Yep, get out the invariably never-once-cleaned hardened dust (hint: most components are inherently waterproof - though PC monitors, with a relay for degaussing, are a likely exception) and resolder the usual heavy parts (which I didn't do for my Flatron 774FM because I couldn't be bothered to remove the PCBs from the metal frame, and now is desperately asking for that) 😀

Breaking plastic… sure, it's almost a given without prior knowledge of the exact design, but in the main it's being held together by real screws 😀

The HV in these attracts soot (which is already conductive) and when that gets wet from high air moisture it becomes especially so and bad things can happen. It is always worthwhile to clean them up prior.

I like my CRTs clean. Especially the pre-owned ones, since I have no idea who used them and for how long, I don't want all that stuff wented out with hot air into my lungs. It also simplifies repairs, clean PCB is much easier to work on, not to mention being able to spot obvious issues right away.

Yup, I always open my CRTs for a clean up... though I do that mostly because I open just about everything before bringing it into my house. Main reason behind that is: inspection for roaches.

While most stuff I got didn't have signs of roaches, I did get a few computers and electronics in the past that did.
So as a rule, I always open everything before bringing it into the house.

But back on topic...
YES, it's a good idea to open old CRTs to give them a clean.
Most of the ones I got I didn't do a full cleaning, though. I just gave them a dusting with a brush and a blast of air. The only few that I took apart and fully washed were, similarly, a small 15" Sony that was filthy to the brim with fine black dust. Not sure if it came from an industrial place or if that was just fine dust collected over the years in a home, but it was terrible regardless.

vutt wrote on 2024-06-01, 10:02:

Asking because I managed to break plastic clip first time.

That's not uncommon for a lot of CRTs now.

I used to be able to open them without breaking anything. But as I've found lately, a lot of CRT monitors that use FR ABS plastic are getting very brittle with age now. In fact, the last few monitors I got are starting to crumble and crack all over the place. Not only that, but as I was packing for my last move last year, I cracked the rear case on a dozen of my monitors just by simply picking them up - the plastic has gone that bad on them.

So don't be too hard on yourself if you break any plastic.

vutt wrote on 2024-06-01, 10:02:

However Sony does not have metal shielding

That's true only for a few Sony CRT monitors. Most actually do have a metal shield, especially the bigger ones. It's just down to the model. For example, I have a "cheapo" 17" Dell D1025-HTX made by Sony, and it has no shield. On the other hand, a similar 17" Dell D1025-TM has a full metal shield.
As for other brands, my experience is that the cheaper 17" monitors don't have a shield... usually. Meanwhile, the higher-end ones do... usually. But it's really down to manufacturer and model number.

vutt wrote on 2024-06-01, 10:02:

Samsung sports shielding and I could not assess condition inside.

Samsung monitors indeed usually have shielding more often than not. But I like that. They are very well built overall. Not as good as Sony with all/mostly Japanese capacitors, but pretty good nonetheless with their in-house Korean brands (SamYoung, SamWha, Korea Chemicon.)

vutt wrote on 2024-06-01, 10:02:

Still from purely safety reasons it's better conduct visual inspection I think.

+1

And better to do this before powering the monitor at all. If you don't know how the CRT was handled and you have no history of whether the CRT worked fine before this or not, then it's best to open it to make sure something didn't get knocked loose, as sometimes a bad solder joint can cause a lot further damage to the rest of the circuit if it's the wrong part (though most CRTs are built pretty well and their power supplies will usually shut down quickly if a fault is detected.)

Tiido wrote on 2024-06-01, 17:06:

The HV in these attracts soot (which is already conductive) and when that gets wet from high air moisture it becomes especially so and bad things can happen.

Indeed.
Though it does depend a little bit in what part of the world you live in.
I used to live on East Coast USA, fairly close to the ocean and we got mostly humid weather throughout the year there. As a result, most of the CRTs I picked up from the area had large-particle dust (especially from CRTs that were from offices or homes with carpet... which is >90% of US homes and offices.) But here in Bulgaria / Eastern Europe, it's a different story. Most of the CRTs I open for clean up are full of fine and darker dust. Sometimes it looks exactly like soot.

Deunan wrote on 2024-06-01, 17:54:

I like my CRTs clean.

Same, especially the glass. Drives me nuts if there's even a single finger print. I like to keep them mirror-clean... or as close as possible. A college buddy of mine came over once and was pointing stuff at me on the screen by touching it. But I guess the face I made while he did that mustn't have been the nicest, as he quickly apologized a few seconds after. 🤣 🤣