I have a CRT rebuilding station

[dreyfoos]

Rather than add to the current threads “Will CRT Rebuilders Disappear…,” or “If a Picture Tube…,” I have decided to advance the discussion with a new thread. The CRT rebuild topic – so vital to the hobby - might even justify a sticky.

I have a never used CRT rebuilding station. It is a product of C.R.T. Equipment Company of Nashville and it was shipped in 1970. It was listed on eBay last February but closed with no takers. I had many reservations about making this rescue attempt but I could imagine it in a museum if nothing else. It was in imminent danger of being parted out for the motor, pump, and steel. This is heavy equipment. The fact that it was less than an hour by pickup truck from my location made it possible. The owner accepted my offer and it now sits in my San Francisco Bay area garage. This outfit was designed for a mom and pop TV repair shop – artisan work – in limited space – one jug at a time. It’s not a multi-tube production outfit, not automated, but it is state of the art – for the 1960’s. It consists of two units: first there is the impressive vertical lathe with a variac on the motor and with oxygen and natural gas jets for welding necks, neck-gun units, buttons, or whatever is needed. Second, there is the gas oven to bake gasses out of the glass and a two-stage pump system to evacuate the air. There’s a tipoff coil and an RF bomber (using big ol’ honkin’ jumbo tubes) to vaporize or flash the new gun’s getter material in 20 seconds or so by induction heating through the glass neck of the tube. There is a panel of gauges and switches and pots to monitor and control voltages, current draw, etc. including the process of aging the new rebuild.

The story goes that the kit had been purchased by a father who was trying to set his son up in a business. Apparently this was bad timing as the rebuild business was fading fast by the time this was shipped in 1970 – and the son must have had other fish to fry. So it sat in the San Jose garage for 36 years until it appeared in an estate sale. This kit came with a variety of small hand tools such as the hot wire neck cutter, a file to nick the glass, a ruler for neck length, and the heater to soften and collapse (tip off) the glass evacuation tube to seal the new vacuum. It even included some now unlabeled chemical – probably for cleaning the tube necks. Yes, it also came with a few trays of new guns and bases. The assortment was what you would expect for 1970. There are some for the old roundie black and whites as well as for the 21 inch roundie colors. There are also some that would be for the newer 110 degree small neck tubes. The problem with the guns is, that if nothing else, the barium getter material has not aged well. It’s kinda “gone.” It’s been a long time since I worked in the chemistry area and my duties had nothing to do with getter chemistry but I have read that the shelf life for the getter material is more like days than months and certainly not years. The kit also included an interesting factory instruction manual. Alas, it does not even include a schematic of the RF unit – but that’s not a big deal. The real hitch is that it doesn’t include a Harry Potter wizard to fill in all the gaps – the “black art” that would give the first tube out of the oven a high probability of success. There is enough variability in the dud, the equipment, the operator, etc., that one really needs the voice of experience looking over one’s shoulder.

So, I wrote an e-mail to Scotty at Hawkeye last summer but for some reason have never received any response. I tried to make it clear that my goal was not to compete with him because we all know that old TV restoration is a moderately costly and crazy hobby – not a moneymaker. We will pony up $38 each for Moto 7 gaskets but Ed’s Radio Service will be doing well to break even after meeting the initial demand. We are collectors because we need the challenge and, also, for the memories – not for the bank account. My concern – that others have voiced – is that the Hawkeye operation in Iowa is the last “goin’ Jesse” that we know of, and who knows whether it will continue for days or years – nobody’s immortal. When all the black and white roundie tubes finally run out of cathode – or simply don’t exist – In fifty years – or whenever – I would like to think that a backup plan would be in place that will allow our collections to outlive us. I suggested to Scotty that he allow me to schedule a visit and make a high resolution historical video record of the A to Z of a rebuild – a day in the life of a picture tube rebuilder. I also suggested that it be done on one of my duds – at his going price, of course. My purpose would be to try to get some of that “black art” recorded for posterity. So far, I’ve found no written procedure for the steps in a rebuild other than what I have in the instruction book for this set of equipment. If any of you could step forward with tales from your misspent youth as an apprentice in a rebuilding operation or with some bound or loose leaf pages entitled “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Pix Tube Rebuilding” then it would be most welcome. There should be exploration of this topic in the old magazines for the service trade. Or, if you are a museum or an individual who wants to dedicate the space or even a chunk of your time towards getting at least one tube out the door to prove that it can be done with this equipment, then let’s talk. This equipment is “priceless” but if whoever ends up with it might consider giving me the firstborn or two as a token of appreciation. The garage where it now resides also houses my own collection and is not the space it needs. It needs a natural gas supply and oxygen, water for cooling the pump, and it’s own circuit breaker. The equipment’s footprint is only about 3’ by 8’ but you would probably need at least a bench of that same size and space for oxygen tanks, etc. The gun challenge: I have no idea who Hawkeye’s source is. Steve McVoy might have a lead. I suspect that the N.O.S. guns I have could be “refreshed.” I also agree that China or Eastern Europe tube factories are a possibility and I have a Chinese-American friend who could translate the needed inquiries. Perhaps a 50+ year-old used gun could be rebuilt. This isn’t rocket science – just simple Harry Potter magic stuff. Hey, is this really that much more difficult than the Moto 7 gasket challenge? As Steve also mentioned, the best way would be for someone to apprentice to Scotty long enough sweep floors and learn the art. Would anyone else care to approach Scotty on this? Does he have a son ready to step into his shoes? Hello? Save those duds! …Roger Dreyfoos