How to refinish an oak 317?

[Bill]

I've had a 317BB magneto wall phone on the shelf for years, taking up space. I finally pulled it down, decided to get it working, and clear it out. No problem on the electrical side, but the case could use some help. It is in basically good shape - clean, with no dings, gouges, or breaks, and it has not been stripped. But it just looks old. The color has faded to a dull brown, the pores in the oak are open, and there is no shine of any kind. I don't want to do a full-blown restoration on such a common phone, but a quick touch-up ought to improve it a lot. So I'm looking for recommendations.

I have a can of Minwax Polyshades 1-Step Pecan Stain and Satin Polyurethane on the shelf. Would a quick layer of that stuff help? Or is there something better?
Thanks

Bill

[kleenax]

I've had a 317BB magneto wall phone so I'm looking for recommendations. I have a can of Minwax Polyshades 1-Step Pecan Stain and Satin Polyurethane on the shelf. Would a quick layer of that stuff help? Or is there something better?
Thanks

Bill

Hey Bill;

what I do for phones like that (and some more desirable types!) is to simply clean them with straight household ammonia on a soft cloth. Don't laugh; it works FANTASTICALLY!  Try it on an old oak ringer box or something first if you are apprehensive.

After putting on your rubber gloves, get an old T-shirt, and wet an area of the cloth with plain (clear) ammonia; straight out of the bottle. Rub the finish with the dampened cloth (NOT wet, just damp), turning the cloth regularly to expose a fresh dampened surface.

With doing only this 1 simple procedure, you will see an astounding (positive) transformation in the finish. It not only deep-cleans the finish, but it seems to bring back the original clean appearance. After thoroughly cleaning, allow to air-dry for a couple of days, you can then put a kind of "satin" sheen on it by simply buffing with a clean cotton cloth (like another clean T-shirt:).

Stay away from the decals though; it likes to dissolve them.