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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
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30th Oct 2015, 4:30 pm | #1 |
Pentode
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How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Hi,
I want to attach 4 legs to the bottom of my Ferguson 3852 tv, this would be a simple and easy job if the TV had a wooden cabinet. When the TV was originally marketed there was an option to have legs that could screw into the holes in the bottom of the plastic cabinet, there are 4 screw holes in the bottom of the cabinet but they are 6mm's in diameter and I don't think I will be able to find legs with a 6mm diameter (if somebody does have some please let me know). Forum member sexton mallard had legs on the set he use to have but doesn't know how they were attached. Any help appreciated, thanks. |
30th Oct 2015, 5:29 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Surely the screw size is 6mm, about a quarter of an inch in old sizes. The legs must be larger diameter than that.
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30th Oct 2015, 5:47 pm | #3 |
Octode
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Hello,
It had 1960s 'spindly' legs. Once very common, these are hard to find now. Perhaps try an ironmongers or a furniture shop of the 'old school'. You might find square wooden ones, not metal. Or eBay. Michael Last edited by yesnaby; 30th Oct 2015 at 5:57 pm. |
30th Oct 2015, 6:00 pm | #4 |
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Perhaps the first thing to do is to establish whether the holes are threaded 6mm by trying an M6 bolt or set screw in them?
If you get some legs you may be able to drill axial holes in them and glue in a length of M6 studding (threaded rod).
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30th Oct 2015, 7:33 pm | #5 |
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
If it were me I would...
a) Find some screws that fit (1960's and plastic I would go for 1/4" UNC). b) Find some legs you like. c) Fix said screws into the legs with some car body filler (a much underrated adhesive). |
30th Oct 2015, 8:50 pm | #6 |
Nonode
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
I cheated completely when I wanted to fit some legs to my Alba 1500, I made a table with said legs screwed to it, then stood said telly on it! I discovered that a narrow kitchen cabinet door was just the right size. It also has the added benefit that you can stick a different telly on it when you get bored of the current one.
Regards, Lloyd. |
30th Oct 2015, 9:02 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
If the outside diameter of the 'screw' is around 6mm then other common possibilities for the thread would be 0BA (which is much the same as M6 apart from the thread angle) and 1/4" BSW (Whitworth) which is the common camera tripod thread.
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31st Oct 2015, 12:24 am | #8 |
Heptode
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Hello Ryan,
I had a similar set in my room as a student in the 1990s. I think that the tapered legs were just hollow aluminium tubes, probably around 15mm diameter at floor level and 25mm at the top. Four angled 'sockets' around 30mm deep were screwed into the bottom of the set. The legs were then a push-fit into these sockets. My memory could be playing tricks, this all went in the skip a long time ago.... SR |
31st Oct 2015, 9:05 am | #9 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
These pictures show the construction of the legs fitted to the 3652.
They are approximately 41cm long, 20mm wide at the top tapering to 10mm at the base. The feet are screwed in allowing adjustment for uneven floors. There is a 'star' washer at the top with the fixing thread screwed in allowing the correct amount of thread to enter the bushes on the base of the cabinet. This is critical due to the insulating cards over the entry points inside the case. Hope this helps. John. |
31st Oct 2015, 10:21 am | #10 |
Nonode
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
I remember the screw-in type that needed a 'leg plate' between the leg and the cabinet. These plates had an angle built in to splay the legs correctly.
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31st Oct 2015, 10:48 am | #11 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
I think Loyds idea post 6 is best idea, my reason being plastic cases of a certain age can be very brittle. What was OK 30 or 40 years since may not be ok today. These sets are being used way beyond their design life.
John. |
31st Oct 2015, 12:39 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
The plate in the middle of the picture is of the type that was used to fix legs to sets which had plastic cabinets. The plates set the angle of the legs and distribute the load. The other two were for wooden cabinet bases.
DFWB. |
31st Oct 2015, 1:36 pm | #13 |
Hexode
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Also used to fix legs to the underside of some beds.
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31st Oct 2015, 8:47 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
I remembered I had a set of four (unwanted) 1960's tapered legs in my firewood store. They are wooden, and the black paint is peeling off, but I think they are too large. Length 24", small end dia. 1", large end dia. 1 3/4", screw thread 5/16" Whitworth. I was given them years ago, and have no idea what they would have been used on originally.
I well remember those fixing plates: in a job interview 40 years ago I was presented with one (made from die cast Mazac rather than pressed steel) and asked to describe it, say what it was used for, and what it was made of. Fortunately I knew because my father had used them when he made a coffee table. I got the job! |
1st Nov 2015, 12:38 am | #15 |
Pentode
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Thank you all for your responses!
Sorry, I meant that I wouldn't be able to find legs with a 6mm screw diameter. I would use Lloyd's idea of making a table but with the set I have you would still be able to see the table top because of the feet on the bottom of the TV that are non removeable. Thank you John for those fantastic pictures of the original type of legs. This is probably going to be a stupid question but I'm going to ask you anyway, do you want to sell me those legs? . Does anybody know if Johns legs could be replicated by an ironmonger's or somewhere else? I was also thinking maybe I could buy legs with brakets like the ones posted by DFWB, drill holes and then bolt the brackets into place. Any thoughts on this idea? |
1st Nov 2015, 11:15 am | #16 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
I like Lloyd's idea too, see this thread: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=86658
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1st Nov 2015, 1:41 pm | #17 |
Retired Dormant Member
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
If you are sure that the thread in the TV is an M6 (or other metric size), and you can obtain or fabricate suitable wooden legs, you can attach them to the TV using the appropriate threaded dowel in the end of each leg. Such dowels are available from any good hardware shop or from ebay, for example, here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WOOD-TO-ME...hlysmrZYqMmloQ Hope that helps. |
1st Nov 2015, 1:44 pm | #18 |
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Dare I suggest that bits of wooden broom handle could be used as legs? They wouldn't be tapered of course.
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1st Nov 2015, 2:35 pm | #19 |
Octode
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Hello,
Re: post #15 A few years ago I had this problem of finding legs and went around several factories in Newport (a steel town) to see if they had any tapered tubes or could make some for me. I had no joy whatsoever. Michael |
1st Nov 2015, 4:49 pm | #20 |
Dekatron
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Re: How to attach legs to a plastic TV?
Way back in the old days we used to make what was essentially a table top which was exactly the same size as the base of the set. The leg plates were fitted and holes were drilled in the board which were coincident with any stand mounting points on the set's underside.
Nice safe and strong job. DFWB. |