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  RESTORATION OF A 1949 BAIRD TOWNSMAN TELEVISION SET
                                               Page 2

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A couple of days have passed and several more flatted coats have been put on. Now the cabinet is rubbed down yet again and it's time to touch in the grain on the little repairs with acrylic paint. A mixture of Russet Brown and Sand Glow is used to get the right tint. This technique is only used with acrylic-finished cabinets. With cellulose, the touching-in is down either with toner or sometimes with wood stain.

After this, more clear flatted coats will follow - until about the middle of next week.

 

Not forgetting of course to hide the veneer edges. These are sprayed with paint after masking. They will merge in to the overall look of the cabinet much better after this.

On Monday the flocking kit arrives. I ordered this because the Baird's screen mask is finished in a flock finish and may well need re-doing.

By Wednesday the cabinet is nearing completion. Only another two or three coats are now needed. Towards the end, longer and longer periods elapse between the coats, as the sinking of the finish into the remaining grain pits slows...
It's time to get started in earnest on the chassis. Before cleaning down and physical restoration certain sub-assemblies must be removed. First, the scan coils...

Here's the Line Output Transformer with its rectifier and EHT smoothing capacitor. This is a crucial component which can't really be replaced. It was therefore given a basic test before work commenced.

This also has to come off. It's most important this component is carefully examined and cleaned, since it works under considerable electrical stress.

 

The Focus Magnet will also have to come off.
And here's a first peek under the chassis to take a look at the work in store..

Removal of the CRT heater transformer and the smoothing choke reveal the original finish of the chassis which we will have to get back to....

This is actually a quite easy chassis to disassemble. Here, the side reinforcment spars come off..

The next day some progress has been made on the appearance of the chassis and its time for the final coat to be applied to the cabinet parts.

But some of the minor parts, like the grille spars are already ready. These are now T-cutted. This cuts back the finish to a smooth shine and also, by softening the surface, relaxes any stresses that can later accentuate imperfections.

Final completion of the cabinet now beckons. First, the hardened finish is rubbed along the grain with ultra-fine 0000 wire wool. This takes the place of T-cutting; it removes any remaining tiny imperfections and leaves a piano-like finish. Throughout the cabinet restoration, all spraying and polishing has been carried out under oblique lighting, to give a better view of what needs to be done...

The whole cabinet will be subsequently polished (with car polish!) giving a fine quality gloss that will require virtually no further maintenance by the customer.

The techniques used on radio cabinets are intended to reproduce the 'factory finish'. They are quite unlike those used for restoring antique furniture.

The base sections on which the chassis is withdrawn (for maintenance) are now rubbed with waxoyl for a smoother sliding action !

The castors in the base are now oiled to ensure they will operate silently in future, without any squeaks..

Some of the bits and pieces are physically restored. The speaker is re-sprayed.

One of the chassis 'bits' scheduled to be serviced and refitted today is the width potentiometer. The original, on the right, is broken. This is a rather fragile wirewound pot of 500 ohms. It controls the HT to the line output anode.

The one on the left is its replacement. This is of the same type but is 300 ohms, so it will run cooler. In the unlikely event of the width now being excessive, it can be padded out with a series resistor. Like with all the pots, waxoyl is applied to the track, for a longer noise-free life.

Just visible off the top is the 'Amor All Protectant'. Available from Halfords, this makes a great dressing for the plastic parts and makes them appear like new..

The story continues - click here...

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