How to safely disassemble a CRT monitor

Do you have a old CRT monitor lying around your house but you think it's too dangerous.
Now is your chance to do it moderately safely do it.


I take no responsibility for any injuries ect. caused by you disassembling a CRT monitor.

Step 1: Tools

• Screwdriver (Insulated handle)(one that you don't mind the tip getting a bit melted)
• Piece of wire, one that you don't mind melting, preferably a thick wire (to ground the screwdriver)
• Nail (to puncture the tube to fill the vacuum)
• Rubber shoes (To insulate you from the ground)(optional)

Comments

[logamuthu]

Very clear exposition of a daunting job. Kudos!!

[UATradition]

So I just straight up cut through all the wires and the big red one leading to the suction cup and no sparks or melting wire cutters ... could something still be charged ? Other than any capacitors ? I haven't removed the suction cup yet ...

[synchr0nize]

errr why would you need to do this?

[Greyfox95]

I disassembles one of these today, i wish i would have seen how to ground it before i shocked myself! dang flyback...

[highvoltageguy]

when my tv breaks im goona take it apart cuz i want a flyback but i thin that the tv will have gone bust beacause of the flyback great instructable by the way

[RefStone]

Nice intructable, someday I'll do a follow up on using the parts if there isn't one already.

There is one piece I really like for non-electrical reasons. You can see (step 5) a metal ring going around the tube, just below the green topper, with a bolt through it (the bolt is at a tangent to the green circle, on the bottom left). This thing can be really useful. I keep one on my belt loop to hold a standard plastic bottle at my waist. It just pops in and out, no adjustment necessary, once you get it right.

Be well.
-Ref

[drresearch]

Why do you have to break the CRT? Can't you leave intact?

[thermoelectric]

As you already got a answer, I don't need to answer, but I want to. You can leave it intact, but filling it (getting rid of the vacume (I still can't spell that), reduces the risl of implosion etc.

[drresearch]

Ooh, I found the answer below!

[mason0190]

isnt there like radiation or summin in der!?

[thermoelectric]

No, unless you call the poisionous lead and phosphors radiation...

[Xellers]

Would it be possible to somehow extract the CRT without damaging in and to use it again for another proejct?

[mason0190]

might you be planning on making a CRT fishtank? WOW! I am too!

[mason0190]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Turn-Your-Old-CRT-Computer-Moniter-Into-A-Fish-Tan/

[thermoelectric]

Yes, but i broke the vacuum so it didn't implode if i dropped it.......

[drresearch]

But if someone didn't brake the vacuum, what could be done with just the CRT? I would also be interested to know.

[thermoelectric]

There is very little you can do with the CRT once you get rid of the driver circuitry. Making your own drivers are not a good idea, Unless you want to potentially give yourself a mega dose of all types of radiation.

[golddigger1559]

if you break the vacume dont you have to worry about explosive decompression????

[thermoelectric]

Yep, Breaking the neck of the CRT or piercing a hole in the place where it was originally filled (at the top of the neck) slows the decompression because there must be a restriction in the neck somewhere... But it's always good to be careful.

[joinaqd]

nice.i gave you a 5 star

[thermoelectric]

Thanks :-)

[mg0930mg]

I just throw rocks at them from 30 or so feet away. Never taken the parts out,though. It was just a monitor in the woods, someone left. May bring it out, and get parts.

[thermoelectric]

Oh.

[Enter 77]

personnaly i find a 12 gauge is the most fast, efficient and most important, FUN method of dismantling and old CRT :P

[thermoelectric]

I, I, I, I'm speechless....... :-P

[Fliboi]

i was there, that was one hell of a weekend :D. we gota top it next year now lol XD

[thermoelectric]

Good luck.....

[Enter 77]

also note the mcdonalds toys and nail gun fuil cylinders littering the ground around it. And the burn marks from tracer rounds/butane explosions

[thermoelectric]

Yeah, I usually just hit the mcdonalds toys with a hammer, Give them to my dog.....

[grampafish]

i talked with a tv repair person and they said that a screwdriver can't handle 10,000 volts.he says that you should use a high voltage probe connected to a 1mega ohm half watt resistor just to be safe. here is a pic of the probe.

[thermoelectric]

Yeah, But a exploding screwdriver is just part of the fun. Thanks for the warning anyway

[grampafish]

your welcom

[thermoelectric]

Yeah...

[awang8]

the screwdriver is grounded so it's 0 volts.

[thermoelectric]

And you discharge that to the positive of the flyback and the capacitor to be safe......

[kitrule]

Don't you need to connect the screwdriver to something really grounded rather than the earth connection from the power cable socket which isn't connected to the mains?

[thermoelectric]

Well, I connect it to the ground of the device because it's pretty hard to try to discharge capacitors with only one lead in the ground, But it's worth a try....

[grampafish]

use caution because the crt can recharge even if it is unplugged for 2 years. to avoid serious injury or death DO NOT attempt this:-)

[thermoelectric]

Yeah, That's the electrolytic caps charging up, I like challenging myself so I attempt anything dangerous

[TheWelfareWarrior]

you don't release vacuum. Vacuum is the absence of particles inside something so when you puncture it it fills up, not comes out. Aren't those things filled with like radon or something... I know there is lead in the glass to reduce radiation.