!

yeah it looks like its orginal, dam i was really hoping for a rebuild one ,i removed the strap mounting and wiped some dirt off and it still has the lens on it. i took somemore pic's close up. pizza was good and had me a little nap after to.

I'll look around this weekend, I think I have a spare bezel somewhere with a perfect paint job. If I do, it's yours for postage. I have a control panel too.....or did. Like I said, I'll look in my storage unit for you.

ok ill still sand it down and paint it just to see how it might turn out , got nothing loose at this point.

ok here is pictures of removing bottom of cabnet,and then ill post the clean up of the glue and remainder of o.s.b board. this is kinda fun i never have taken pictures showing what i am doing step by step,wait and see how i remove the guts out of old can capacitors ,it takes about 60 seconds no matter how tough it wants to be.

now prep for new 3/4 plywood im fighting off my cat , he's after my pizza cold pizza if it all goes crazzy that means he stepped on the keyboard i won pizza gone ha ha cat.i think before this is complete i will end up replacing the top to,and if im going to replace the top i might as well do the sides, i got a closer look after cleaning all the dirt off it looks like the top panel is separeting

Looks like some car workn' on tools are being used on this TV. You obviously have other hobbies as well! We are a small group of people (I suspect) that appreciate this kind of thing. Looks promising.

yup most of my tools are automotive ,thats what i did or still do depending on the degenerative artheritis in spine allows , worked for olds dealership since i was in high school then owned my own shop for 18yrs in osceola indiana until i got disabled 08 & 09 i brought home everthing and stuff it in my garage and outbuildings ,if notice the chassie in the picture is sitting on a car lift arm that i took home and set up in my garage ,every home needs a car lift in there garage dont they ,sure makes life alittle more easy.

I'm impressed! :yes:

It's great to see someone take the time to restore an old set like this. All too often they get parted out. Or worse......

im not someone , its me hi--volt lol i cant help it when i see something i cant trough it away , if get rid of something its completly worn out ,then i scrap it if its metal.when i was growing up that's all i ever hurd was the old saying waste not , want not i guess it stuck good in my head .while we are on the subject of never getting rid of things here something i have had since i was a teenager did i mention how much i hate fishtanks ,say hello to my little freind john deer 1010 1949

yeah it looks like its orginal, dam i was really hoping for a rebuild one.

Why? A rebuilt tube does not necessarily mean it will be a good tube. I used to get excited if I found a tube had been already replaced (rebuild or not) and then end up disappointed that the replacement was no good.

Two years ago, I brought home an 63 Zenith and a 66 CM in the same day. I saw the CRT in the Zenith had been replaced... i think with a late-70's Sylvania tube... it was dead. The Curtis Mathes (which has the instant on feature) had the original tube and tested just fine.

Side note- I've brought home Sylvania round tubes on 3 different occasions... all had 1970's date codes... and they were all no good.

I think the big advantage on CRTs that have been replaced is the situation where the replacement was a better tube (regarding design) than the original. For instance, the 21CYP22 in my CTC9 was replaced with a 21FBP22. The FBP should have better brightness and reds than the CYP.

yeah it looks like its orginal, dam i was really hoping for a rebuild one ,i removed the strap mounting and wiped some dirt off and it still has the lens on it. i took somemore pic's close up. pizza was good and had me a little nap after to.

That looks like a Zenith branded RCA tube! See if the EIA code is 274 on the labeling. I see the Hi-Lite sticker on it which was the RCA trade name at the time.

At any rate, the face of the tube looks great. I bet it will wake up if you allow the tube to cook for awhile.

That looks like a Zenith branded RCA tube! See if the EIA code is 274 on the labeling. I see the Hi-Lite sticker on it which was the RCA trade name at the time.

Good catch on the Hi-Lite sticker, Marty!

yea it checks out ok except the blue gun is weak and compared it between the sencore tester and the b & k the sencore showed alittle stronger but we will see i guess i should remove the lens & pva stuff while its out .knowing my luck once its all together and useing it a caterack will start to show . ill just brake out the sludge hammer and a couple of chissels and pop that lens right off.

probley because i used to get reman picture tubes from a guy that had a tv parts store nere by me, and they never gave me a bit of trouble sometimes i think they were better than new one's i dont know were he got them from but they were priced good and i never had to replace them again .he also was the only suppler for bendix lazer equitment these tubes they used were big and pricy the place was called tv electronic's and there wasnt nothing he couldnt find you.

Strange, the Hi-Lite label says it's an FBP which should have a removable lens and gasket, yet the lens on this one is glued on???

Then leave it alone!!! I wondered if it was an FBP when I saw how reflective the safety glass was on it! Thats why I questioned the CRT lineage.

tell me more if it doesnt have the pva on it and it wouldnt get cateracs ill leave it ,i was going to give it a good bath before i do anything to it anyway . plus i probley got a week playing with the cabnet, i think i might have to replace the other panels to. does anyone know if this model ever came as a blonde ,i like to know now because if replace the top and sides panels i can go with any finish.

I'd wipe down the bell of the tube with a damp rag. Dont take a chance getting water between the safety glass and the CRT. The rubber gasket may be stuck from all the years of togetherness. I'd be really careful doing things here. GOOD LUCK!!

if you have any valueble info or suggestions feel free to give me input , i used to work on lots of different kinds of tv's when i was a kid playing around, and made side money fixing freinds tv's over 15-20yrs ago and stopped ,thats the limit i know about tv's. i would work on alot of other type's of electrical things like motors extra. and all modern automotive electronic things theres no end to that. but some of you guys here know thing's about these tv i dont , you can say im a new old collector iv got some catching up to do .so dont watch me do something and assume i know all about it, feel free to give me your input or if you know a nice short cut im open,i have always liked working on tv's esply. the ones with tubes and there is a wealth of info here .

Back to the roundie for a moment...

If the CRT is a Zenith, why is there another small sticker on the bell of the tube that says "Hi-Lite" with the CRT type. I thought Hi-Lite was RCA's brand for new CRT's and Colorama was the RCA brand for rebuilt tubes. :scratch2:

Did Zenith buy CRT's from RCA?

Nice JD dozer, BTW...

Come on guys, this set is a total POS. Show some self respect by putting your time into something more worth while like a set that is cosmetically sound that only needs ELECTRONIC repairs. The set will never be what it was again and whatever you do to restore it, it will still have a rusty crappy chassis that had mice in it and a moldy cabinet that was pissed in.

