Refinishing a CenturyTel telephone

This telephone came from my wife’s parents home. The card inside the unit is stamped as “Quality tested February 04, 1914” All I had to do with strip the old finish with furniture stripping gel and two coats of clear polyurethane.

The crank (on the other side) still works and will ring the bells. Most amazing is the quality of the wood. For such an item usually the wood used would be the cheapest at the time. The cheapest wood back then is now the premium wood used now. Quartersawn solid oak with a very tight grain.