:banana: I have successfully made a few masks for the Motorola VT-71 TV. They are very close to the original masks in both shape and texture.

I'd like to know how important the color is to collectors. They come out of the mold as a nice cream color, but the originals were spray painted a bluish-gray on the face only. Collectors might like them as they are, a nice clean-looking cream color. I could dye the material a gray, then everyone would have to have gray. Or, I could leave them the cream color, then customers could paint them themselves if they wanted to, or leave them natural.

I see that a lot of televisions have even bright white masks. Does it really matter that much?

Your input will be appreciated.
Photos will be coming to my web site at www.renovatedradios.com as soon as I get them photographed and uploaded. Probably tonight. Look in the PARTS section.

Blacksmith

Make that VT-71, not VT-1.

Blacksmith

This is great news that you have succeeded in producing those bezels. I would probably pick gray over cream, but either would be good.

Thats great! Cant wait to see them. I have a couple of of the VT-71's and would be nice to add the gaskets to them. Either color would be fine to me as anything is better than none :)
-Tony

I'm lucky to have a good one in mine...it's white, if a little dingy.

I'm lucky to have a good one in mine...it's white, if a little dingy. Amazing! I haven't seen a good one since the 80s. Even one that I had which was still good in about '88, failed fast. I watched over a period of about 2 months as first it sagged a little in the middle, then next time, it was running down the screen like vanilla cake icing that had been made too thin :tears:

These will sell like crazy!!!

Charles

I'll take three, maybe five if they also fit the suitcase models. :banana:

When can we see them and how much will they cost?

I would be interested in these also.I`m not picky,color doesn`t matter.

OK, guys. I've updated my web page to inculde the mask. :thmbsp:

See Pictures of the mask at www.renovatedradios.com. Go to the Parts page and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

If you want to place an order, just click on the "Add to Cart" button. You will then be able to set the quantity of masks you want if you want more than one. Shipping will be combined for multiple orders.

Those look great! I will be placing an order soon.
-Tony

Me too!

I've turned down several nice VT-71s lately, because of bad masks. Now I can get one :) I've had a set of 6KV caps sitting around, now I'll get me a VT-71 and put the caps to use!

Charles

I've been on the fence about getting a VT-71 too. This thread just swayed me.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270180593762

I know, I'm asking for trouble shipping another set. This one will be FedEx, and I'll be coaching the seller on how to pack it.

It has raster now. If it comes with a poofed vacuum or deflection plates rattling around in the bottom of the bell, then it's my LAST online purchase. I'll stick to the swap meets/hamfests and the ETF convention instead.

I'll be making an order for the Blacksmith mask too, once I get the TV and it checks out ok.

Fun stuff.

A couple of years ago I bought two VT-73's From one seller on ebay. Both well packed and insured. Both had snapped crt necks when arrived. After working with the seller I was able to collect all charges from the insurance. So I got two worthless tv's for free. Later I found one 7JP4 and was shipped and came in ok.
Terry

When I've has the small sets shipped I ask the seller to take off the back and stuff it full of packing peanuts, full enough to hold everything in place somewhat.

It's a pain getting them all out but i figure it's better than a busted CRT.

The crt in the VT-71 is only held on by a strip of thin metal screwed to the case, if the mask is gone it's free to flop around supported only by the neck.

If the mask is there and melted all over the tube that's better yet because it glues the tube to the front of the set! It also means it's the original tube and not a dud thats been tossed in to sell the set.

I am extremely wary about buying "untested" 7JP4's off ebay, too many duds floating around.

Here's what I wrote the guy:




The small tubes will stay in their sockets and can be best left there. The picture tube is the great concern. The shroud around the face of the tube, 50 years ago, used to hold the face snugly in place and shipping the set was less of a concern. Now that the shroud has deteriorated, the front of the tube is no longer secure. Shipping it in its present form will certainly snap the CRT's neck and the resulting implosion will probably do collateral damage. Subsequently, the broken front half of the tube will be free to bounce around inside the set for the remainder of the trip and destroy many or most of the remaining glass tubes, and probably other fragile components. The links I included below show graphically this problem.