Roundies are still out there, its not like you found the only one thats left and its not a CT-100 or some other rare one of a kind set. Keep the CRT, scrap the rest. Lets get real folks. :thmbsp:

just got back from lowes with nice peace of 3/4 plywood ,since my truck is laid up with a broken spring i thought it would save a few bucks and buy a precut insted of a full sheet plywood ,wrong it was 18.00 for a peace that 2'x4' i remember when that was called scrap cut off.

I think he's more about enjoying what he is doing and there is NOT anything wrong with that, If he chooses to restore something that may not be worth anything to you, so be it.. Nothings worse then me picking up sets with my bad luck with bad crts, and on top of that, buying replacement from another collector which happened to arrive damaged, and this happened twice in a row, I spent over $400 so far on a Zenith roundie, which I'm still hoping I will get my money from the claim I submitted with Grey Hound.. I'm about ready to toss it, and now I know better to make sure the CRT is good in anything else I find or don't touch it with a 10ft pole..

I just looked at the crt pic on the 2nd page. Sez Zenith, and looks like an FJP tube. I can see the lamination between the tube and the safety. Maybe being in the barn all these years saved it, in some strange and weird way.

Bruce

oh its on now ,sounds like challenge to me gellis, ill have it looking and smelling like new before you know it.maybe you cant work well with wood and painting things but dont assume everone else can't either.if we all had your outlook there would be no restored car's either.

I think you have a great project there. My RCA's that I got last April aren't near the challenge you have there but I say go for it. When it comes to life and you know your labors is what got it there you have something to be proud of. Best of luck to you and I hope to see some pics of it playing.

I think he's more about enjoying what he is doing and there is NOT anything wrong with that, If he chooses to restore something that may not be worth anything to you, so be it.. Nothings worse then me picking up sets with my bad luck with bad crts, and on top of that, buying replacement from another collector which happened to arrive damaged, and this happened twice in a row, I spent over $400 so far on a Zenith roundie, which I'm still hoping I will get my money from the claim I submitted with Grey Hound.. I'm about ready to toss it, and now I know better to make sure the CRT is good in anything else I find or don't touch it with a 10ft pole..

Hear Hear!!!

I am well known for buying a set without checking the CRT. Actually, even if I knew the CRT was bad, I would buy it if the cosmetics were good and then buy stuff to fix it. I am very happy that this project is ongoing and am waiting to see how it goes...

Hear Hear!!!

I am well known for buying a set without checking the CRT. Actually, even if I knew the CRT was bad, I would buy it if the cosmetics were good and then buy stuff to fix it. I am very happy that this project is ongoing and am waiting to see how it goes...


My first (recent--in the last 10 years) restoration is a 1961 Magnavox 23" B/W home entertainment center. CRT was dead as a doornail. Got a newer good CRT from a member here, and wound up spending $150 on the other parts, and a couple of oddwad speakers for it. Now, it plays, the turntable runs, AM and FM (mono) works fine. Now, it sits here looking sad. I'm only using it to reinforce the stereo sound on my TV system. I could have done that without buying a $$$ 23MP4 CRT!!

This all said, I'm actively looking for a roundie home entertainment system to restore. Bad CRT? Dont care. I have 2 very good ones on hand.

I drove all the way to Seattle from Boise to go to a Estate sale just to pick up a bunch of roundie sets. Between Damen and I, we picked up 6 or 7 sets and only 1 had a bad CRT but we also picked up 4 extra CRT's which only 1 was bad. We did not test any CRT's until we got to Portland. Just took a chance with them. Sometimes you get lucky. Sure it cost about $500 for the trip but it was well worth the effort. It's great practice for Snelson to restore such a set and if it gives him joy, so be it. I know it will turn out nice in the end.

ok here's what i got done tonight ,i cut out the new bottom ,and had to keep reminding myself to cut the groove for the back to fit in. the groove was alittle tricky but turned out pretty good the fits in it nicely.

ok and here it is installed ,boy did it straightend out & mad it stronger too,when i was at lowes tonight i saw some real nice finishing wood [ not press chip board ] panels that can be sanded to a nice finish that i can stain , i looked at it last night and desided to replace all the veiner panels and just remake and stain it to look like it did 40 yrs ago.

Come on guys, this set is a total POS...

Thank you Captain Sunshine for your usual encouragement.

I'm very much enjoying the restoration pictures. I'm thoroughly impressed with your shop skills- you sure are making the most of the tools you have at hand. :thmbsp:

thank you guys ,and for all the support. there's always someone ready to bad mouth what you are doing , but they never show there work if any.

This set is nothing as far as restoration goes, did you see how trashed Bob's Hallcrafters CTC-4 was? Just because a set isn't necessarily 'worth' restoring doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, if for no other reason for the practice.

Are you sure that you don't work for a museum in the fabrication shop ? ;)

Excellent work...

thank's for the complement nope this happen's to be my first one , i have more metal reconstruction background fabricating rusted out steel parts, and mechine parts and heavy stick welding. its kinda always been a hobby,something like a modern black smith .iv always liked metal work ,i like saying if you cant buy build it. i have my own metal lathe and drill press and other equitment .i was suppost to inherit a bridgeport milling mechine but the will is still being fought over by his family ,they are trying to sell off everthing just for the money, so i just hope and wait that they onner his wishes. you see i was one of these weird kids growing up, that didnt play sports or do much of what kids my age were doing i would follow around guys that were always building or working on something thats what interested me.

I can't wait to see the finished cabinet. I'm sure it's going to be beautiful!

thanks for the complement , iv seen what work you guys do here ,and how your projects turn out and all i can say is wow,the level of detail is something. and the hours you guys put into them, like last big one iv been watching from miniman82 they turn out better than they were when they was new ,so i can say im in a learning phase myself being here.

...

you see i was one of these weird kids growing up, that didnt play sports or do much of what kids my age were doing i would follow around guys that were always building or working on something thats what interested me.

Hmmmm, that sounds familiar. I didn't play sports. I did go fishing, I did mess about with vacuum tube audio and when solid state stuff came in, I switched over because that was the "Greatest thing since sliced bread". But as we move on in life, we sometimes go back to the basics like cars (read 50s 60s) and tubes. About a year ago, I got a 1969 M715 army truck. I drove them when I was in from 68-70 and loved it. Now, I have one but it is far from restored.

Anyway, not to wander off of topic or divert any of the deserved praise to you, nice job! I wish I had your skill...

Another Aside here.

