Featured
Latest
Share:
Notifications
Clear all

Forum 141

Cabinet First!

44 Posts
12 Users
0 Likes
5,044 Views
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Hi all,

Well, I'm bored to tears, and not able to be very active at the moment, so I decided to look at a vintage TV from a different aspect.

I acquired this.... Well, Bush, that looked liked it had been dragged backwards through, well, a bush!

When it arrived home, it looked like this;

From the front, it doesn't look too bad, but on closer inspection, it's been in the wars somewhat.

The cabinet top looked like it's had a bag of half rotten, soggy spuds deposited on it, and left there.. That white deposite went all the way across the cabinet from left to right, but I had a bit of wash and wipe before I'd taken any pics, so you've missed that bit... Have a guess what the white stuff is?

All over the cabinet, there were these blue skid marks, evidence of the set's battle for survival in its past life.. The skid marks would appear to be blue paint, transferred to the set by impact from other items thrown at, or around, the set.. The cabinet also has a many deep scratches and bruises on its woodwork.

Do you remember that white stuff? Did you guess what it was? - It was rat faeces! It has obviously been very wet, very soft, and very watery, probably from eating rotten spuds.. Although the camera hasn't really picked it up, in the real world, you can see the rat paw marks and tail trails as they've traversed the slippery front of the cabinet.

The first stage of the clean up was simple.. Just wash the cabinet, just as if you were washing a car.

I used my old favourite "Star Drops" and warm water.. I even bought a couple of cheap face cloths to make the job easier.

After the wash up, I dried the cabinet with kitchen towel and left it to dry out for a night.

The next step was to get rid of the blue skid marks.. For this I used, on the wood, "Rustin's Finish Reviver".. It's like "T-Cut" for varnished surfaces, and it really does removes those skid marks, and other surface deposites.

The only problem with the finish reviver, is that it leaves a light powdery deposite where the finish has been bruised and scratched.

On the bakelite, I used "T-Cut Rapid Scratch Remover" which comes in a tube, and looks like a white cosmetic cream.. It is very gentle, but very effective at removing the transferred paint and buffing out any minor scratches.. It is also very good at removing nicotine and other surface grime, and gives a good shine to the Bakelite.

The next step was to sort out the scratches and bruises.. For this, I used "Rustin's Scratch Cover" which comes in various shades, so I bought two shades for this cabinet.. Applied by a cloth, and rubbed gently in, the scratches become less visible.. It's not a cure, but it helps to blend and "normalise" the overall colour of the varnished wood finish.. Once applied, it only remains to polish it off again.

After this, I applied "Rustin's Liquid Wax" which as its name suggests, is a liquid wax polish.. This takes a little rubbing in, and a fair amount of effort is needed to get a decent cover, and then to buff it off again.. The liquid wax can also be applied to the Bakelite parts to give a really nice lustre.

So that is it, so far.. I still have some "Retouch Crayons" to experiment with, and some solid beeswax to try out.

All in all, I've probably spent less than two hours, spread out over the last five days, to get this far.. The back cover will be tackled later, as will the filthy mess which is the back of the set.

Marion

 
Posted : 04/12/2013 11:05 pm
Marc
 Marc
(@marc)
Posts: 2753
Noble Member Registered
 

Hi Marion,

Well that set of yours is certainly looking the part now. :aad
Well done :bba

Now, whats lurking inside for you to clean ? :aah

Marc.

Marc
BVWS member
RSGB call sign 2E0VTN

 
Posted : 04/12/2013 11:36 pm
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Hi Marc,

I haven't taken any pics of the interior, yet, and although it looks unmolested, it is filled with spiders, webs and crap.

The chassis doesn't look bad under all that, but the CRT base is smashed, leaving just a disc of pins, supported on the CRTs leadout wires.

The back cover needs a little gluing, and a couple of rusted staples need replacing.. The focus control "tongue" has been snapped off, so will need something to make a replacement.

I'll posst a few pics of the innards, tomoorrow.

I aught to add that the cabinet is as solid as a rock, with no lifting or splitting of the joints at the corners, and there is no evidence of woodworm.

It is my personal belief that this set has actually be kept quite well, until to not too distant past, where it would appear to have fallen on hard times.. I am a little inclined to wonder if the seller had rescued it from a skip, or maybe a big "Biffa" bin. :aa

Marion

 
Posted : 04/12/2013 11:44 pm
Marc
 Marc
(@marc)
Posts: 2753
Noble Member Registered
 

Hi Marc,

The chassis doesn't look bad under all that, but the CRT base is smashed, leaving just a disc of pins, supported on the CRTs leadout wires.

Marion

Hi Marion,

I shall bring My B&K CRT tester with me next time we are over :aag

Marc.

