I had the same idea initially, I was going to see if I could remove the glass from a bulb and shoehorn a 110v driver in there. I went back and forth on it for a while, but I had all the parts for this laying around, and it's not like my Kenmore 84 has collector value.
This decision was fueled in part by the realization that the emitter will probably outlast the machine, so the idea of a permanent installation becomes viable, preferable even.
I was as sympathetic as possible with the modification, and it's easily reversible. One bolt and two solder joints, and it would be back to its original condition.
Having said that, I wouldn't have done this to a collectible machine.
Last edited by Jamesbeat; 06-09-2014 at 11:39 AM.