1948 (TS-4H) Motorola VT71 restored!

[M3-SRT8]

That's good work, Banderson.

Your Troubleshooting Skills are better than mine...

LJB

[Sandy G]

I wish I knew how to work on TVs like that, but I'm too damn stupid to figure it out...I'm serious. I NEVER COULD make head nor tail out of basic electronic theory, & I've studied it, had people try to "splain" it to me, watched instructional videos...The whole 9 yards...It's like there's a 10' high wall there that can't be breached...Its like its worse than Chinese Algebra or some damn thing...I am in utter AWE over you wahoos who CAN & DO work on 'em, & can make 'em "shine" like that..My hat's off to you..But I'm still not 100% convinced that electronic theory, watts, volts, amps, capacitance, resistance, diodes, triodes, etc, all that stuff is a bunch of made-up hooey to keep us peasants in utter thrall, that Electronics really IS actually magic, & all youse byrds are really wizards 'n' warlocks, practising your arcane & black arts...

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Would have been a week less if I had replaced those mica caps from the start!

For a long time, I ignored micas in the belief that they were almost always good. I learned different on my 630TS when a pal tipped me about checking a couple in a known trouble area.

Like many other 60-year old things, micas are starting to show their age. I don't shotgun them without testing, as I do paper caps, but I'm alert that they don't all stay perfect forever.

Nice job. I'm a Citri-Strip fan, too. And I will even forgive you this time for using polyurethane <holds up garlic, makes sign of cross>

Phil Nelson

[zenithfan1]

I looked for modulators and found a few. Thanks, your post reminded me to keep looking for them. The last time I checked the bay a few months ago I found none and forgot about it.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Phil Nelson

Nice job. I'm a Citri-Strip fan, too. And I will even forgive you this time for using polyurethane <holds up garlic, makes sign of cross>

Phil Nelson

This was actually the 1st time I ever used it. I decided to give the whole line of Behr water based products a try on the project. The results are OK and cleanup was a snap, but it's not as good as more traditional products.

I've used hand rubbed tung oil and spray lacquer in the past. What do you recommend?

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

I wish I knew how to work on TVs like that, but I'm too damn stupid to figure it out...I'm serious. I NEVER COULD make head nor tail out of basic electronic theory, & I've studied it, had people try to "splain" it to me, watched instructional videos...The whole 9 yards...It's like there's a 10' high wall there that can't be breached...Its like its worse than Chinese Algebra or some damn thing...I am in utter AWE over you wahoos who CAN & DO work on 'em, & can make 'em "shine" like that..My hat's off to you..But I'm still not 100% convinced that electronic theory, watts, volts, amps, capacitance, resistance, diodes, triodes, etc, all that stuff is a bunch of made-up hooey to keep us peasants in utter thrall, that Electronics really IS actually magic, & all youse byrds are really wizards 'n' warlocks, practising your arcane & black arts...

I dunno about all that Although I do have a BSEE, I got all my practical knowledge from hanging around hamfests, forums like this and a whole lot of tinkering.

I think it just takes time to sink in. Hopefully, it will all make sense to you soon.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by bandersen

I've used hand rubbed tung oil and spray lacquer in the past. What do you recommend?

Normally lacquer -- the same thing originally used for the majority of old radio and TV cabinets. Easy to use, dries fast, and can be reversed if you don't like the outcome and want to start over. Poly can provide a very shiny finish, but if you've ever tried to strip it, you'll know why it's not my favorite.

Phil

[Arkay]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

I wish I knew how to work on TVs like that, but I'm too damn stupid to figure it out...I'm serious. I NEVER COULD make head nor tail out of basic electronic theory, & I've studied it, had people try to "splain" it to me, watched instructional videos...The whole 9 yards...It's like there's a 10' high wall there that can't be breached...Its like its worse than Chinese Algebra or some damn thing...I am in utter AWE over you wahoos who CAN & DO work on 'em, & can make 'em "shine" like that..My hat's off to you..But I'm still not 100% convinced that electronic theory, watts, volts, amps, capacitance, resistance, diodes, triodes, etc, all that stuff is a bunch of made-up hooey to keep us peasants in utter thrall, that Electronics really IS actually magic, & all youse byrds are really wizards 'n' warlocks, practising your arcane & black arts...

Wizards 'n' warlocks, practicing arcane and black arts?

Just take a look at Phil Nelson's avatar (above in this thread). I think there is your answer!

Actually, it does take some time --and a GOOD teacher or book (some are impossibly obtuse)-- to catch on. Give it time and keep trying, if it matters to you. Eventually, you'll learn it.


As for the restoration that is the topic of this thread, man, that is beautiful! Very, very nice to see that people are continuing to restore these old sets even in the face of the death of analog, and a quality job like yours is an inspiration to all of us who restore anything. Thanks for sharing it!

Incidentally, if anyone has sets like that one which they don't want anymore since there are no more analog broadcasts, there are people in other parts of the world like Hong Kong, who can still use them to receive analog TV broadcasts over the air. I don't mind taking charge of seeing that they find good homes, if you send a few those smaller sets to me!

