Santa Clause was quite good to me this year, I had a few sets under my Christmas tree. One of them was a Belmont 21A21. I figured while I'm looking for a part to move along my current 630ts restoration I thought I would fire this set up and see how well she works. This set has been electronically restored around a decade ago by another collector. The horizontal has been modified and the CRT is a 7jp4 instead of the original 7gp4.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8214/8322657687_3aaac22404.jpg

The underside of the chassis is full of the new components. I am a restuff guy myself so eventually I hope to get it looking old and original.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8214/8323715982_ea3850b844.jpg

I brought the set up on a variac and connected the set to my B&K television analyst. I was greeted with full raster (didn't check sound just yet). After 30 minutes or so of adjustments I could only get this much of a picture.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8357/8323717342_c9dcd5593c.jpg

Since I only have room for one set on the bench I'll have to wait until I finish the 630ts to investigate and repair.

Normally I send all of my cabinets out to my restorer for restoration or refinishing. Since he already has two of my cabinets in his shop and has no room for anything else I thought I would take a stab at some light clean up of this cabinet. The finish has some scratches and marks. The lacquer is crazed a bit on the wood sections and some of the photo finish at the bottom of the cabinet has flaked off. Overall the cabinet was not in terrible conditions though. I started with the photo finish area.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8354/8323715146_a1c5147ae4.jpg

My wife paints from time to time so she got out her paints and we began to mix up some colors. I applyed a bottom coat and then mixed a darker color for the graining. Normal viewing distances away the set looks 100 times better. Luckily the area that is flaking is on the bottom curve so it isn't terribly noticable any way.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8076/8323714834_9523bbf817.jpg

Next I turned my attention to the rest of the cabinet. After a clean up with warm water I applyed some Howard's Restor-a-finish with a 0000 steel wool and elbow greese, after which I buffed it with Howard's Feed n' Wax.

Before:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8322656481_3b30036a5e.jpg

After:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8223/8323714576_e8cc29c82f.jpg

I only finished the top of the cabinet. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a chance to get to the rest of it.

Nice job touching up the photo finish. :yes:

Wow, you must have really been a good boy for Santa to bring you a Belmont!

Wow, you must have really been a good boy for Santa to bring you a Belmont!

Truth be told I had to bribe a few elves to move me up the list.
I'll post some more pictures of the set when I get a chance to repair some things. The slide rule dial is missing from the set so that will be a project to work on soon.

Your cabinet work looks nice so far. I would like to know the differences among the two or three different Belmont 7-inch sets.

How did you ever find that set?! When I was collector of 7" tabletops I kept my eye open for one of those for years and finally gave up. I have only seen one on Ebay in many years. I wouldn't be suprised to find that set is a rare as a pre-war. Good luck with the resto! Your coming along nicely.
Joe

How did you ever find that set?! When I was collector of 7" tabletops I kept my eye open for one of those for years and finally gave up. I have only seen one on Ebay in many years. I wouldn't be suprised to find that set is a rare as a pre-war. Good luck with the resto! Your coming along nicely.
Joe

Thanks for the kind words.
Unfortunately I need to find one of the bleeder resistors for a 630ts to get the restoration moving again on that set before I can repair anything on this set. I can't put more than one set on the bench at one time.


Your cabinet work looks nice so far. I would like to know the differences among the two or three different Belmont 7-inch sets.

I received schematics for the 21A21 as well as the 22A21. I haven't had a chance to read up on the differences between the two. I wonder if the 22AX22 console is more like the older 21A21 or the newer 22A21.

Did see this Belmont that came up for sale on Ebay? I can't believe that I was saying how rarely one of these come up for sale and suddenly here is one! Too bad the guy is selling it in package deal though with several other sets. Maybe you can make a deal with him!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Rare-TV-s-RCA-Belmont-Motorola-/271132045725?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f20bab19d
(scroll through the photos to see it)

I got a kick outta that also. The set on eBay is a later model 22A21 according to the seller. Here is a photo of it.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8496/8342002240_246b2af9aa.jpg

I wonder what the lot will go for.

I got a kick outta that also. The set on eBay is a later model 22A21 according to the seller. Here is a photo of it.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8496/8342002240_246b2af9aa.jpg

I wonder what the lot will go for.

Well, the Belmont is the prime pick in the group, so if there's anyone even slightly knowledgable about vintage TV's looking to buy, that lot will be pricey. Even the other sets are quite collectable. Like I said before, the Belmont is nearly as rare as some pre-war's, so I can't see it worth anything less than $500 as is. Fully restored I would add several hundred to that.

I just saw this listing. It looks like the same set in the other listing that ended! (?)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Belmont-Rare-Vintage-/271135363020?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f20ed4fcc

Yeah, he ended the group auction early and listed it by itself. Maybe he got wind it was rare ?

Or perhaps somebody asked him to list it separately because they have no use/interest in the other sets.

Phil Nelson

Or perhaps somebody asked him to list it separately because they have no use/interest in the other sets.

Phil Nelson

If the seller didn't realize it before I'm sure by now he's aware of it's rarity. I would put the set nearly as rare as some pre-war sets. I'd like to see one of these working! It's a great design.

Hi All;
VTS1134, In my opinion, I would temparorly put some other resistors in the bleeder circuit, while waiting for some origionals to show up, and then get on with the rest of the restoration.. You could then go on to other parts of the 630 and find other things that you would need to add to the list of "things I am looking for" besides the bleeders.. As with this old of a set, there is most likely other things that have gone bad and will need to be replaced.. I am Courious what are you going to do on the Cap situation.. Replace, with NOS, or with new and restuff, or try to rejuvinate ??
THANK YOU Marty

Geist-
A little off topic from the original post, but I only restuff. If a set is worth owning, and you will be doing work to it, it's worth restuffing. Another collector told me once that we are mearly caretakers of these pieces of history. If we insist on making these things function then we should do absolutely everything in our power to make the finished product indecernable from original. I try to follow that mantra on every set that I do. I have in fact temporarily replaced the bleeder resistor in my 630 to move on. Once the set is finished I will post an account in pictures.

Hi All;
VTS1134, I can't wait for the Pictures and an account.. The only reason I brought it up was that you mentioned, about it, in needing Bench space for the Belmont.. And when You get to the Belmont, I hope that for all of us, that Don't have such a set, you also post a large ammount of details and plenty of pictures..
Good Score on Both units..
I can't say Santa wasn't good to me, But, He just left a Big Bill..
THANK YOU Marty