I did accidentally inflict a huge scratch on the outer glass of a CRT sometime in '94 (leading to replacement of something better). That's as close as it gets.

Happily I still haven't. I will add that old TV tubes, and I mean like 1950s, were much more violent and are more the basis for the legend. Can't remember Why right now, or if I knew the explanation.

Haven't cracked a CRT, but did help someone crack two 1960's console TV tubes around 1988 or so. Nothing spectacular happened, the tubes simply shattered like egg shells; a light white powder did come out, was told not to inhale it (and I didn't).

Yes, TVs and monitors, at different points. They break like normal glass - no big explosion or anything like that. Flat faced large monitors tend to be the most fragile, but generally it takes some force or a nasty drop to break one.

does shooting an old 32in TV with a 12 gauge Count?

I had an old CRT years ago that smoked up, so I took it to the dump. I tried smashing the glass with a brick and managed to crack it but I couldn't make it shatter or implode. It was surprisingly tough!

I have tried during my gaming rages. Punching the monitor, beating the monitor with a keyboard, a stapler, even a heavy office chair and I haven't managed to break a CRT yet.

Wow, certainly not while it was on 😀 Never even tried. Didn't had the chance yet to do it on a dumped one, I guess I still have too much respect for them

I persaonally didn't crack one myself, but our shop class teacher showed us what happens when you break the kathode part of a TV.
This was 15+ years ago, and i can't really remember what happened all i remember is that the vacuum blew so hard against the back of the screen that the phosphor got removed if that says anithing about it.

Never seen the actual implosion but I have seen the aftermath of such before, most of the time it looks like it was far less violent than people make it out to be.

The most scary thing I've ever seen with a CRT was an old IBM 5151 that was on the fritz, the electron gun must have been overloaded with voltage because the neck of the tube started glowing red....needless to say, we yanked that puppy before destruction/pain was imminent.

On a related note, I have successfully restored a few CRT in my day with that glass filler stuff auto glass shops use to fill in chips in windsheilds with, works pretty good. Did that to my old Tandy CM5 years ago and a Mitsubishi CS1984R color TV I had for awhile as my main gaming TV.

Nope. A couple times as a kid I had tossed something which accidentally plinked off of a CRT screen but both times it didn't do anything. Later on in life I learned that the front glass of a CRT is MUCH thicker at the front than at the neck; Damaging a CRT from the front is hard. Damaging it from the back is easy. :P

As it stands though, I've ditched most of my CRTs. I only have one left, my 17" Samsung flat monitor. Still have it because last I used it it was still in great shape. The others... not so great shape.

Gemini000 wrote:

Damaging a CRT from the front is hard. Damaging it from the back is easy. 😜

So true. The front glass is incredibly thick and the neck is incredibly easy to snap by clumsiness with tools and such. On the other hand some CRT rejuvenation procedures require you to tap the neck with the back of a screwdriver with considerable force. I've successfully dislodged cathode debris and repaired heater-cathode shorts without breaking the tube in the process. 😀

One of the very first monitors I've attempted to repair had the neck board glued to the tube. Being young and unexperienced I tried to pry it off with a screwdriver thinking the glue should be brittle but it wasn't, the neck cracked and air rushed into the tube in such an unceremonious way it really pissed me off. 😜 Sometimes the gust of air blows the phosphor coating off the screen, especially in monochrome tubes. Since then I have broken several bad tubes for safe disposal. I just take a hammer to the neck, pretty boring actually. Having a CRT fall from a great height does make a pretty loud explosion when it hits the ground, though. 😵

By the way that metal strip around the front end of the tube isn't just for anchoring purposes, it's a safety-critical piece. It contains the implosion and should never be removed, the CRT might even violently implode on its own without it. Very old TVs before the use of anti-implosion bands would place a thick sheet of glass in front of the screen in order to protect the user from sudden implosion - it wasn't just a decoration. 😜

133MHz wrote:

By the way that metal strip around the front end of the tube isn't just for anchoring purposes, it's a safety-critical piece. It contains the implosion and should never be removed, the CRT might even violently implode on its own without it.

I actually knew that already, but what I still don't understand is WHY that band is so critical to the safety of the tube. Is it because the tubes are actually made up of two pieces which are sealed together right where that band goes, making the band a sort of extra seal? Is it because the shape of the tube causes those spots to be stress points? Or is it just plain ol' magic? :B

From what I understand, it's to ensure that lateral stress is applied evenly around the strongest part of the tube. It also prevents shards from flying everywhere in the event of an implosion, due to the way in which cracks propagate somewhat predictably through the glass.

I've seen many cracked tubes at the junk yard but never actually broke one myself. I did crack a vacuum tube once, by keeping it in my pocket and forgetting about it.

133MHz wrote:

On the other hand some CRT rejuvenation procedures require you to tap the neck with the back of a screwdriver with considerable force. I've successfully dislodged cathode debris and repaired heater-cathode shorts without breaking the tube in the process. 😀

Whoaaa... this sounds dangerous. What does this procedure fix exactly?

I've smashed a few CRTs using a hammer. Both from the front and neck. Nothing particularly memorable apart from a big hiss. Biggest hazard is the grass shards. I always use a large cardboard box to do it in to reduce the amount of clean up afterwards. Eye protection is a good idea as well.

Gemini000 wrote:

133MHz wrote:

By the way that metal strip around the front end of the tube isn't just for anchoring purposes, it's a safety-critical piece. It contains the implosion and should never be removed, the CRT might even violently implode on its own without it.

I actually knew that already, but what I still don't understand is WHY that band is so critical to the safety of the tube. Is it because the tubes are actually made up of two pieces which are sealed together right where that band goes, making the band a sort of extra seal? Is it because the shape of the tube causes those spots to be stress points? Or is it just plain ol' magic? :B

that and if i had to guess it also counts as side or edge and tempered glass' Achilles heel is the side and or edge. I've had old timer tell me at the factories they worked at the tempered glass would go up and down and around all the rollers in machines almost like plastic or cellophane or something despite being glass but, one little tap on the edge and it all goes kablooey.

Caluser2000 wrote:

I've smashed a few CRTs using a hammer. Both from the front and neck. Nothing particularly memorable apart from a big hiss. Biggest hazard is the grass shards. I always use a large cardboard box to do it in to reduce the amount of clean up afterwards. Eye protection is a good idea as well.

Any particular reason why..?

Jorpho wrote:

Caluser2000 wrote:

I've smashed a few CRTs using a hammer. Both from the front and neck. Nothing particularly memorable apart from a big hiss. Biggest hazard is the grass shards. I always use a large cardboard box to do it in to reduce the amount of clean up afterwards. Eye protection is a good idea as well.

Any particular reason why..?

To dispose of them. Removing the plastic and breaking the tube up means it takes up less room and will fit in a cardboard box about the size of two shoe boxes. Takes about 10 minutes tops.

Saves the trouble of shipping it to a so called "3rd world" country and having them put up with the garbage.