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Making a Retro TV

DIY Retro Tv!

All materials were purchased from Bunnings, except the door knobs, legs and Hession. Wood was cut by a staff member and I was on my way! I had never used power tools before nor knew 100% what I was doing but happy with the outcome.
I basically made a box, added trim which was stained then for the boarder around the tv was made using mdf board (cut using a jigsaw) and gold spray paint.

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KatieC

Hi @cpep,

A warm welcome from the Bunnings Workshop community. It is wonderful to have you join us and share your retro tv project. You'll find that Workshop is a wealth of inspiration and advice for all things DIY and garden. If you ever need assistance with the forum please feel free to reach out.

Your retro tv is so sweet, you have done a great job! After using tools for the first time on this project, do you feel a bit more confident using them? Any words of advice for someone who is also new to tools?

Katie

cpep

Thank you! I am definitely more confident and have done a few projects since. For newbies I found doing research, watching YouTube videos and practice makes you more confident to give it a go and see what happens

Noyade

Hi @cpep

Very clever!

Maybe a patent is in order here?

I can picture Canberra's National Museum and museums all around Australia using this TV combination to show how we lived and what we saw on them as well as an educational tool.

Surrounded by period furniture the museum goer could sit down and 'watch' Kennedy's assassination, Holt's disappearance, Moon landing, Tet offensive, Whitlam's dismissal, Watergate - etc.

Does the real TV just slide into the cabinet or have you mounted it in some way? Does the remote still connect? Did you research/date the shape of the contoured area? May I suggest 'fake' control knobs would look good?

Having grown up with TV's (Healing brand mostly) like this got me thinking - when did TVs drop the cabinet and legs? I do remember our first colour TV in 1975 still having a surrounding wood cabinet and four legs. What do you think @Prof ?

cpep

Thank you! I was inspired by a photo on Pinterest of someone who made these for a living. A modern 32’ tv sits on the top shelf and behind the Hession bottom section is a sound bar. I unfortunately couldn’t find old tv knobs so I had to use door knobs that looked similar. The remote kinda works, I had to drill a small hole in the border for it to work. I love all things vintage and the tv fits in well within my vintage home.

Prof

Wow.!! That takes me back..

I remember the first black & white set we had and that was on legs..I was just a boy when got our first TV..

If I remember correctly, I think the first colour set didn't have legs..it was a console type set and I think that was in the late 50's early 60's..

Noyade

Hi @Prof

Our 1975 colour TV definitely had legs. The colour and resolution was awful.

And the first thing we saw on the tube - was an episode of McCloud.

I remember owning a small 34cm Sony colour in 1980 that had a 'touch' method of changing the channels. No rotary dial.

Cutting edge technology at the time. 😁

Noyade

Our first black and white was a 1966 Healing. I remember at our school, anyone whose family owned a telly - in 1969 - was allowed to leave school to watch the lunar landing. Terrible pictures from the moon - so I went out to the backyard and kicked the soccer ball.

Prof

Hahaha...I remember the time when I had to get off the lounge and turn a big dial to change stations.!!!

WOW.!! how things have changed..

I now have an 87" projected TV image that has a remote that controls EVERYTHING.!!! LOL.!!

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