Marc
BVWS member
RSGB call sign 2E0VTN

 
Posted : 04/12/2013 11:57 pm
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Hi Marion,

I shall bring My B&K CRT tester with me next time we are over :aag

Marc.

Hi Marc,

That would be very much appreciated.. Once I know if the tube is "good" or "dud" I'll need to work out how to rebuild the bakelite CRT base. :aad

Marion

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 12:17 am
Lloyd
(@lloyd)
Posts: 1897
Prominent Member Registered
 

Hi Marion,
That really was quite disgusting! It looks fantastic now, I'm going to have to get some of that Rustins stuff to try on a Cossor radio, it's not bad enough to warrant a strip and refinish, so would probably benefit from a treatment like this.

I hope the Lopt is ok in your set, they do seem to be a little unreliable! I pulled one apart from my most recent TV22, got the laminations out and derusted them and sprayed them with clear lacquer. I also took all the pitch off and just put a bit of heat shrink on the over wind. It works, but I still think it gets far too hot!

Regards,
Lloyd

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 12:36 am
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Hi Lloyd,

Thank you.. Believe me, you had to see it to appreciate it.

I'll post a picture of all the cleaning materials I've used so far, and the ones I've still to try out.

Everything I've used (except the Star Drops and the T-Cut) came from our local DIY suppliers ( Carlisle DIY - in Goole ).. If you have difficulty in finding the Rustin's products, I'm sure they could post it out to you.

Marion

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 12:43 am
Marc
 Marc
(@marc)
Posts: 2753
Noble Member Registered
 

Hi Marion, Lloyd and all,

I can vouch for quite a few of Rustins products they are indeed very good.
And, Marion, Yorkshire Trading in Selby (and other branches) sell Rustins products and with quite a good discount last time I was in there.

Marc.

Marc
BVWS member
RSGB call sign 2E0VTN

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 12:54 am
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Hi Marc,

That's where I last got some Scratch Cover, but when I went in to Yorkshire Trading on Tuesday, they didn't have it.. They did have the Finish Reviver and the liquid wax though. :aad

I certainly have no quarms about using Rustin's products on my sets, and what a transformation it has made to my TV24!

Marion

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 1:05 am
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Just time for a little foretaste of what lurks within...

The back cover looks sound.. It has a break near the CRT "hat" and will need gluing.. A couple of staples should secure the top corners, but they've rusted away and need replacing.. All in all, the back cover is not bad.

This will be interesting to remedy, unless anyone has a spare CRT base in need of a good home?

Underneath all the muck, the chassis looks quite good.. I have to admit to pulling out a handful or two of spider webs, dust and dirt, before taking this picture.

This is just a hint of the spider webs and dead spiders that lurk within.. I think this telly could have a flare for Hallow'een parties. :aao

Marion

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 1:21 am
Marc
 Marc
(@marc)
Posts: 2753
Noble Member Registered
 

Hi Marion,

That does not look too bad to me, I certainly have had to deal with a lot worse on some of my own sets :cch
The CRT plug should be an easy fix, so as long as the CRT and LOPT prove OK I recon you could have a pretty good shrub there :bba

Marc.

Marc
BVWS member
RSGB call sign 2E0VTN

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 1:32 am
sideband
(@sideband)
Posts: 4214
Famed Member Moderator
 

Great work so far Marion. It will be interesting to see what lurks underneath. Looking forward to 'first light'!

Rich

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 10:43 am
Terrykc
(@terrykc)
Posts: 4005
Member Rest in Peace
 

You've done an excellent job on that cabinet, Marion - I hope the electronics turn out as good!

On a historical note ...

... For this, I used "Rustin's Scratch Cover" which comes in various shades, so I bought two shades for this cabinet. ...

... prior to the passing of the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968 that product was sold as "Rustin's Scratch Remover" ...

When all else fails, read the instructions

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 4:19 pm
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Hi Marion,

That does not look too bad to me, I certainly have had to deal with a lot worse on some of my own sets.

Marc.

Hi Marc,

You're spot on.. It doesn't look too bad - now, but I have tractored out a lot of cobwebs, and gritty bits before I took the pictures.. There was an awful lot that came away with the back cover, and not wanting to be overrun with spiders, I hoicked the lot out through the door.

Once that lot had gone, the chassis looks quite "normal" in relation to its age and probable storage conditions.

Great work so far Marion. It will be interesting to see what lurks underneath. Looking forward to 'first light'!

Rich

Hi Rich,

First light might be a while.. I still have the TV84 and the HMV waiting patiently, and the same problem will get in the way with this set - my painful back, which stops me from spending more than a few minutes at a time, working on such things.. Certainly, getting the CRT out of the 84 will be a challenge, though with this little set, it would be a lot easier.