I collect films. I have a title in the collection called, The Shy Guy. It's an educational film made in 1950 that stars Dick York, who was on the TV series, Bewitched, in the '60's.

In the film, he is very shy about making friends in a new school, and builds RADIOS at home in his spare time. Look for it on YouTube. The 'dad' charactor reminds me of Ward Cleaver, and guess who sponsored this production... Look for their bottles.

oh yeah i like the big army trucks,and most of the older army equitment ,me and some of my freinds used to spend the week, spring & fall at place called knob creek kentucky twice a yr they had big mechine gun range shooting, and lots of military stuff there radio equitment any surplus you wanted,but the more people found out about it ,it became less fun to go down there. it got to crowded and they had to start upping the security there to keep the new people that was showing up there in line,it kinda took the fun out of it.

here is what got done tonight ,after this its time to clean the garage monday its getting bad in there .

the legs are temp. just get it back on its own feet for now. after i clean up the garage im going to remove all the other panels and replace them,and also add somemore framing to the top to pervent any future warping or bowing of the top ,and hand sand all the frt molding work. then hopefully stain and clear coat it .and be done with that part.

I have a philco with a rotting bottom, nice to see this for motivation. :thmbsp:

i was thinking about it tonight ,out of all the tv's i have picked up in the last two months why did i start on the worst one ,i still have that color roundie magi that probley only needs recaping havent even touched it,and the cabnet is in perfect shape on that one. then i remembered i was planning on parting out this zenith ,but i just cant let it go in the fire i guess.

Far out, that cabinet is starting to come together well all the work you've put into it has paid off. I'm totally useless when it comes to wood work of any kind so find it rather amazing when seeing beaten up/water damaged cabinets being restored like this. You certainly have a big restoration project on your hands there so I commend you for taking this on. Excellent work :yes: I'll be following this thread for sure. :) And this set is not a 'POS' either! :thmbsp:
Cheers
Glen

That bottom came out awesome! You're replacing other panels, too? Wow... haven't seen a cabinet get this much of a resto since Polaraman redid his Sylvania roundie years ago!

Good luck with the rest!

It's not a POS, and when you get it done, it will still be a Zenith.

I don't even have a color Zenith now.

yeah i figured i came this far ,i might as well do the other three panels dont look like it will take much to replace plus when i stain it, it will all match. the inside will not be seen anyway the stain will help protect the wood on the inside plus i get to see how close the stain will look.

Wow!..I've been gone a long time for all this to have happened in my absence.

A few of my opinions on the restoration so far....
Great job on the bottom. I'd have painted both sides of the new bottom the same shade of maroon-ish red that the inside of the cabinet is painted for better originality. Also unless you are convinced that the bottom metal service panel will rust again you really should not have painted it....It was originally bare metal and part of the reason it was bare was to connect to the metal grounding strap(seen in one of the photos of the original bottom) which connected it to the chassis so it could serve as an electromagnetic shield. It may work fine without the bottom acting as a shield, but I would not chance it in any of my sets.

Also I cringed when I read your comment about using a sledge-hammer and chisel on the CRT safety glass. Sledge hammer + CRT = IMPLOSION in my book. EVEN on the bonded tubes that have cateracts it is a VERY bad move to chisel off the safety glass....There are several methods to remove a bonded safety glass intact so that it can be reattached in a better way.
All that said I believe that yours is a non-bonded type. and thus the safety glass may be fine as is. I would take some windex and paper towels and clean the face of the CRT, and check if there appears to be any noticeable dirt in-between. If not leave well enough alone. If there is dirt check if the only thing holding the safety glass on is a rubber gasket. If so then it is a non-bonded type and is fairly easy to remove. To remove it I recommend prying with your fingers, but if the rubber is degraded into glue then you may need to cut the rubber with an exacto-knife to remove the glass intact and clean off the rubber with Goof-off. Once the glass is off clean the inside and face of the tube as spotless as you can and re-attach the glass. There are several methods. Some make a new gasket from whether stripping or some such. Some use 1/8 inch thick 1/4 wide double sided foam tape around the perimeter to hold the glass on. Some use short strips of said foam tape as spacers and use packing tape to prevent dirt and air from getting between the glass and the CRT, and others still use the tape as spacers, but use silicone caulk to seal the glass back on. be careful not to get tape or caulk too near to the viewable area as if it obstructs the viewable area it will annoy the crud out of you and if the mask does not hide your reattachment of the glass it will look really shoddy and ugly.

Unless the plywood is badly warped and or delaminated why go to the effort of changing the side and top panels? If they are just loose from the frame reglue them and refinish. If the veneer is gouged use a damp towel and a clothes iron to try to steam the wood level, and if that fails wood filler or putting fresh veneer on should work well. You don't change every part on a chassis when new capacitors and a bit of trouble shooting are all that is needed for it to be good as new so why completely rebuild a cabinet that seems to only need body work?

no the hammer and chissel thing thats my sence of humour ,its suppose to get a laugh ,i didnt think anyone would think i was really going to take a hammer and chissel to the picture tube. and yes when the chassis and everything is finish it will have a new grounding strap a one peace from the inspection cover to chassis tube to the metal tuner asembly if you notice how rusty the old strap is its not going to be reused.i have a nice flat new braided grounding strap that is far better than the orginal ,and for painting the inspection cover im sure the spots would comeback quickly ,when you buff off the pickeling coating it needs some protection ,when i attach the the new ground strap i will clean off the paint just in that area to ensure contact. the panels esp. the top one is in pretty bad shape it looks like it had something setting on it for a long time ,plus its overall thickness is more than the other's due to expaintion and seperation ,and under the top panel [ center ] they never made any real structure support ,so if you look at the time and effort that go into trying to save cheap vener press board it would be easyer to add more support frameing and replace the panels with new tight graind real wood so it would look like the fack vener wood pattern but be real wood ,then when that is finished i can stain the complete inside of the cabnet also.but keep in mind this tv is a plain jane and its always going to be a plain jane cabnet .plus this tv was not to far from becoming fire wood ,but hay i wanted see and learn about staining and finishing ,working with wood thats not a problem, restaining and finishing thats the time comsuming work ,and the orginal panels is not worth it .

Great job snelson! I am enjoying looking at your fine work and congatulate you for starting this project. You do great work! Any early round-screen color set like this deserves to be restored. I'll be following this thread with great interest. It shows that when you decide to start on a project, even a tough one, it can be done if you stick with it and have the motivation. Good luck in this venture!

