Public service announcement for anyone getting into this hobby: read the wiring diagram twice before you touch anything near the flyback transformer. I did not, and I’d like to save someone else the fright I gave myself last weekend.
Short version – I was discharging a CRT chassis I’d already discharged the day before, on the assumption that “it was fine yesterday” counts as a safety procedure. It does not. Capacitors apparently have opinions about this. I’m fine, nothing happened to me directly, but the pop and the flash were enough to make me sit down on the garage floor for a minute and reconsider some life choices.
For anyone following along who isn’t already elbow deep in this stuff: always discharge immediately before you work, not “recently.” Insulated screwdriver, one hand in your pocket, and if you’re not 100% sure what you’re doing, pay someone who is. I’ve since sent the whole chassis off rather than risk it myself, which is probably the sensible call I should have made from the start.
Lesson learned. Cabinet’s still in bits, monitor’s with the tech, and I’ve bought myself a proper CRT discharge tool instead of relying on “carefulness” as a strategy.
Glad you’re okay! This is exactly why I pay someone else to touch CRT chassis. Not worth the risk.