The plan was to restore my 1947 Admiral TV, picked up at a garage sale. I did replace some capacitors, and although the TV did receive a picture, it was never really very good.

So a friend suggested that I gut the TV and put in a digital picture frame. I really liked the idea and set out to make the transformation.

I could sit and watch old family pictures through the decades – it would be like traveling back in time whenever I turned on the TV. My personal TV Time Machine.

In 1947, this TV was considered to be a portable. With the chassis and CRT removed, I hated to cut the case, but I’d never get it on my shelf if I did not.

The case is empty, cut in half, and sits on the shelf very nicely. I secured the control knobs in place with clear silicon. They will no longer be functional.

The TV screen is 9″ across, so it’s pretty small. I did find a digital picture frame that also had an older looking color around the frame, as some of its frame will show through on the front of the TV.

All the controls for the picture frame are located on the frame itself. Since I did not want to take the frame out of the TV each time I wanted to turn it on, I added a small in-line rotary switch.

I mounted the digital frame very simply. Really, I just used some wood scraps, Velcro and a round stick to prop up the frame to the front of the TV. Nothing fancy here, but it works well.

As the old back panel no longer fit, I made a new one that completely covered the back of the case.

I loaded up some pictures and turned it on…

BAM… I am traveling through time! It’s not a Tardis, but still pretty cool.