Hi guys, I have not posted this one yet but was able to take time from school and work this weekend. I started to work on this RCA T-120, chassis and cabinet. I like that the cabinet is metal, its in good shape for the $50 I paid for. The original stand also came with the TV. All the knobs are present and everything is there, both for the cabinet and chassis. The chassis is cadmium plated. I do have a question about that; What is the best way to clean the cadmium plated chassis? I use rubbing alcohol to clean the metal from that yellow oxidization that is present. I had good results when I cleaned the Magnavox I posted about last month. A friend said that Scotch-brite pads also work well, but wouldn't that dig into the metal or scratch it up?

There is also remnants of a small mouse colony that had moved out long ago. Luckily it is just a bunch of seeds I have found so far. There is also a very small amount of rust in various places. Would some steel wool help to rid the chassis of the rust I have found? What gauge?

I am going to test the tubes today, the CRT tested excellent, but some of the coating is starting to deteriorate. Is it ok if there is a bit missing or should I take all of it off and re coat with Aerodag G? I would hate to ruin the original paper label on the bell.

Part of the material inside the focus coil broke off when I took the picture tube out. Could anybody point me in what that material is, and is there a replacement?

I also have looked inside the cabinet, there are three to four sheets of some type of padding around the inside of the cabinet. I think it is a type of asbestos padding. Could anybody verify if it is indeed asbestos?

Also the belt that goes around the tuning area has long since dried and broken off, is there a place where I could get reproduction belts?

Pictures are below to correspond to the questions in order, thanks for all the answers.

Jon

NO, Not STEEL WOOL!
That will send dust into the electronics, then, watch out!
On the part that broke, not to worry. No replacement made, but, it was used for centering the picture tube. Why did you take everything apart?
You didn't really need to go that far. Just more work to adjust erverything when you get it running, again.
Leave those sheets of asbestos alone.
They were extra insulation against over heating cabinet, which might cause paint to blister.
They are painted inside to keep asbestos from flaking off. Also, one of those sheets has the all important tube chart on it.
I've seen worse looking sets.
I use a good grade of brass polish on the chassis'.
They were originally quite shiny.
Here, again, nor needed for correct operation.
Another worry you have is whether, or, not the large bank of resistors on the back of chassis, are, good, or, not.
I didn't used to see them bad, but, am finding more of them failing.
Usually they burn out, but, sometimes they short to chassis.
B-is not on chassis. Chassis is a 90 volts dc aove B-.
It's part of the bias supply, which is also part of that bank of resistors on the back.
A little tedious to work on, but, they perform well.
On that belt, I use a neopreme heavy O ring that I buy at the hardware store.
I have very good luck with them. Keep the original belt tension pulley. It helps against slippage.
Be very cautious on oscilator adjustments on all the RCA wafer tuners. The screws are at B+ level, and, you'd get a loud bang from shorts. Plus, at any rate, due to frequency changes, you should never use a metal tool to adjust them anyhow.
The tuners were RCA's weakest point. They were basically lousy.
But, the sets are good performers, and, show an excellent picture.
Bill Cahill

Hey Bill thanks for your responses, taking apart everything might seem stupid to some, but I clean every nook and cranny as well get out my notes book, I write down everything that I will need. And I am a neat freak when it comes to chassis's. When you say clip lead, do you mean the type of lead that has alligator clips on each end. I connect one end to the tip of the screwdriver blade and one end to the chassis? Do I have to touch the area where the HV lead goes into the CRT.

Also this so called tv restorer that I have mentioned a few times that I have been talking to has been wrong on everything that he has told me to do with these sets, I have now come to the conclusion that he is a BS restorer or someone who likes to blow a lot of smoke. You guys are right, and I would listen to you all before I would take anything into consideration from what this tv guy says. He wants to come down this week and turn on all my unrestored sets to "see if any need restored", I dont think so.

Jon

Turn on unrestored sets? No! Never!
Yes, I mean the metal part of the second anode connection on the picture tube.
Yes, I mean an alligator clip lead. Glad to help.
We're always glad to help here.
We all have to learn....
Ask me sometimes of some of my foolish ways of learning....
Ever see a human fly through the air? I did. ME!
Bill Cahill

Ha Ha, I would rather not have to experience that if possible. By second anode you mean the part that plugs into the CRT bell?

Jon

Yep.
Bill Cahill

Ok thanks.

Jon

The material in the cabinet may be Asbestos, being a metal cabinet it was no doubt for sound dampening rather than fire protection but they may have just used Asbestos because they had it on hand.
Since there's quite a large amount of it the best thing to do is probably just leave it alone, at most spray it with some clear Lacquer to keep it from fraying.

The material in the focus coil is just a rubber cushion, some manufacturers used Felt, you could replace it with either.

The cabinet material is asbestos. They painted it. I haven't seen fraying, but, on one, two panels had been torn, and, were hanging loosely.
I was told by an RCA tech it was because of fear that heat could overheat the cabinet paint, but, I admit your explanation makes more sense.
Bill Cahill
You know, when in good shape, my favorite sets were the 9T246, and, the T-100. That original stand makes the set look very impressive.

Ha, in that photo it looks like you somehow managed to get a color picture on a black and white set! It took me awhile to see what was going on.

Oh, yea I had taken out the chassis already, but after you said that Tom, it does look like it. I do like the original stand, if that didn't come with the TV I would of most likely not have bought it. More than often have I seen a majority of these sets without there original stands.

Thanks for all your help everybody, I have a question for you now. Most of my sets still have the original rubber parts, in general gasket seals, rubber around the CRT mounts and yoke rubber padding.

This original rubber is in pretty good shape, does anybody use any material to lubricate the rubber parts to prevent future drying out. Any Ideas? I was thinking some sort of silicone, but don't know how messy it is.


There are two photos below to show a example of what I am taking about, these two parts go to the T120, but I have many other sets, TV and radio that still have "good rubber".

Thanks for the input

Jon