This was a creekbed find. Tube is intact, no rust on the chassis, but the cabnet is destroyed. Beyond repairability.

So, i am just gonna fix the chassis, and find a cabnet later.

Anyone have the sams? it has a 12kp4 tube, and my working emerson has a 16kp4, so im gonna sub the tube and see if the tube is any good.

I tested the 12kp4, and it didnt want to work at first. I put it on my emerson, and it would show nothing. I turned it off, and i would see a white spot on the center, so it had some emission.

So, I decided to let it run for a bit, about a couple of minutes later, up popped a bright picture! VERY bright, about blinded me. :D :yes:

This thing is brighter and sharper tube than all my 3 TVs combined.

So, the tube is good, This one doesnt use an ion trap. it also gives off a bluer picture than the 16kp4, so it must be aluminized.

Anyway, im going to go forth into the restoration of the chassis, Does anyone have the sams they could run off for me?

it needs a cabnet, I'll eventually find one, or make a new one. The old one is wasted, i still god it, but its wasted. rotted, cracked, missing boards, veneer missing, no stain left, nothing. Wasted. totaled.

Not bad for a creekbed find. Good tube! :naughty:

it was found today in a dried creek, but no tellin how long its been in there, prolly ages considering the cabnet damage, There is no side on the one area of the cabnet, it rotted away to nothing.

You were smart to save the cabinet-you can use it as a pattern to make a new one. Never heard of a creekbed find-that has to be some kind of first...<grin>-Sandy G.

where im at, I was strolling the dog in miliken woods, and run across it.

anyway, Yes i saved the cabnet, No, i dont know how to work with cabnets. Too messy of a job. :sigh:

dont know the first thing in carpentry. I can put a nail in a board, but there no guarentee it will be straight! :banana:


The only thing I can do is maybe put some particle plywood on it, and then get simulated wood paper, but aside from that, I cant do much else. (not a wood worker). Much less have any equipment to work with one. No saws, no nothing. All I got is stain, thats about it.

If there is a woodworking/shop class at yr local high school you could make enquiries there if there was a local artisan who would be willing to take on the task. Put an ad in the local paper;maybe put an ad up at the local supermarket's free notices board. Certainly there's someone locally who could help you, especially since you have (most) of the old one to use as a pattern.-Sandy G.

if someone can post a picture (color) of what its supposed to look like, i may be able to go from there. Because, this thing looks no where near what its supposed to.

anyway, ill get to the cabnet later, first i need to get the chassis working.


Anyone got sams theyd care to share?

How cool is that that the tube is good after sitting in a creekbed for who knows how long!!

The price guide I have says a 12C105 is a console model but it doesn't have a pic.

Got this from the TV History site, not too clear but it gives you an idea what it should look like.

There are some tabletop models that seem to use the same chassis, perhaps you can find a cabinet from one of those more easily.

http://www.tvhistory.tv/1946-49-GE.htm

thats it, I got the front alright, but the sides and top, including the corners, and bottom are rotted away.

Cute li'l thing, isn't it? I hope you decide to go for a complete restoration including the cabinet. That would make for a very dramatic before-and-after rescue story. Speaking of which... :worthless

yea well, its kinda hard to get pics when the digital camera was stolen. :scratch2:

I started the restoration of the cabnet today.

Too bad, I cant get before or after pics, no camera.

Anyway, i tore off all that old pressboard. sanded down the front, and cleaned it up, and restained it to be red mahogany.

It looks nice now. I still need to go over to lowes or home depot and get some plywood for the sides and top. I need some 1 by 2, or 1 by 1 studs for the frame. I have no idea how much its gonna cost, as I never bought wood before. I heard that an 8 by 4 sheet of plywood is 4 dollars, but i dont know, can anyone fill me in? If they sell veneer, ill get that. If not, im gonna have to use the simulated wood grain paper of the right stain.

I also need that clear coat laquer. dont have any of that either, the stain is sticky, and isnt shiny at all. but it looks nice.

It has lots and lots of termite damage, including one corner of the front, and the rear trim towards the bottom. I need to get some wood putty to fix all of that. Its going to be a job in itself, but it should work out ok.

Anyone got a 12" speaker? its missing that as well.

I don't know if Home Depot or Lowes has this, but at Menards, in a seperate inside section from the outdoor lumber yard they have a "good wood" sectoin where you can buy small 2x2, 2x4, or 4x4 pieces of plywood in different thicknesses with different types of veneer that is presanded on one side, so you would only have to cut it and sain it. I know that at the Mernards I go to you can get oak, maple, and sanded pine, something like that you might be able to sain to match the set, or you could have a two-tone cabinet for that 50s look. :) This "good" plywood will cost more than regular pine builders plywood, but will look a lot better in the end.

Applying Veneer takes some practice, and you would probably have to go to a specialty wood store to find something to match your set.

Good luck with the set!

..Is there any chance you could get a cheap 35mm camera to document the cabinet? It would be really nice to get before and after shots.

I could prolly use my video camcorder (analog, no digital out). the I would have to find the drivers to my capture card to document it.

But however, I already started work on the cabnet, so i never got a before shot. I still have a garbage can full of the old wood I tore off.

BTW, i tore the cabinet all to peices, except for the front, which I already sanded and restained. need the clearcoat protective laquer.

all in honestly, ANY wood would look better then what it does now. wow, its destroyed. Its that pressboard wood, because the layers came apart!!


picture it like this: all the safty glass brass was corroded. The cabnet had no stain left on it, and picture a wooden cabnet sitting in a puddle of water for years, how it looks black and wavy in areas, with all the layers of pressboard seperating, and the hind support legs and the 1 by 1s black and rotted away. and then no side on the left. rotted side on the right. no finish, and lots of termite damage in the surrounding specialty trim. Thats what it "looked" like.

all i got is a lowes and home depot around here. So, if it wont stain right, then ill go with the simulated finish paper. :scratch2:

I got the cabinet done!! :banana:

I used specialty wood they had at home depot for 3.99 for a 2x4ft.

Got 3 of those, and a 10 foot 1by2 to redo the frame.

The front was alright, but the rest was trashed. When I made it, stained it, and put it all together, i still have a few kinks to work out, but aside from that, it looks like it was brand new again! I neeed to get pics.

I made it with a slight lean to it, it leans back a little bit. Makes it look better.

This type of wood had a veneere like layer to it, but it didnt stain right, so I did a 3-layer stain, and it made it look a little dark, but the color matched the front. I also got some polyeurathane, and coated it with that nice shine. I had to wood putty the termite damage, and even after sanding that, it still looks a little ragged, but oh well. It looks sharp. Were is the amish when you need em. :naughty:

Now, can anyone scan, email or link me to some sams?? I really need them, and that I would really be appriciated.

Time for the chassis. Need a new cord, but its riveted in the back. argh. I still have the metal back.

Also I need the 12" speaker that goes in the bottom. It was missing when I got it. its probably like a 3.2 to 4 ohm speaker, because a typical 8-ohm wouldnt work very well (tiny output transformer). the only place I know that has any 12" speakers around here are car audio dealers, but im not trying to set a decibel record, and it would be hard for that little output tube to drive a heavy duty thick plastic cone speaker. :scratch2:

Here is a pic! had to wire up my camcorder to snap it. low res.... :sigh:

Hi. Actually, it's not pressboard, it's layers of different veneers. Commonly done by mannufacturers to save cost, they criss-crossed several plys of lower grade veneers to cut down on warpage, and put mahoganny veneer on outside. How long has the creek been dry? What is your weather like, there? I fear that electronically, your chassis may be a wrexck. Being in weather as long as it has fine windings on coils may be ruined. Flyback may be toast.I waould also look for continued termite life in cabinet. They thrive in conditions you pulled it out of. They may be deeply in other areas of cabinet. :naughty: Look for tell-tale holes, tunnels. Termite droppings. Glad picture tube came back. :yes: Sounds like a great tube.... :banana: In console like you have, this set is un-common, but, you may very well find one of the other table model cabinets. :scratch2: Good luck on your set.
Bill Cahill

"If it lights, and leaves you with a warm glow, it's tubes." :yes: :yes:

teh chassis is fine. the one choke looks to be a bit corroded, but the rest of it is ok. No signs of water, no rust, no corrosion. Odd. it must have been a shallow creek with water not reaching up to the chassis. the fly looks ok. it can look better, but it does not look bad.

the paper electrolytics that are NOT wax coated should be almost decentigraded if it were under water for time. It doesnt even look like they were even under water, but the one is bulged. the rest look ok, but im gonna replace them all.

all termites are gone, it was mighty heavily termite damages. But they are gone, i tore all the wood apart, and rebuilt the cabnet from scratch. All the wood i used was warped, so i had to make supports to put it back together.

looks like more of a ditch than a creek. its behind a few trees so you cant see it that well, but i just happened to glance over when i walked across the bridge (very small mini bridge), i seen it.

Well, im just doing my job saving a catastrophe. But, I got that funny feeling its a catastrophe waiting to happen.... :scratch2:



the cap kit and sams is gonna cost 60 bux at justradios.

unless someone has the sams, and it would spare me 10 bux, but oh well.

I have the SAMS and would be glad to send you a copy for this ambitious restoration of yours.

I also think I have a 12" speaker excess to my needs saved from an old console that would serve you better than taking up space in my basement.

Send me a PM.