Motorola VT-71 (TS4H)

[fox_rivers]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Here's what I used.

Zinsser Magic Strip Citrus-Action Gel follow by Zinsser After Wash to strip off the old finish. CitriStrip works great too.

Minwax Mahogany Gel Stain.

Constantine Mahogany paste grain filler

Deft Sanding Sealer

Mohawk Brown Mahogany Ultra Classic Toner Lacquer. That's to make the top and bottom strips a little darker than the rest of the cabinet. That's how the original finish looked on mine.

Finally, Deft gloss lacquer. After it cures for a few weeks, I like to rub out the finish with #0000 steel wool then pumice and rottenstone abrasive powders. You can just stop with the steel wool for a satin finish or pumice for a semi-gloss.

That probably sounds like a lot of work and stuff to buy, but you'll end up with a great looking authentic finish.

I really like your method. It may be alot of stuff to get but it will be well worth seeing that cabinet looking like new.

[fox_rivers]

What kinda diodes should I use to replace the rectifiers?

[miniman82]

General purpose silicon rectifiers, even cheap Radio Shack ones are good enough.

[bandersen]

1N4007 are rated for 1000 volts @ 1 amp and cheap. I keep a bunch on hand for replacing seleniums.

[fox_rivers]

In the meantime while I wait on parts in the mail I thought I'd shine up the chassis.

[bandersen]

Sweet Word of warning though. I polished up a section on one of my copper chassis and it tarnished after a couple weeks.

[Reece]

Be sure to get the Brasso out of those tube sockets. Better to mask them. Try some car paste wax on top of the Brasso to retard tarnish.

[fox_rivers]

I'll try some turtle wax then. I figured since I had to clean the tube sockets anyways that I wouldn't bother masking them off but I was still careful about not globbing it in the sockets.

I didn't polish the rear of the chassis because I'm sure I would have took off the labeling for the picture adjustments.

[fox_rivers]

Ok, well got all the parts aside from the electrolytics. My 1B3GT Tested bad so I had ordered a replacement. what I got was a 1B3GT but its much shorter then the original and the placement of the coil around the tube wouldn't be correct. Did I order the wrong tube for this set?

[bandersen]

Nope, newer 1B3s are just shorter. When you slide the feedback coil over it, it will need to be a little lower than it was on the taller tube.

[fox_rivers]

Oh good. Well hopefully those electrolytics come in tomorrow so I can get started on this set. Of course the first thing I'd have to replace would be the last to come in the mail. Hah!

[miniman82]

There's a note in the Riders manual and Sams for this set about spring placement between the 2 different styles of tube.

[fox_rivers]

Originally Posted by miniman82

There's a note in the Riders manual and Sams for this set about spring placement between the 2 different styles of tube.

Right. It should show placement of the feedback coil on the older 8016 and then the 1B3GT. I'll just place the coil below the metal band in the tube as it shows for the 1B3.

[fox_rivers]

Still waiting on those pesky electrolytics and how impatient I am I figured I'd rebuild the ballast and replace the HV caps.

[compucat]

Please show us how you rebuilt that metal ballast.