I may be tempted to try for a light, just to see what happens.. Restoration may take a lot longer.

You've done an excellent job on that cabinet, Marion - I hope the electronics turn out as good!

On a historical note ...

... For this, I used "Rustin's Scratch Cover" which comes in various shades, so I bought two shades for this cabinet. ...

... prior to the passing of the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968 that product was sold as "Rustin's Scratch Remover" ...

Hi Terry,

I think I remember that, or certainly "Topp's Scratch Remover" that my granny used to swear by.

Trading Standards eh, taken the fun out of everything. :cch

Marion

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 10:33 pm
Terrykc
(@terrykc)
Posts: 4005
Member Rest in Peace
 

When I was at college there was a shop not too far from where I now live called Ben Salmon Radio whose windows were full of assorted components and other bits and pieces.

Somebody had done an excellent job of the descriptions - I recall a B & L Coax plug rated at 10,000A or something similar!

It was a good half hour's entertainment to go down there every now and again to read the latest batch of outrageous descriptions!

And then the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968 became law and they all disappeared. It took a couple of tears before some genius realised that you could get away with murder if you added the word 'allegedly' to anything but that made no difference to Ben Salmon Radio whose descriptions remained straight for the rest of the life of the business ...

I remember when there was a trade mag called Radio Retailing- not as popular or well known as the two 'Traders' - which had a column called Counter Talk, written by a dealer.

In one issue he recalled how he'd driven past his shop one night and noted that, despite his wonderful, well lit window display, everybody walked past without noticing.

The following day, he took the back off a set in his window and reversed the field scan connections.

He closed up as usual, went home for his evening meal, then returned. People, he now noted, were on the verge of passing his window when they realised something was out of place, went back and had a look at this set with its inverted picture and read the neat notice on the top that said "Special Design for Australia".

They smiled and, most importantly, mostly stopped a while to take look at what else was on display ...

When all else fails, read the instructions

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 11:04 pm
mark pirate
(@mark-pirate)
Posts: 497
Honorable Member Registered
 

I must say you have done a great job on the cabinet, my TV24 is next on the list for some tlc.
It was cheap on ebay and local, I 'borrowed' the blocking tx to finish off the restoration of my TV22, but have got a couple of likely replacements from a couple of scrap sets.

The B&K says the tube is OK, so lets hope the LOPT is a goodun....

 
Posted : 05/12/2013 11:24 pm
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

Hi Mark,

SNAP!! - Mine was on eBay, and was local (about 10 miles away)! I don't what you'd call cheap, but mine cost me a few coppers over £40.. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when I went to collect it.. Until then, I'd only seen the front of it, and a shot of the back cover.

I have to admit, I feel a lot happier with it now, and would be quite happy to admit to owning it.

I think it's been looked after until fairly recently, and can't help but think the seller might have saved it from the tip/skip etc.. It's certainly had a lot of impact damage (bruises) that make me think it might well have been used for target practice by the guys dumping stuff in the skip, and quite possibly intending to smash it to pieces.

Luckily, it's a tough old boot and the cabinet is as solid as if it were new.. My guess would be that it's been dropped on its back, causing the smashed the CRT base, snapped off focus lever and the fracture in the back cover.

I'm just glad someone saved it, and glad I was lucky enough to buy it - Thanks to Marc for flagging it up.

Marion

 
Posted : 06/12/2013 1:15 am
Focus Diode
(@focus)
Posts: 729
Honorable Member Registered
 

Well done on the cabinet work, it's looking superb. I was startled to hear of the rat droppings, thank goodness they didn't get inside the set.
Good luck with the restoration.
Cheers,
Brian

 
Posted : 06/12/2013 8:52 am
mark pirate
(@mark-pirate)
Posts: 497
Honorable Member Registered
 

Hi Marion, mine cost me £17 plus £20 in petrol :bba
It is in nice shape, the seller bought it from a boot sale on a whim for £25.
I did give it some power, and there is sound and line whistle but nothing on the screen, it has the push-pull band 3 converter fitted, and a date of 1953.

I hope your CRT turns out to be OK, It will be interesting to compare notes when we get them on the bench.
After doing the TV22, I feel confident that I can breath life back into the old girl!

 
Posted : 06/12/2013 10:07 am
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
Topic starter
 

A tiny update(ette)... :ccb

I've had to reapply the scratch cover to one or two of the worst marks of the cabinet top.

My guess would be that either, I didn't allow enough time for the jobs, or didn't apply enough scratch cover.. Either way, it would appear that the Rustin's needs time to soak into the wood, or damaged varnish.

I shall watch what happens and keep you updated. :qq1

Marion

 
Posted : 09/12/2013 12:04 am
Page 1 / 3
Share: