Looks vary nice. Someone paid a LOT when it was new. My parents bought a Sylvania in 1952, had it until 1967 (two picture tubes and a lot of service over that time). Was replaced with their first color set, an RCA table top on a stand. THAT cost a lot in the day. Now you can get 4-50 inch LED TV's for $200.
It looks stunning. The speaker cloth turned out beautifully. What an interesting set. Again, round screens were something I had seen in old movies or TV shows and never understood them. They don't look strange to me at all now that I have seen you restore so many fascinating examples. 😊👍
I agree, the 16 inch Zenith Porthole is the acme of the genre. It's a beauty. It would go great with a '51 Buick Roadmaster parked outside in the driveway and Donna Reed in the kitchen cooking dinner. Yes, indeed.
I just refinished my Grunow 1297 - this is basically my second radio refinishing, the first one being the Philco 37-640 you electrically restored for me ten years ago (which is still looking and sounding amazing, by the way!). I had pretty good luck with paint thinner and about two bundles of painter's rags, followed by a light sanding, staining, and maybe four coats of Deft semigloss clear lacquer. This kind of work is definitely an artform, and I'm just not quite there yet - but the results were actually not bad. The radio had clearly been refinished at some point in the past, but they did a pretty bad job. I had to piece in some salvaged veneer from a spare 1291 shell to fix the bottom edge, but I have a LOONG way to go to achieve perfection.
Excellent job!! That turned out to be a beautiful set! Most folks would be proud to have it adorn their living rooms! Those metal-and-glass CRT's I've heard are prone to losing their vacuum. It's too bad there isn't some protective sealing to put on those weak spots to prevent them from failing. With that missing knob, if push comes to shove, one can purchase a kit that can be used to fabricate missing, difficult-to-find knobs by making silicone molds and epoxy compound to cast knobs.
There exists a thing called vacuum epoxy, but I don't have any notion if it would work for external use in this application. Issues like comparative expansion rates might be involved, and the last thing one would want is for the would-be sealant to make things worse as in "prying" at the joint. More flexible sealants, on the other hand, may not be gasproof. It's such a shame that rebuilding is virtually nonexistent in the whole world today. Maybe the revenue was outstripped by the cost. Maybe as tubes get rare enough, rebuilding will be revived. There certainly should be enough tube carcasses, and the gun cathode technology should still be possible.
@@bandersentv Well, in thinking about it, that could potentially make things worse. The two different materials of the CRT envelope likely each have at least a *slightly* different coefficient of expansion. Adding yet *another* material may complicate things more with its own.
You can get six packs of gloss clear lacquer from the rustoleum brand and have it shipped to home depot for in-store pickup for about half the cost per can of any other way i know of for getting the stuff. It plays nice with the mohawk lacquer spray cans so I buy my toned lacquers from them and use the clear coats from rustoleum. Before covid you could get clear this way for about $4/can but now I think its closer to twice that.
I really enjoyed seeing this. The cabinet looks fantastic. I wonder if someone thought of a "gating" circuit for these round tubes, which I guess would significantly extend the CRT's life by cutting off the beam outside the viewing area?
Same could be said for all round sets that have porthole or "double-d" masks. That includes color sets. I've never read or heard any mention of what happens when the beam goes past the face and if anything should be done about it🤔
@@bandersentv I don't think anything was done about it, but it would have been a great selling-point: Tube lasts almost twice s long, for just $(whatever) for this beam-cutoff upgrade.
Given the fact that Zenith used a tinted nitrocellulose dark walnut lacquer for the top coat for most sets, I cant imagine any confusion. Mahogany is in no where near close to the original finish. It was always dark walnut. For the lighter finishes, they used a light birch water based finish.
What the heck are you talking about about? Only the top was refinished. It's is absolutely mahogany. I have my own very similar Zenith set with 100% original mahogany finish. Mahogany is the most common finish for all vintage TVs. No one used birch for blond sets. It was limed oak lacquer. Water based? There were no water based finishes back then.
You do amazing work!! Also, love the doggos!
Absolutely beautiful work on that cabinet and hardware Bob. What a gorgeous set!
I think that copper looks good !
Yes, very good match to the original control doors. Took me three tries to get the color right.
Looks vary nice. Someone paid a LOT when it was new. My parents bought a Sylvania in 1952, had it until 1967 (two picture tubes and a lot of service over that time). Was replaced with their first color set, an RCA table top on a stand. THAT cost a lot in the day. Now you can get 4-50 inch LED TV's for $200.
Love it. What a great looking set.
Fantastic finish on this TV. Works great in spite of modern day transmission issues one must live with.
Nicely done. Lovely dogs :)
Magnificent. Difference in the details. What a great TV.
Looks fantastic!!
Man everything turned out nice and Zeniths always show a crisp picture 👌
Great project. Really liked the bulletin board trick. Thanks
It looks stunning. The speaker cloth turned out beautifully. What an interesting set. Again, round screens were something I had seen in old movies or TV shows and never understood them. They don't look strange to me at all now that I have seen you restore so many fascinating examples. 😊👍
I agree, the 16 inch Zenith Porthole is the acme of the genre. It's a beauty. It would go great with a '51 Buick Roadmaster parked outside in the driveway and Donna Reed in the kitchen cooking dinner. Yes, indeed.
Well there is a 19" Zenith porthole...
@@bandersentv Proportions, as with all beautiful things. I like the 16 looks better than the 19.
Well done....beautiful set.
I just refinished my Grunow 1297 - this is basically my second radio refinishing, the first one being the Philco 37-640 you electrically restored for me ten years ago (which is still looking and sounding amazing, by the way!). I had pretty good luck with paint thinner and about two bundles of painter's rags, followed by a light sanding, staining, and maybe four coats of Deft semigloss clear lacquer. This kind of work is definitely an artform, and I'm just not quite there yet - but the results were actually not bad. The radio had clearly been refinished at some point in the past, but they did a pretty bad job. I had to piece in some salvaged veneer from a spare 1291 shell to fix the bottom edge, but I have a LOONG way to go to achieve perfection.
Love it. Excellent work as usual 👏
Looks nice. Well done
Very Nice!!
Cabinet is looking good 👀 BobbyBoy. Bezels should make it POP! 🎉 Video looks sharp… considering 🤔.
Excellent job!! That turned out to be a beautiful set! Most folks would be proud to have it adorn their living rooms! Those metal-and-glass CRT's I've heard are prone to losing their vacuum. It's too bad there isn't some protective sealing to put on those weak spots to prevent them from failing. With that missing knob, if push comes to shove, one can purchase a kit that can be used to fabricate missing, difficult-to-find knobs by making silicone molds and epoxy compound to cast knobs.
There exists a thing called vacuum epoxy, but I don't have any notion if it would work for external use in this application. Issues like comparative expansion rates might be involved, and the last thing one would want is for the would-be sealant to make things worse as in "prying" at the joint. More flexible sealants, on the other hand, may not be gasproof. It's such a shame that rebuilding is virtually nonexistent in the whole world today. Maybe the revenue was outstripped by the cost. Maybe as tubes get rare enough, rebuilding will be revived. There certainly should be enough tube carcasses, and the gun cathode technology should still be possible.
There is a product called vacseal some have applied. No firm evidence that it helps though.
@@bandersentv Well, in thinking about it, that could potentially make things worse. The two different materials of the CRT envelope likely each have at least a *slightly* different coefficient of expansion. Adding yet *another* material may complicate things more with its own.
STRIPPERS DOWN IN THE BASEMENT
You can get six packs of gloss clear lacquer from the rustoleum brand and have it shipped to home depot for in-store pickup for about half the cost per can of any other way i know of for getting the stuff. It plays nice with the mohawk lacquer spray cans so I buy my toned lacquers from them and use the clear coats from rustoleum. Before covid you could get clear this way for about $4/can but now I think its closer to twice that.
I get Mohawk now from Rockler for about $7 a can
Beautiful. Is this called art deco style?
Yes, I suppose it is
I really enjoyed seeing this. The cabinet looks fantastic.
I wonder if someone thought of a "gating" circuit for these round tubes, which I guess would significantly extend the CRT's life by cutting off the beam outside the viewing area?
Same could be said for all round sets that have porthole or "double-d" masks. That includes color sets. I've never read or heard any mention of what happens when the beam goes past the face and if anything should be done about it🤔
@@bandersentv I don't think anything was done about it, but it would have been a great selling-point: Tube lasts almost twice s long, for just $(whatever) for this beam-cutoff upgrade.
Try 4 aught steel wool and mineral spirits.
Where did the grill cloth come from? I need the same pattern for a TV I'm working on
Lots of vendors on ebay have it. Looks for "oxblood diamond grill cloth"
Given the fact that Zenith used a tinted nitrocellulose dark walnut lacquer for the top coat for most sets, I cant imagine any confusion. Mahogany is in no where near close to the original finish. It was always dark walnut. For the lighter finishes, they used a light birch water based finish.
What the heck are you talking about about? Only the top was refinished. It's is absolutely mahogany. I have my own very similar Zenith set with 100% original mahogany finish. Mahogany is the most common finish for all vintage TVs. No one used birch for blond sets. It was limed oak lacquer. Water based? There were no water based finishes back then.
Watch at the 10 minute mark. That is the original finish. Are you telling me that is not mahogany? I touched it up and clear coated