Alrighty, heres the schematic... not my best work but it's accurate, I just used diode symbols since I'm too lazy to draw the selenium rectifier symbol (too many triangles )

 

http://www.cougarelectronics.com/selenium.htm

Try to keep one in the ORIGINAL configuration and working. It might turn into a valuable antique for your children someday. As it is you could probably get $100 for it, if the right buyer sees it. Twenty years from now who knows how much more it might be worth.

 

Well, one of them has already had it's capacitor removed and replaced, but I put the new 'lytics in the old tube and put wax back on top, just because I felt like it, so it still looks legit. Unfortunately it also needs a new plug.

One is in perfect working condition, but needs a new plug. One has a good plug, but doesn't work, and the plug isn't original, so I'm out of options for keeping it perfectly original
pretty close though.

I think I'm only going to replace the selenium on the one that doesn't work, along with the capacitor, and the breakers, and just make that one my updated one that I'll mess with. The selenium seems to work fine on the others, so I see no reason to replace it unless it decides to go poof with some magic blue... or I guess red... smoke.

These things are in GREAT condition otherwise, I guess they sat pretty much unused in a dark cabinet on a shelf for 39 years (manufactured in July, 1972).

 

Maybe true, but the variac is rated to 2.5A. Don't exceed that for too long, or you could burn out one of the windings in it, and that would make for a difficult, if not practically impossible repair.

wait, isn't the current stepped up when it goes through the step-down transformer?
So I could draw 22 amps off of the 2.5?

 

If the step down can handle 22A on the secondary then yes, but I doubt that.

 

Think of a variac as an AC voltage divider. There really isn't a Secondary winding. The wiper simply taps off a section of a continuous coil. I've seen too many with the windings burned up because folks thought the current output went up as the voltage went down.

Check out the topic "Get More Out of Your Variac" in this link. It contains a nice chart showing output voltage vs output current available.
http://www.ietlabs.com/Variac/Variac.html

 

I know about variacs, but the variac goes to a 10-1 step down transformer for the low-voltage outputs.
I drew a pretty schematic but my scanner is on the fritz, the schematic I attached earlier is accurate though.

@vivian 1A straight off the variac, 2A off the low voltage outputs, 10A off the one connected straight to mains.

 

Alright, got a rack built!

Now I just need to get power management on it

Think I overdid it? it's 2x2's, 2x4's, and half inch plywood

 

No. One uses what one has at hand. If you knew how to weld, then I would expect you would have welded up a metal cabinet...

 

No. One uses what one has at hand. If you knew how to weld, then I would expect you would have welded up a metal cabinet...

one inch steel square tubing was my first choice, but it was a bit expensive
I have people that can weld things for me, or teach me to weld, but I had 2x4's laying round, so I ripped some in half and just went for it. About 12 hours of work right now.