[ohohyodafarted]

Using a variac is the accepted method for powering up a set. You can bring it up slowly that way while watching for any problem issues. Pay particular importance to filter cans to see if they are generating excessive heat while you slowly raise the line voltage. A good rule of thumb would be to start at about 50% of line voltage. Then increase 10 volts every 5 minutes till you reach full line voltage. Check for heating of the cans at each increment.

It is also useful in sets where you replace the selenium rectifiers, with more efficient silicon diodes. The silicon diodes will produce higher B+ voltage than the seleniums that you replace, and it is nice to be able to adjust the line voltage to achieve the correct B+ while working on the set.

In sets where I replace the seleniums, the last step in my restorations is to add a droping resistor in the B+ ckt to re-establish correct B+ at normal household line voltage.

Personally I NEVER run a set for any length of time until it is fully re-caped, including restuffing ALL filter cans. Lots easier to fully restore a set than to try and find a bad old component later on after it fails. And unless you are very lucky it probably will fail eventually.

Good luck and get a variac. And if you are working on a set that does not use a power transformer, you should also get yourself an isolation transformer. They are a good investment