Gilbert

thank you i had to stop for a few days and replace the rear leaf springs in 1977 chev 4x4 pick up truck ,on the way back from picking up this zenith it was the straw that broke the camels back, on already broken leaf springs the fine condition of the back roads of indiana and michigan broke the left rear main leaf ,so after dealing with rusty eye bolts i am finished replacing springs and will be ready for the call to rescue another roundie ha ha.also in the past few days iv been having to deal with comcast wanting more money for internet service, so if i suddley disappear ill be back.

truck or tv getter, this can carry alot of tv's home .i bought a rusty used tommy lift this spring off craigslist once i rebuild it ill put on the back of the truck so when i happen across those console's tv's alone i can still get them by myself .

I've worked on many of these sets years ago when I was repairing TVs. Two problems I remember is that they plastic dynamic convergence coils where they are held together with spring clips would break, also the coils on the dynamic convergence would crumble with age and heat and fall apart. Just hope the flyback, yoke and crt are good, or at least usuable. At least the zenith flybacks didn't seem to give as much trouble as the RCA roundies. After a good cleaning and recaping, and as most of them probably will need some tubes, you should have a great relic of a TV. I used to fix these years ago, and they would sell used for around $200, and for many of my customers it was there first color tv.

the picture tube seems promissing ,flyback from what i have seen almost looks like it was replaced before its long stay in the barn, yes you are right the coils just crumbled like the knobs did ,so im making a shopping list and going try to find some parts while i do the cabnet .im going to take the chassis down the basement after i clean it the best i can thats my electronics work area is. hay while im on the subject of the chassis it has spots of rust on in area's pretty good i can remove the rust but usely it would rust again there has anyone else out there ever painted that gold or silver metal spray before ,or what would anyone suggest putting on the chassis after removing the rust ,only on the top not under the chassis. iv seen pictures of this chassis it's a copper or silver galvanize color.

A used Tommy Lift on Craigslist? I could get in big trouble with the stuff I could bring home if I found one for my '94 Ranger. Well, maybe not, since I have NO more room in the house or garage for any more heavy objects.

no more room ,there's always more room you can go verticle until one day your wife tossis you out, or your stuff falls on you and your crushed under whats called a trashalanch ,yeah i need to slow down on what im been getting already but there's always a need for a lift gate 101 uses to save your back.the first lift gate i had just rusted out ,and boy did i miss it .

That truck is one true workhorse made for TV rescues. You can come home with something inside and wait till nobody's looking to unload it.

Most 73-87 GMC have replacement sheet metal as repair panels are available.

I have a Toyota since the brake lines, frame and leaf spring brackets rusted on my Ranger. Its not faring much better but at least it was built in the Fremont Ca plant.

thats second time around for that truck ,bought it in 1988 as a 1975 1/2 ton restored it ,by 2001 rusted out again ,found that frame axles transfer case in the woods found two other doner trucks made that one in the garage alittle bit at a time after work ,i even painted it in my garage at home ,witch ill never do again the overspary was just to much to control .and that paint isant basecoat clearcoat either its the old acrilic enamel and last time for that to .the newer paint is more forgiving.

The danger of earthquakes here (about 15 miles north of the Fremont plant that made Dave's truck) limits the vertical arrangements I could get away with.

i always woundered what living in a earthquake zone would be like ,and precautions you must you plan for in everyday things you do ,what most of us dont give second thought about.

Snelson, that is one cool looking set!
I would love to find an early color set like this to work on.
I am watching this with great expectations, so keep up the good work!!

Magnavox300

the picture tube seems promissing ,flyback from what i have seen almost looks like it was replaced before its long stay in the barn, yes you are right the coils just crumbled like the knobs did ,so im making a shopping list and going try to find some parts while i do the cabnet .im going to take the chassis down the basement after i clean it the best i can thats my electronics work area is. hay while im on the subject of the chassis it has spots of rust on in area's pretty good i can remove the rust but usely it would rust again there has anyone else out there ever painted that gold or silver metal spray before ,or what would anyone suggest putting on the chassis after removing the rust ,only on the top not under the chassis. iv seen pictures of this chassis it's a copper or silver galvanize color.

Have you considered clear lacquer? It would seal the metal just like paint and allow the metal underneath to be seen so color matching would not be an issue.
My grandpa's last truck and his only new from the dealership one (that he only lived to use for a short time) was almost the same as yours only light brown.

ok i had a little extra time today to do somemore work on the cabnet, removed the top and cleaned the old glue off and check condition of the wood inside.

going to add extra support to the top ,been exp. with re-doing old legs

If you don't save the sides then you should at least try to save that tube chart on the inside of the one side.

boy iv been thinking about that since i started this episode ,if anyone got any ideas short of cutting it out of the layered venir and slicing it thin and re-gluing it to the new panel , shoot me some ideas this problem will come up again when restoring a nicer and rare tv .im still thinking about it

going to add extra support to the top ,been exp. with re-doing old legs

Those legs look beautiful!!
Keep it up!!

Before you get too technical on it I recommend Taking a good hi res photo or cutting close to it and putting it in a Xerox machine so you have a good copy to fall back on if the original gets ruined.

Taking a photo is probably your option... then print it. You could play with the options in your photo/print/scan devices and try to make it "not look like a photograph" before you print out your final result to put inside the cabinet.

finished sanding the legs one set off the rca and other the zenith ,i quess i wait then clear coat last thing

side panels removed and cleaned frame

You keep this up and you will have people coming to your house for cabinet work. Nice Job!

removed the tv orginal panel schematic transfer to photocopy, also found a factory repair on the production line ,iv noticed the upper right mighter joint didnt match the left now after removing side panel i see why,just loosen it it moved it over and re-glued it , i found that i had a sam's photofact allready in a lot i bought off ebay for this model so that worked out

i dont know if im liking cabnet work ,i think i rather weld it instead.

i dont know if im liking cabnet work ,i think i rather weld it instead.

That would be an interesting show....:D

finished sanding the legs one set off the rca and other the zenith ,i quess i wait then clear coat last thing

If those leg caps are aluminum, they would shine up like mirrors with fine steel wool and water on the lathe...

If those leg caps are aluminum, they would shine up like mirrors with fine steel wool and water on the lathe...

we can shine the legs for the rca on another show , im tired . when i restore the rca ill call it [ this old rca ] ha ha

Great job! it's nice to see someone getting these old Zenith sets going, no matter the condition. It looks AWESOME so far. I can't wait to see the finished set, with a bright color picture.

added the extra supports before i put on the panels there all glued & screwd ,i will need sand the glue joints where the panel will be placed . i will paint the inside the orginal color when finished.