Back on topic (), I use a citrus-oil based cleaner, which, while it can partially strip very old finishes if you work it hard enough, wasn't designed for stripping. Think I'll try the stripper version next. The citrus smell is sure a LOT nicer than that horrible, toxic smell that most commercial strippers have. I used some commercial stripper on some vintage (metal) fans recently, and despite pretty good ventilation, felt sick afterwards. ()

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Phil Nelson

Normally lacquer -- the same thing originally used for the majority of old radio and TV cabinets. Easy to use, dries fast, and can be reversed if you don't like the outcome and want to start over. Poly can provide a very shiny finish, but if you've ever tried to strip it, you'll know why it's not my favorite.

Phil

I've tried using Watco spray lacquer a few times, but had trouble with runs. That's why I tried wipe-on poly with this project. I just picked up a can of lacquer to try brushing it on with my next project.

I had concerns sbout stripping the poly too, but CitriStrip takes it right off - no problem.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Arkay

...Back on topic (), I use a citrus-oil based cleaner, which, while it can partially strip very old finishes if you work it hard enough, wasn't designed for stripping. Think I'll try the stripper version next. The citrus smell is sure a LOT nicer than that horrible, toxic smell that most commercial strippers have. I used some commercial stripper on some vintage (metal) fans recently, and despite pretty good ventilation, felt sick afterwards. ()

Don't think I've seen the 'puke' emoticon used before
I believe Methyl Chloride is the nasty stuff in commercial stripper. I sometimes use it after the CitiriStrip to remove any last traces of goo.

[Phil Nelson]

If you have some spray lacquer left, try practicing on a junky piece of furniture. It's not a black art, or I wouldn't be able to do it respectably. To avoid runs, keep the spray moving and follow the directions about the correct distance to spray from. It's often better to apply two thin coats than one thick one.

I have never tried brushing lacquer, but my one experiment with brushing shellac left a lot of brush lines. Perhaps brush lacquer is mixed to dry a little slower than the spray stuff.

Phil

[zenithfan1]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Don't think I've seen the 'puke' emoticon used before

You must have not read all my posts, that's one of my favorite emoticons.LOL I also like puke 2, see:

Sorry to be OT. To make it better, your set is simply gorgeous, I have to find me one! You do some great work, or is it black magic.....Hmmmmm.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Phil Nelson

If you have some spray lacquer left, try practicing on a junky piece of furniture. It's not a black art, or I wouldn't be able to do it respectably. To avoid runs, keep the spray moving and follow the directions about the correct distance to spray from. It's often better to apply two thin coats than one thick one.

I have never tried brushing lacquer, but my one experiment with brushing shellac left a lot of brush lines. Perhaps brush lacquer is mixed to dry a little slower than the spray stuff.

Phil

They claim it has a leveling agent and will leave no brush marks. I need to do some selective refinishing on upcoming projects and figured this was the way to go.

I've gone through a couple cans of spray lacquer while restoring two radios. The results were OK in the end, but I found it frustrating. I also had trouble if I put too light a coat on - the surface would be all rough. A couple times a few random large droplets spurted out of the spray can too.

I suppose I do need more practice.

What brand of spray do you use?

Here's one of the radios I used spray lacquer on. I just need to find time to put the new grille cloth in.

[Phil Nelson]

I have used a lot of Mohawk spray lacquer. Available as colored toner in addition to clear. Google for "mohawk lacquer" and you'll find suppliers. I have also used Deft, but that's available only in clear in my local stores.

Serious refinishers buy spray equipment and mix up their own juice, but I have been satisified with spray bomb results, so far.

Yes, putting on too light a coat (incl. moving the sprayer too fast or holding it too far away) will give you an uneven coat. You want to spray just enough so that it all blends into a uniform layer, but not so much that it runs. Practice helps.

Large droplets may come out if your sprayer is almost empty. It also might be a cheap brand with a cheap nozzle, or simply a dirty nozzle. Follow the directions and spray with the can upside down for a second when you are finished, to clear the nozzle.

That cabinet looks pretty sassy. Hard to tell from photos, but do I see pores on the top? If you have stripped down to bare wood, you often need to use grain filler to close those pores. Otherwise, they'll be visible in the finish no matter how many coats of lacquer you apply. I hate grain filling and I'm lousy at it, so I usually try to remove old finish in a way that doesn't require it.

Enough nitpicking. That cabinet looks good. A useful book is "The Weekend Refinisher" by Bruce Johnson. He gives practical advice about all sorts of finishes, including brushing lacquer. Your library may have a copy.

Phil Nelson

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Phil Nelson

...do I see pores on the top? If you have stripped down to bare wood, you often need to use grain filler to close those pores. Otherwise, they'll be visible in the finish no matter how many coats of lacquer you apply. I hate grain filling and I'm lousy at it, so I usually try to remove old finish in a way that doesn't require it...

Yes, there are pores although it's nowhere as noticeable in person. I didn't have much choice with stripping this cabinet - the original finish had mostly flaked off. They used a thin filler and porous veneer to get that 'bullet' shape. Also, this has a faux 'photo finish' on the front.

I've had some success filling in grain by sanding between coats to filling the voids.

Thanks for the tip on Mohawk. I think I'll give it a try on an upcoming project.

Bob