Advice needed with a Monster of a Zenith

[Unimatic1140]

Well I've begun work on my 1951 Zenith Radio/Phono/TV combination. Everything on this console was inoperative when I first found it last summer. I've completely recapped and trouble-shot the radio and it now works beautifully. I took parts from two cobra-matic turntables to make one good one and it now plays my 78's wonderfully, all that work of course was the easy part. Now comes the part I've been waiting for, the big round-tube 19" television set. This will be my third restoration on a vintage TV and my most challenging set yet ( I'm still a rookie when it comes to vintage electronics). Anyway, I've tried the set out and while I did get sound from a local station, there was no raster what so ever and I did hear a sizzling sound so I cut the power pretty fast. I know the first procedure in this restoration will be to test and replace the tubes as well as replace all the paper and electrolytic caps. But my first and foremost concern with working with this chassis: SAFETY! As you can see in the picture below the picture tube is huge compared to the chassis, how is one suppose to work under this chassis with the picture tube in the place??? I don't believe its safe to turn the chassis on its side, resting the entire unit on the side of the picture tube, but how else would one take voltage measurements for proper trouble shooting? What do you guys with vintage TV experience recommend with this monster? I assume I'm going to have to remove the tube, do all the capacitor replacements, then reinstall the tube. Are metal/glass tubes even more dangerous to remove and handle then the all glass tubes, what should I be particularly careful of? Any bit of advice that you experts could give me would surely be appreciated.

One stroke of luck with this chassis is a few months ago I found the exact same TV Chassis (24H21) in a TV only unit. So I have two complete chassis and picture tubes to help make one good unit! Thanks again everyone.