Just when I was confident that I could restoree a phone and make it look good....
This comes along. http://tinyurl.com/lmhy63
Notice his sc reen name, McMurdo Silver, that explains alot...if you've never seen one ....check out the photo below. This is the part of the radio you don't see...
Bingster, Maybe this could be our next auction. Still has 3 days to go.
D/P
The guy with the screen name McMurdo Silver participates in the listserver on one or both of the club discussions. In the three years I have been following phones on e-Bay, his are probably better by far than anyone else's I've seen. He sells quite a few there.
Although I do wonder why people polish the ringer gongs, other than it makes for a good show when it is listed on e-Bay.
-Bill
That's Frank Franowsky. Here is his Ebay page. The man is a perfectionist in every sense of the term! This man could truly turn a sows ear into a silk purse!!
http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=mcmurdosilver
Here, more candy for your eyes.
http://picasaweb.google.com/telephonenut#
I would love to be sitting on the first row on a 101 course from this gentleman on how to refinish antiques.
Wow. Not only are his telephones and radios fantastic, but those classic cars are also amazing. Also that drum set with the kettle drums...I want it! ;D
320417373945 and 320418073810
I wonder what kind of paint he used to paint these phones. ???
That is Frank Franowsky, an ATCA member who has been selling EXTREMELY quality stuff for a few years. He is a perfectionist, and I do not know of anyone who disputes his attention to detail. He also puts together a real nice e-Bay presentation.
For me, I would rather work on my own phones or even leave them pretty original. Just something about the nicks and scratches that give an old phone character. These phones remind me of the Concourse d' elegance show cars.
His niche would be the folks out there who just remodeled their house and want a showpiece to round out their game room, living room, or theme room. Someone who has a lot of money and wants something original, and yet "perfect".
My hat is still off to him and his work. I hope he has some of his handywork lying around his own house.
Bill:
Show cars like these?
http://nethercuttcollection.org/
If in southern CA, don't miss this museum. It is a bargain to visit (free) and pretty much open every day.
Listening to the wave file of the 4h dial, I wonder if the number of clicks corresponds to the number dialed?
Quote from: Brinybay on September 01, 2009, 04:54:58 AM
Listening to the wave file of the 4h dial, I wonder if the number of clicks corresponds to the number dialed?
Yep, that's it exactly. Dial "1" and you hear one click, dial "9" and you hear nine clicks.
Hello everyone:
How did he/she get that shine?
260611578860
or
http://cgi.ebay.com/Kellogg-40s-Redbar-Antique-Telephone-Vintage-Phone-/260611578860?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cada91bec
8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
One just has to read the description...the answer is in there.
"To provide a more durable, long lasting finish, it was professionally powder-coated".
It also says that the Redbar was made in Bakelite and in cast metal. I didn't know there were cast versions of the redbar.
And assuming this is a cast metal one that has been powder coated, I didn't think that Powder coat was particularly shiny, let alone blinding!
Terry
Terry:
The seller did an outstanding job on this one. I wonder if after powder coating he buffed it also.
I checked the school roster: he was missing to all lessons. ;D ;D ;D ;D
Very nice phone, but the powder coating is a negative in my mind. After a little use you will start to see wear in the cradle area, and it will not look good.
I have two Redbars on display that have not been finished, one, the first one is metal, and the second one is Bakelite.
D/P
Frank uses lacquer to paint metal phones. Is that more resistant to nicks and scuffing?
Is Frank this phone, or the McMurdosilver guy, That's a very rare Radio the McMurdosilver.
powder coating I didn't know was a lacquer base if that's what he uses. I'm confused as we have two shiny phone threads going and I'm not sure which one is Frank, I'm guessing Frank has the Non Redbar phone?
D/P
Yeah, good guess D/P. Frank IS McMurdosilver which is NOT the redbar "shiny phone".
A few of us have jokingly refered to Frank (McMurdosilver) as "McShiny".
Is the name "McMurdosilver" a radio brand? Or maybe a model name? I have wondered a couple of times where the name Mcmurdosilver came from and/or what it means.
Terry
Terry:
http://www.antiqueradios.org/gazette/silver1.htm
Wow! Amazing, it's kinda unreal. I like shiny phones and this one is in the running for the shiniest.
How durable is powder coating? I have only had experience with a few things coated, someone had all the closet doors in my house powder coated back in the early 90s' and they still look like new and are very shiny. Also have some lawn chairs that are coated, and doing well also.
It would seem the great problem with all the metal phones that are painted is the cradle area, sooner or later most of them start to show wear.
McMurdosilver has done it again. A beautifully restored phone on e-bay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/320591583767
I love this quote from his auction page. Just looking at his work, you know he's not boasting in the least:
Quote from: McMurdoSilverI really enjoy working on telephones & I spend many, many hours on each phone. I never take shortcuts or skip details to compromise the quality. I am a perfectionist.
I would pay dearly to watch Frank polish the old handset. I believe he is the #1 antique phone restorer in the USA. No corners cut whatsoever.
And you guys say I have a time machine? Frank is the BOSS! I'm a rank amateur compared to that guy. I don't think the rest of us have the patience or the eye to do what he does--he's an ispiration!
