You know, it depends how desperate one gets. I have longtime friend who occasionally repairs ancient B&W TV sets, not from the 1950s but earlier 40s and even la

You know, it depends how desperate one gets. I have longtime friend who occasionally repairs ancient B&W TV sets, not from the 1950s but earlier 40s and even late 30s. When he couldn't get new picture tubes he simply invested in vacuum pumps and necessary tube components and snipped the necks off the tubes and rebuilt them—and they worked perfectly OK. I reckon he was mad to attempt it but I have to eat humble pie because he became so expert at it. And what's more, he did all this in his backyard shed at home!