Great job! it's nice to see someone getting these old Zenith sets going, no matter the condition. It looks AWESOME so far. I can't wait to see the finished set, with a bright color picture.

i dont know if you got my pm so try to email me again thanks

started installing panels now got one glued on the second one drying tonight before set the top panel i have to block sand the edges so all panels fit nicely together ,thats why i left about 1/8 over hang sand to fit .then fit the top panel last,bezell for picture tube almost ready for new paint.

both left and right new panels on ,i will have to remove exs glue and sand edges before setting top panel . my wife is watching me re-do this tv cabnet ,and thinks since i can do this to a tv cabnet how about her kitchen cabnets that iv been putting off for years ,i dont want to replace kitchen cabnets this is turning into work. got the top on today wait another 24 hrs and back to sanding on the edges to make clean fit.

...my wife is watching me re-do this tv cabnet ,and thinks since i can do this to a tv cabnet how about her kitchen cabnets that iv been putting off for years...

Uh-huh... you've worked yourself into a pickle now!! You should have seen that one coming! :D

i might know how to get out of it ,get her out there and make her do some sanding.

That cabinet is shaping up fast. These jobs go better when you have the right tools. I like that vice-grip clamp with the L-O-N-G jaws.

Phil Nelson

yah welding tools are working out pretty good here ,i guess need to invest in some of those long wood clamps.i cant wait to see how the cabnet turns out iv been expairmenting with stains that match the orginal , it looks like zenith used three different color woods here ,so some areas will get more stain than others to make a even color ,im going to have the inside color made, cant seem to find a match.

i might know how to get out of it ,get her out there and make her do some sanding.
Ha, Ha, Ha...well, it was nice knowing you. Might want to tune up the truck for a speedy getaway. That's the best advice I can offer, not having any experience in relationships.

Anyway...the job you're doing on that TV is just amazing. I can't wait to see the finished project!

Ditto there.
If its not words with friends on her iPhone. It ain't happening.
Lol

On the other note beautiful job you are doing on the cabinet! Has anyone else here rebuilt a cabinet for their set?

Ha, Ha, Ha...well, it was nice knowing you. Might want to tune up the truck for a speedy getaway. That's the best advice I can offer, not having any experience in relationships.

Anyway...the job you're doing on that TV is just amazing. I can't wait to see the finished project!

I'm gonna send you all of my Tv's LOL! Nice job!. can't wait to see it all together.

Just remember, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy!!"

you sooo right mama aint the hole house suffer's ,thats why when they want something you got to make it a big messy project out it that way there sorry they ask for it. lol

im still prep. the tube bezzel wet sanding and removing corosion pretty much have got all the pitting gone now they where not to deep ,if i had any that were to deep i was going to jb weld and sand flat,but turned out ok just have to fine sand now before repainting.here different stages of sanding ill take a pic of last before i shoot it. actually if anyone has another spare bezzel or two let me know, got another idea for something else later. i was able to prim and lay down the first color tonight. ill see in the morning how it looks and mask out and shoot the second color.its all one color just camera fash

I've been looking for the ones I had, I think I may have left them behind when I moved out of my house:sigh: If one turns up, it's yours.

ok thanks zenithfan1

Is the bezel two toned?
Looks like a gold on the main part and silverish on the outside edge?
Can't tell.
Looks great though, fun to watch this baby coming back to life!

Magnavox300

yeah it does look like theres a silver border doesnt it in the picture ,i dont think the camera is really showing what it looks like in real life ,the base color is all the same plus it was still wet when the picture was taken, i matched the orginal paint on a part thats been covered up all its life,they call the color a [ carmel latte ] its not really a glose or a flat somewhere in the middle plus paint right after you shoot never looks real ,the second color is a [ italian olive ] green its not a complete glose either ,these colors are there modern equvilince im sure ,somewhere out there someone may know what zenith orginal paint codes were ,but if they mixed them in the factory they vary to .this old paint looks like flat lacker to me like was use on older cars in the 60's and it came off like it to. probley in a month the color will dull out alittle then look normal .

boy iv been thinking about that since i started this episode ,if anyone got any ideas short of cutting it out of the layered venir and slicing it thin and re-gluing it to the new panel , shoot me some ideas this problem will come up again when restoring a nicer and rare tv .im still thinking about it

I would cut it out, scan it, clean it up with Photoshop or whatever then print out a new one.

It's pretty much impossible to remove one without destroying it in my experience.

yes i allready have a new schematic photocopyed and ready to go ,its on photo paper to it turned out nice ,theres a picture back on page 7 of it after paint the inside ill glue it in.

Is the bezel two toned?
Looks like a gold on the main part and silverish on the outside edge?
Can't tell.
Looks great though, fun to watch this baby coming back to life!

Magnavox300

you bring up something else i didnt see before i went back and looked at the vary first pictures of when it was still in the truck and facing foward in the garage picture ,the two small borter lines on the bezzel i thought the paint was rubbed off i wonder if they were painted a silvery color. does anyone have this model of zenith that can go look see,or know off hand ,ill look on youtube

got somemore done today finished fitting in the sides and top,sanding them to fit nice together ,had the inside paint mixed and painted the inside .put the new schematic glued waiting for to dry now.here's a picture of the reproduction chassis layout with the orginal paint smudge copyed.

Looks great!
Are you going to veneer over that birch ply?
That old RCA stand looks cool, I would redo that too!!

Magnavox300

Looks great!
Are you going to veneer over that birch ply?
That old RCA stand looks cool, I would redo that too!!

Magnavox300

no i hate veneer ,i lined up the plywood to match the orginal veneer fake pattern they almost look the same ,so i also matched the stain or varnish also so im going give it shot ,you just have to watch shading i quess ,when i havent been working the cabnet iv been learning about stains and been testing on scrap wood ,after i get it to match the orginal then spray on the clear coat sealer .

yeah i got that stand and a old rca chair that has the victor dog on it from the local nbc station after the change they were cleaning out stuff [again scrappers] hauled off equitment they thought somebody might want tables and chairs they even gave away the clystron, he said he didnt think anyone would want old equitment from the 50's 60' he thought it just junk ,i told him how much i hated him and would like to beat him, no but that was my thoughts, i told him much money he probley threw away so he could feel bad too, that there are lots of people who would liked to see what they had it was the first nbc station in south bend ind.

