Franking the Frankenphone 554

[McHeath]

Um, that red mushroom 500 you use for your pic will be fine!

This 554 of mine would fool a fair number of the public methinks, but I'm guessing that anyone with the collector gene would spot the trickery pretty fast.  I guess it's kinda like all those kit car Cobras that are driving around, looks great, gives the feel, but don't look at the frame.

[Dennis Markham]

Heath, very nice job on that phone!  It looks great.

[HobieSport]

Holy Good Work on the 554, Batman! 

[mr_a500]

Installed on the 554, and I also put the G1 handset on as well.  At this point the project is almost finished, all it needs is for the case to be sanded with 800 grit and then given a final coat of paint.  It makes a reasonably convincing fake 1955 model 554 I think, just don't look too close!

Wow, this is the picture I gawked at on Wikipedia. I love this picture. It has such a retro 60's feel to it.

[McHeath]

Gee thanks!  It's the kitchen phone spot, the house was built in 66' and is mostly original.  The maple paneling is pretty sweet and has a great light color, very warm.  The Burke Chair in the background is the kind of chair used on the original Star Trek, they added a high back to them and painted them grey.  The intercom is original and still works, we use it frequently for piping music to the rooms.  You can's see it here but the counter below it still has the original formica on it in a white with gold stars pattern.  

Here is another shot of the kitchen:

[deedubya3800]

Wow, the cabinets, the hardwood floor.... Makes me miss our house from 1964!

[McHeath]

Amusingly I was going to paint all the wood when I first moved in back in the 90's.  Paint it all white, rip out the formica, replace all the cabinet doors with some raised panel doors, get some tile on the floor, remove the fir downs, essentially remove all the retro feel.  A friend in the cabinet business talked me out of it, so here it is.  I did toss a magnificent UFO style reel lamp that was over the island and hung the generic four tube fluresc lamp fixture.  I've regretted that a good deal.  My understanding of mid 20th century style was pretty low then, I might have even tossed a Med Blue 500 back then if I'd had one laying about, figuring it was just an old phone.  

Live and learn.