1 Feb
2011
1 Feb
'11
5:40 a.m.
William Donzelli wrote:
Yes, they're pretty tough. For CRTs with a metal band around the edge, I don't
think the faceplate is essential. Yes, it's additional protection if the tube
does blow, and also handy to protect the tube from something thrown at it
(although it'd have to be something heavy given how thick the glass at the
front of the tube is!) - but I don't think the risk is made significantly
higher by not having it (or not having it bonded to the CRT).
I've heard that sometimes the faceplate function is more cosmetic, too - there
to improve contrast, reduce glare, make the tube front seem flatter than it
actually is etc.
cheers
Jules
Though that
said -- don't most CRTs have an anti-implosion band, which is
intended to stop the glass from spreading out? Or are these CRTs too old (or
small?) for that?
Nearly all CRTs built past the late 1950s really are not all that
dangerous, unlike the thin walled CRTs of the World War 2 vintage. The
glass in the bell is really tough stuff, and is far thicker than it
needs to be. Even if you drop a good sized CRT, it will generally
break where the bell and neck join first, and the neck will get sucked
into the bell. If and when the glass in the bell cracks, the vacuum is
already well on its way to atmospheric pressure.
As a kid, I tried to abuse many CRTs found in old TV sets, and was
always disappointed at how unspectacularly they break.