I've been watching this Zenith come back to life and all I can say is OMG you're doing an A+ job! Great work man! Cabinet work is fun isn't it? I like to do the electronic resto's just as much but there is just something about working with the cabinetry that feels well...good inside, because everyone can see the transformation even if they know nothing about electronics.

I've been watching this Zenith come back to life and all I can say is OMG you're doing an A+ job! Great work man! Cabinet work is fun isn't it? I like to do the electronic resto's just as much but there is just something about working with the cabinetry that feels well...good inside, because everyone can see the transformation even if they know nothing about electronics.

yes, im starting to get into it i didnt think i like it . it also kinda change's things alittle bit now if i happen across a tv thats got bad cabinet i can now deside instead of just buying it for parts ,i restore the cabinet part too ,im going to get me some wood working tools next esp some long cabinet clamps. auto body tools can only go so far. lol

What are the dimensions of your RCA stand? I have an old RCA TM-10 color studio monitor that looks about the same size. I had guessed it was rack mounted, but really know nothing about how things were done in TV stations.

Regarding the cabinet, have you considered using toning lacquer rather than stain? Sometimes it does better at producing an even color, if there are plywood edges or different types of wood in the cabinet.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

What are the dimensions of your RCA stand? I have an old RCA TM-10 color studio monitor that looks about the same size. I had guessed it was rack mounted, but really know nothing about how things were done in TV stations.

Regarding the cabinet, have you considered using toning lacquer rather than stain? Sometimes it does better at producing an even color, if there are plywood edges or different types of wood in the cabinet.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

no. now he tells me , i spent all day sanding all of the frt. molding work by hand and aplide my first coat just on the orginal wood work and waiting for it to dry, i was told to stain the dark wood first then apply to the lighter wood as needed to match the older darker wood ,it sounds like that would have been faster,it turned nice though ill upload pictures of it. i deffently want to darken the ends were the plywood ends the orginal fiber board was ended in the same way instead making a 90 deg. angel cut witch i almost did ,but then it would have been a sharp corner so did like they did and beveled it a little .at the cut off end of the top fiber board it looks like blackened it on just the edge im thinking about doing the same thing before i stain it. oh the table is 24"x24"x34"

pictures

WOW, that's looking awesome. I commend you for your effort!

Great job sanding that front moulding-
I know how much work that is- stain looks amazing!

Magnavox300

Don't worry about stain vs. lacquer if you already started staining. There are many ways to skin the cat, and I'm sure your cabinet will look good in the end.

Regarding the stand, is the long dimension (34") the depth or the height? Hard tell exactly from the photo.

Regards,

Phil Nelson

Don't worry about stain vs. lacquer if you already started staining. There are many ways to skin the cat, and I'm sure your cabinet will look good in the end.

Regarding the stand, is the long dimension (34") the depth or the height? Hard tell exactly from the photo.

Regards,

Phil Nelson

34 " height or tall, and 24"x24" square on top

WOW, that's looking awesome. I commend you for your effort!

thanks,and magnavox300 ill see it to it end no matter what it looks like when im finished, so far i been surprising myself ,i have never refinished a cabinet before but this might change my mind about doing more .im trying to take my time at it ,but i like to get started on the chassis.

ok after i let the frt molding work dry i litely sanded the sides and top with 400 grt. paper flat block just make sure i didnt miss anything blew it off[compressed air ] best i could & tac cloth it and applyed my 1st coat ,i also took a chance and blacked just the end of plywood so the plywood layers were covered , i notice they did the same thing with the orginal fiber board ,i also have a 1989 zenith console that has almost the same color staining and they did that on the set to blackened were there was a large gap .tomorrow i want to see it in the sun light and see if thick or thin in areas and adjust it with 2nd coat ,then it should be time for sealer .this camera im useing doesnt seem to like certain colors like the inside is more red tint the picture shows kinda purple brown the guy at the hardware store match to the orginal color pretty good ,i brought lots of samples for his computer to scan but it still came down to 3 opions before he mixed it. lol they love me there,im always making them look for something they never hurd of before.

The cabinet will be better built than the original was. looking nice. getting closer

The cabinet will be better built than the original was. looking nice. getting closer

yes im almost done , then ill take a breather and begin the chassis rebuild , i cant wait see it all finished and watching it but i no from experience take your time it turn out better .one for sure that cabinet is a lot stronger then the orginal was with added frameing.

Such a staggering amount of work you are doing.
The tough ones leave you with a more satisfied feeling afterwards though.

Your cabinet is looking great! Time and patience is working in your favor.

no i hate veneer ,i lined up the plywood to match the orginal veneer fake pattern they almost look the same ,so i also matched the stain or varnish also so im going give it shot ,you just have to watch shading i quess ,when i havent been working the cabnet iv been learning about stains and been testing on scrap wood ,after i get it to match the orginal then spray on the clear coat sealer .

I think you have two things confused.....VENEER is thinly sliced high quality wood that can be stained, lacquered, and even sanded if you do not go too deep and if the veneer is not too thin. PHOTOFINISH is the term for FAKE wood finishes(usually consisting of some combination of printed paper, paint, dye, vinyl, etc) applied over ugly wood to improve the look.

You can get AWESOME veneer at many wood stores, but photofinish can't be bought and usually can't even be duplicated!

I think you have two things confused.....VENEER is thinly sliced high quality wood that can be stained, lacquered, and even sanded if you do not go too deep and if the veneer is not too thin. PHOTOFINISH is the term for FAKE wood finishes(usually consisting of some combination of printed paper, paint, dye, vinyl, etc) applied over ugly wood to improve the look.

You can get AWESOME veneer at many wood stores, but photofinish can't be bought and usually can't even be duplicated!
yes i agree, iv been learning about some of these ,to me veneer is or was press board with a fack picture of wood glued to it ,like the wal-mart desk and bookshelfs they sell are. now that i have been getting into this finishing work i have been looking into all the different types ,to me though i still like a wood product that is made like plywood ,any of the press boards like o.s.b or particle board or even fiber board i dont care for.i call this my learning curve time.i have a radio it was made in the mid 30's it was damaged from water being in my father inlaws garage ,i restored the chassis years ago, now since i tryed for the first time at refinishing something i going to restore that old radio cabinet ,taking from what learned on this cabinet and do better on that one .

here's a thought for anyone that might know, when the factory any company draws up plans for a new tv cabinet design's from 40's through the 60's are they arkived anywhere or destroyed, i was just thinking it would be cool to find some old factory plan's on cabinet's that the factory used. and build a new one from all the right measurement's ,even down to the color of stains they used.bring back some of cabinets that have been lost to time .

