I love antique radios & telephones!

I spray all of my phones with professional spray equipment under controlled conditions and I only use professional lacquer paints and substrates which cost hundreds of dollars per gallon. No undesirable texture (orangepeel) like a powdercoated finish has. I use the deepest black paint available for that original look.

I do not "powder coat" my phones since the finish leaves a lot to be desired.

"Powder Coating" does not have the sought after authentic patina and looks cheap.

Powder coating has too much "orange peel", is way too thick and does not duplicate the original finish on the old phones. Powder coating is an industrial coating in which powder is gently blown onto the item to be painted (electrostatically charged) and then the item is baked in an oven where the "paint" flows out. The process looks great on many items but does not even come close to a lacquer finish in quality of appearance. When you put 2 antique telephones side by side and compare powder coating to Acrylic lacquer, the lacquer finish looks classier and more authentic than the powder coat with less "orangepeel" and a deeper look to it. Phone service was very expensive years ago and people expected a nice looking phone. Especially since they had to pay a rental fee every month. Every square inch on each phone I restore is handrubbed for final quality and a superb deep black finish. I never use reproduction parts (only repro cloth cords) and all parts are correct for the phone and era they were made.

 You will be impressed with my quality and attention to details!

I never use clearcoats, paint or any other additive on my bakelite parts.

Here is a quick summary of what happens during a telephone restoration;

All old finish (paint) is removed and then the parts are gently beadblasted with glass bead media to assure adhesion. High quality primer surfacers are applied and then oven baked. Then, high quality black acrylic lacquer is applied and then baked as well. Every square inch is then hand rubbed for an amazingly deep gloss and final quality. Every single process involves the latest in industrial equipment and professional spray equipment. No sloppy spray can stuff here. My paint finishes are designed to last for many years without worry of paint flaking or shrinkage. However you may get a few small chips at the cradle area from normal use. Bell system paint always chipped in those areas as well.

I am a faithful believer in originality and anything that is original and in very nice condition ( small internal/external parts, dial fingerwheels, undersides of phones showing date marks etc are left original. Contacts are cleaned and nickle dial fingerstops are gently polished to their original brilliance. Dials are dissasembled and all parts are cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner which removes all hidden dirt and grime and leaves the parts sparkling clean. They are then reassembled and point lubricated with a pinpoint needle lubricator at all key points and checked to pulse 10 pulses per second (dial pulse standard). I have a wonderful dial pulse test unit from the 1930s to test dial pulse speed. Ringer pivot points are also lubricated and adjusted as needed. Bakelite handsets are dissasembled and lightly cleaned & polished back to their original luster and new brown cloth cords are added if the original ones need replacement. Lastly, a new brown cloth line cord is added with a modular plug and the phone is tested for sound quality. Several phone numbers are dialed to check every digit on the dial and the ringer is tested with a ring generator and adjusted if necessary. I always use the phone and keep it on my desk for several days to make sure your phone is working and ringing properly.

There are many more details involved in a telephone restoration than I can describe here without boring you with details. My quality speaks for itself. I have always told people that I spend more quality time just on the inside of my phones than most spend on the entire phone.

I want your ebay buying experience to be a positive and meaningful one and I will do everything I can to make it so. I have a lot of pride in my restoration work and I want each telephone I work on to last another 70+ years. I always use original parts. Most of the time, the only thing I need to replace is the tattered handset and line cords.

I never restore a phone and leave a dent in it. I don't fill dents with fillers. I am an expert in metal-finishing and I know how to work out the crease or dent in a phone.