So there are two ways you can go.

The best answer is to remove the CRT and pack it separately, double-boxed with lots of padding, and the rest of the TV should be sturdy enough as-is. Although I realize this is extra work not agreed upon. If you're comfortable doing this, I'll be happy to pay the extra materials and handling. If you haven't handled an antique picture tube before, then you'd better not go this route. They're pretty hazardous to carry around.

The second route would be to secure the CRT in place by packing maybe an entire roll of tissue paper or soft paper towels firmly all around (and hopefully in front of) the CRT and then stuffing the entire cabinet firmly with newspaper, thus immobilizing everything and preventing the CRT from moving in any way. If you take this approach, it would be better to remove all the small vacuum tubes and wrap each tube in each ball of newspaper that you use to stuff the cabinet. Just to allow you to pack the cabinet without bending the tube pins when inserting the newspaper, and also not having to pack carefully around the tubes. No need to write down where each tube goes -- that's what the Sams sheet is for. Then ship the set upright, with most of the packing in front and back.

Either method should get the set here safely. I hope this info helps and I hope to see the TV in good condition soon. Thanks!

Let's hope it gets here intact.

I also bought the blonde one. Am I obsessive-compulsive or what?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280166525644

Great glue-smear on the face, eh? Now I'm in for two masks...

I also bought the blonde one. Am I obsessive-compulsive or what?



Yes you are, welcome to the club. :D

The goo will clean of with warm water but it takes some time and effort, it just sort of dissolves slowly. Hopefully it hasn't stained the gold paint.

Got my order in for one mask! (for now)

Both well packed and insured. Both had snapped crt necks when arrived.

This will happen every time when shipping a set with the tube installed, unless you're very lucky. Even RCA never shipped new TVs with CRTs installed until the 50s. The tube came separately and was installed in the house by the delivery technician. When I ship a set, I remove the tube and ship it separately in double-boxes, and I always use bubble wrap. Peanuts don't work because the tube will work its way to the edge of the box, leaving the glass against the hard cardboard on one side and all the peanuts on the other. Also, I NEVER NEVER NEVER use UPS. My experience is that they'll do damage somehow. US Mail Priority is what I've had the best luck with, and the most straight-forward insurance claims.

Charles

The seller agreed to ship the CRT separately, double-boxed. Pays to ask. I've asked the seller of the blonde one the same thing, haven't heard back yet.

Dark one should arrive in 4 or 5 days. Looks hopeful for ordering at least one mask. Hopefully two.

Here's a picture of the new and the old. The new is on the left.

On your website you state that you only take paypal. Is that correct? I am not a paypal person.
soundhead

On your website you state that you only take paypal. Is that correct? I am not a paypal person.
soundhead

Send me an e-mail at [email protected] (remove xx xx from address first) and I'll send you a total along with my address. You can send a check or money order.

For what its worth, I purchased a set of TRK pushbuttons from Renovated Radios a few weeks ago. I can vouch for Blacksmith's work and for his character. The quality of the mouldings was excellent, the price was fair and he believes in customer service. I have no financial interest in this operation, just figured I'd share this information in case anyone was wondering.

--Dave Sica

I have a VT-71 with the CRT "frozen" to the hardened mask material. Has anyone had experience removing a CRT stuck like this, and how did you do it? Don't want to screw up!
Kevin

Using a channel lock pliers, crush a part of the mask. Do it again on the other side. Keep doing it until the mask lets loose. I did one like that and it pretty much fell off of the tube after I broke part of it off.

The Mahogany VT-71 arrived in good condition. I'm glad I asked him to pull the CRT and wrap and box it separately. It looks like it survived the trip intact. Good candidate for a new repro mask. Question is just do I buy one or two. Keep y'all posted...

...and the Blonde one arrived today. It's a lot more rough. The CRT is, like, welded permanently to the front lens. Probably saved the CRT from being ship wrecked, but it sure is a mess. I'll try Eric H's warm-water soak plan and let stromberg6 know how it goes. I'm sure with the Forum's help, both will be back in action in no time...