In most cases they didn't use much stain. Radio cabinets from the thirties on used lacquer and where tinting was required they used dyes in the lacquer itself. Especially on trim wood, legs, etc. which were of some common wood like poplar, they used toning lacquers. These are available today in various shades. What happens with these sorts of woods is that they either won't take stain, or take too much and look muddy. Some of that can be avoided by using a lacquer sanding sealer first and then filling the wood grain pores, then sanding lightly, before any staining takes place, the coats of finish lacquer afterwards. The sanding sealer before anything keeps the stain from sinking in too deep, making the desired finish more controllable. That's the way the factory cabinets were made. In the twenties they used shellac, but around 1930 lacquer came into use. They never used varnish and of course not polyurethane which hadn't been developed yet. Neither of the last two finishes will look authentic. The cabinets had to get out of the door fast and look good, and lacquer being fast drying allowed that.

here's a thought for anyone that might know, when the factory any company draws up plans for a new tv cabinet design's from 40's through the 60's are they arkived anywhere or destroyed, i was just thinking it would be cool to find some old factory plan's on cabinet's that the factory used. and build a new one from all the right measurement's ,even down to the color of stains they used.bring back some of cabinets that have been lost to time .
I thought of the same thing when I was repairing the Magnavox console.
I thought it would be great to just build a whole new cabinet using the old one as a guide.
I only thought of it because there was a little wear to the top trim, and I started to scrape it off, figuring I would just sand and stain it again to match,
but then realized it was faux painted in a mahogany grain!!!!
I had no idea they did that with those cabinets!
The wood underneath was poplar, as REECE mentioned above.
I decided to just strip the whole length of trim I had started on,
mixed 2 different stains, and it actually matched very decent. You can see the difference in the wood grain, but only if you are really looking for it.
Fortunately I was able to save that mistake!
I was very impressed with the original faux mahogany paint job they did back then, I also have a Magnavox stereo console from '61 in a cherry finish, and now I am sure that was faux painted as well.
I was a professional house painter for many years, and even did some faux painting myself for customers, but I couldn't tell these cabinets were!!!
I know hardwood is expensive, but I guess it was cheaper for the companies to faux paint these cabinets; seems like a lot of work though!

here's a thought for anyone that might know, when the factory any company draws up plans for a new tv cabinet design's from 40's through the 60's are they arkived anywhere or destroyed
I suspect that most have been destroyed, as nearly all of these old line TV manufacturers are out of business and have been for a long time. Unless the former employees saved something, or it's languishing in an antique store somewhere, the odds aren't good.

For a Zenith set, there might be a fleeting hope as they never really went out of business. Good luck finding anyone to ask, or anyone that would care to look around within the company.

Great job on this restoration so far! I can't wait to see it back together and playing again!

A cabinet is not a replacement part, so no incentive to retain manufacturing specs after a design is no longer used; plus, the drawings were probably at a separate cabinet plant somewhere.

The vast majority of old company documents like that have been lost over the decades, either on purpose or through accident. TVs and radios were appliances, not art treasures. Every year, new models were introduced, and manufacturers encouraged you to buy new and toss the old. Nobody expected them to be used and restored 60 years later, any more than we expect that today's stuff from Best Buy or Wal-Mart will be treasured and rebuilt (good luck with that) in the year 2072 or 2172.

Phil Nelson

Don't think they were faux painted individually: that stuff was a photofinish material applied to the wood, like a plastic/paper product. Some is very realistic, not like contact paper.

Don't think they were faux painted individually: that stuff was a photofinish material applied to the wood, like a plastic/paper product. Some is very realistic, not like contact paper.

Sure seemed like paint when I was stripping it down. There was a brown paint as the base coat over the poplar, and I guess it was a plastic or paper product over that, but it scraped off like it was paint.
That's still quite impressive if they used a faux paper over all those angles, bevels and trim work though.

ok after getting done with the tube bezzel ,i realy didnt like it so sandblasted down to bare metal and used filler primer and wet sand with 400grt and repainted it ,im now satisfied . you would not believe the time invested making that right it looks easy to paint but that small part shows up every little thing and the corners where a pain.

That looks factory! Great job.

now the cabinet just had to apply 2 coats of stain let sit for 2 days then wip down then i sprayed polyurithane wait 24hrs sand with 400grt/520grt and spray on second coat its all dry now and finished i also installed the bezzel to get a look of how it turned out.the legs are finished i just need to find or make a botton for one of the legs . i went back and looked at the first picture of this tv ,what a change once i put the bezzel in now its starting to look like a tv again.

has anyone ever sodablasted a chassis before ,i here using baking soda as a meda would polish my chassis and not hurt anything else.

It would get into the tube sockets even if they are taped up and blast all the markings off the resistors and caps. maybe try naval jelly like bandersen does.

ok after getting done with the tube bezzel ,i realy didnt like it so sandblasted down to bare metal and used filler primer and wet sand with 400grt and repainted it ,im now satisfied . you would not believe the time invested making that right it looks easy to paint but that small part shows up every little thing and the corners where a pain.

That bezel came out nice!
The Magnavox bezel I have was some sort of plastic composition painted gold.
It's cool that Zenith made them in metal!!
That was a lot of work, looks awesome.

Magnavox300

That thing is already 100% better than when you found it, I can't wait to see a picture on it. Beautiful job man!

All I have to say is wow! Marvelous job!!

Night and day difference! :-)

I have that a zenith that could use that treatment, the top and sides have the fake finish and it a wreak...

i can say for myself im happy the way it turn out ,especially for my first time of doing one i have allready bought some real wood working tools instead auto body tools ,i think i found something else i like to do along with working on the electronic part of the tv im going to be looking for somemore turds in the future i know i can get next to nothing. im going to finish the tuner face and install that and show the cabinet comeplete, then im to start a new post doing the chassis and see if i cant raise the dead.thanks for all the complements from everyone ,i know i will be looking for some parts for the chassis so if anyone has any doner parts let me know 24mc32 thanks

I have that a zenith that could use that treatment, the top and sides have the fake finish and it a wreak...

if you deside to re-do it show pictures its my turn to watch someone restore one.i realy hope youll do i think you would like it .liguid nail's after 24hrs its stronger than nails

I was on the fence to veneer over the existing or re side it, based on you outcome the residing option is looking stronger. I have few projects ahead of it now. so it will be a while. I am finishing up on a RCA 8-T-241 chassis only project (no cab, it will be a chassis display piece, also good for testing CRT's).

But I also have a couple CTC-5's that have really shot to he%% top and that would be one that the reside approach would be the only option.

Very nice job. Hope the electronics come out the same.

Very nice job. Hope the electronics come out the same.

i hope i dont come up short on some parts i need ,and i grind to a halt the most time comsuming is the rust to remove without to much disasembly ,id like to get as much cleaned off before i take it down the basement.

Then leave it alone!!! I wondered if it was an FBP when I saw how reflective the safety glass was on it! Thats why I questioned the CRT lineage.

i remember early on when some of you guys were talking about the picture tube , heres a new twist when i was cleaning it up the lenz about fell off ,what does that say do remanufactures repair pva problems when rebuilding the guns ,it looks like also someone replaced the flyback before hitting the barn. i just went ahead and cleaned everything up put double side tape 1/6 thick its realy automotive molding tape, centered it stuck it down good took high temp rvt injected all around the edge left 2inch open gap , let it set up good set it in todays boiling sun for about 1/2 hour sealed the gap let cool down hopefully now its vacuum sealed alittle from moister. oh yah i found two scratches in the lenz ,they only show at the certin angle.

is there any problems if the it is left off it looks realy thin to be a safty glass and its darken isint it realy more of a filter .

Sometimes they do practically fall off. Dont leave any prints or dust in there otherwise your eye will go right to it everytime you look at it. Use some thin narrow weatherstriping(the black stuff) and run some packing tape along the edge. This is the easiest way and works very well. Much easier than the 2 sided 3m tape and silicone and more forgiving if you dont center it correctly. There is no drying time. Just a thought.

Sometimes they do practically fall off. Dont leave any prints or dust in there otherwise your eye will go right to it everytime you look at it. Use some thin narrow weatherstriping(the black stuff) and run some packing tape along the edge. This is the easiest way and works very well. Much easier than the 2 sided 3m tape and silicone and more forgiving if you dont center it correctly. There is no drying time. Just a thought.

yah you know it if you would leave even just a vary small spec thats all you would see, it would be like a floaty in your eye ,everytime you looked at it thats were your eye would go.

it would be like a floaty in your eye ,everytime you looked at it thats were your eye would go.

Yeah, know that feeling. When I sit on the porch drinking a beer, I always think there's a knat buzzing around in front of me. Drives me nuts.

Your cabinet and bezel came out really nice. Good luck with the rest!

Yeah, know that feeling. When I sit on the porch drinking a beer, I always think there's a knat buzzing around in front of me. Drives me nuts.

Your cabinet and bezel came out really nice. Good luck with the rest!

thanks as soon as the rtv hardens ill put the picture tube in and get finished with the tuner face ,i want to take one last picture of it outside so everything shows up clear before i take it down the basement and start on the chassis rebuild.

heres pics of tuner face i had to make a new spring for the door ,it was rusted in-two

and here is what i know i have been waiting for , its finished the cabinet part has ended,i took some pictures of it outside so everthing looks alot more clear. its on the way to the basement so i can start the electronic part of this rebuild ,hopefully i got all the parts i need .my daughter wanted me to be in one of the pictures with it .i guess you can say i took the tv out of the barn , and it took a month to get barn out of the tv .l o l

Yeah, know that feeling. When I sit on the porch drinking a beer, I always think there's a knat buzzing around in front of me. Drives me nuts.

Your cabinet and bezel came out really nice. Good luck with the rest!

i got a floater in my right eye if i look up in the sky i see a permanent ufo it drives me nuts too l o l

Wow! WHAT A HUGE difference! Looks a million times better!

Very impressive. :thmbsp:

The set looks great. hope the electronics come out the same. great job

Nice work! I hope the electronic restoration goes as well.

Can't wait to see it with the knobs on. It sure looks good now, before it lights up.

Excellent job, there's nothing more satisfying then a project like that!
I think the worse shape a set is in, the more fun it is to bring it back to life.
Looks like new!

Magnavox300

thanks everyone for your complaments ,i think i surprised myself its change my outlook on cabinet rebuilding im going to take what i learned from doing this one and apply to the next one, instead of trashing a cabinet and waiting to find another in good shape might become a thing of the past .

I've been away for awhile.

This set is fantastic! I bet it will be an easy electronics restoration.

Very, very impressive! The bezel colors and that green especially look spot on. What did you paint those with?

Very, very impressive! The bezel colors and that green especially look spot on. What did you paint those with?

just used a marble can made by krylon,not sure if i will use that brand next time didnt realy like how the paint layed down ,or maybe because its been so hot outside not sure what kind of reducer they use in a normial spray can. but i did more prep work to that bezzel than anyother part.

i have alot of the chassis strip now ,im going to replace every pot on it to much rust damage the circuit breaker is fused together as one mass,little chew marks from mice on the wiring ,im suprised every tube socket cleaned up like new ,i think ill have most of the work on the tuners full of rust the cover was off the vhf tuner, im going to see if i have another before i re-do this one save me alot of work. i just wish i could get the blue gun to wake up better ,the green & red are nice and strong, the blue gun is lagging behind about 50-60 percent ,im still playing with it though i dont want to hurt it.

Bump! Was wondering about how your chassis was coming along?

slow but sure i posted pictures of the progress , i work on it everymorning about 4:00 am put in a hour or two, its like almost a ground up restore im testing everthing component and replacing if it looks like it going have any problem,im replacing it, i only want to do this once around .i luck out about a yr ago i happened across new zenith parts from a auction and alot parts i have are new zenith parts, like switches / pots alot of the little parts you cant find ,the circuit breaker was froze up solid same with service switch ,had new ones still package's . hopefully it wont be much longer im getting the itch to start getting in a hury and i got stop myself i want it be nice when im done . its funny weds. night i now have another zenith almost same model but nicer.

Oops... sorry... I didn't realize you had a thread somewhere else. I'm on board ship right now, and I can't keep up with what's going on like when I'm home.

Oops... sorry... I didn't realize you had a thread somewhere else. I'm on board ship right now, and I can't keep up with what's going on like when I'm home.
no problem i brought up the second thread the pictures are there .thanks