Collectors....I certainly agree that Frank is a master at his craft and I could never even remotely come close to doing the work he has done. And yes, the selling price shows his work was not in vain. BUT...this is not how a phone is supposed to look. A phone is supposed to look like it was used. I try to display my phones in what I consider "like new condition." I have passed on many outstanding phones because they did not meet my strict criteria. But this, in my opinion, this totally over done. You make a call you leave finger prints. You open a box with a NOS phone in it, they do not look like this. This is art, but really not a phone. I would be scared to death to use it. Its like the Maserati I'll never have, where could I possibly drive it if it can only be parked in my garage.....Just my opinion....Doug
Cool--I'll just keep cranking out the Fords and Chevys then! ;D
Quote from: finlover on September 26, 2010, 07:29:43 PM
Cool--I'll just keep cranking out the Fords and Chevys then! ;D
Greg....I don't think yours are over done, they DO Look like you just opened a NOS box. There is a huge difference. Like you said in another thread, "you have to know when to stop sanding." I think the same goes to polishing. A person has to know when to stop. You can have the best steak in the world, if you over cook it, its leather or.... over done. Yes...I just cooked a perfect T-Bone on the grill tonight! Do you leave a finger prints on your phones when you pick them up? I don't on mine. I think they look "real." Again, just my humble opinion....Doug
I've always been on the fence about his phones. On the one hand, these particular phones aren't supposed to look like that, and they never did, even when new. On the other hand, his work elevates them above the utilitarian telephone stage into something approaching art, and in that light they're phenomenally beautiful.
I don't know what I'd do with one if I had it, though. Probably leave it in a box wrapped in tissue paper for protection. I'd certainly never use it. I'd be too terrified of nicking the paint.
I've never had the least problem with finlover's phones (or Jorge's or Dennis'), because plastic phones were very shiny out of the box. It's only through use that they've grown dull and faded, and returning them to their original shiny state is restoring what was, rather than creating something that wasn't.
He could make a fair amount of money if he started a handset polishing service for other collectors.
I agree again. These phones are absolutely gorgeous! I would not buy one even if I could afford it! These are not everyday appliances, these are works of art. It should be displayed behind glass and never touched, much like my wife's Lladro pieces, admired for the beauty. I also agree about polishing bakelite, I asked him once how he did that and I got referred to his "ME" page on Ebay which told me nothing, guess it is his secret process!
the phone looks wet to me. Its pretty and all but it looks too new
Don't forget lighting is the other 50% of the presentation. Wasn't it Dan/Panther who constructed a light box for taking photos? When the phone is well-lit with diffused bright light from multiple sources, then photography can capture the striking qualities of the restoration.
In the collector car hobby there has been a move away from over-restoration. The most prized cars are well-preserved originals, flaws and all, because they provide an invaluable reference for how the factory actually made them, and aren't someone's idealized version of history.
When I first started restoring 500s, I would polish the number plates to a high gloss, but now I give them a low gloss finish for a more factory appearance. Likewise, polished brass ringer bells look beautiful, but these days I shoot for a bright but unpolished look.
Even though I started this with the "Something to make you drool", I would never buy one of these for several reasons:
- Too much money
- I didn't restore it myself
- It is over-restored (in my opinion)
I don't have the budget to spend on one phone that is going to break the bank. Aslo, I like to do all my own work, because that is part of the fun. Lastly, some phones I don't even touch. They are more real that way. I think everyone has their own opinion or "take" on what is over restored or under restored.
The dripping wet, better than factory paint job is kind of pretentious for me to display in my collection.
Now, having said that, Frank a.k.a. mcmurdosilver is in my opinion an artist in his own right. I don't think he is selling to other collectors, but probably is selling to an upscale person that would love a beautiful retro phone as a conversation piece in their den, theme room or business lobby or something along those lines. I doubt very seriously that many other collectors have purchased his phones. He is selling to someone that wants an "instant" beauty, without having to do the work or even know how to hook it up. For that, the seller has money. The only way Frank can get that kind of money for them is to make them as enticing to a buyer as possible, and mix in the authenticity factor.
They are beauties to be sure.
On the subject of cars. I just went to an antique auto show in town where there were 500 entries. It seems that every year there are fewer and fewer of the "originals" out there. So many people have taken the classics and put an immense amount of money into overhauling everything from the chasis to the engines and trannies and sound systems to make something that looks, say, like a '57 chevy on the outside something entirely different on the inside. It seems that fewer and fewer cars are the real thing. I guess a 54 plymouth that looks entirely stock is just too "drab". Too "normal" Maybe they don't win prizes. There were, of course those original cars that had stock engines and running gears, and some of them really nicely done, but they did not seem to get the oohs and the ahhhs that the jazzier "classics" got.
Just my 2 cents, now I'll get off my soapbox.
Amen, Mr. Geurts!
I'd rather see the most pedestrian old car in nice original condition than some barely recognizable customized '49 Mercury any day of the week.
Still, I'd like to get a gander at one of Frank's phones in person someday and marvel at the artistry involved. Or maybe it's just a trick of the lightbox and I'd be underwhelmed (but I doubt it).
I hate it when they take of the original wheels on say a 57 Chevy and put new wheels on it. I mean the people at Chevrolet worked hard to make the design for the car and they should respect that.
Quote from: Kennyc1955 on September 27, 2010, 12:50:06 AM
I hate it when they take of the original wheels on say a 57 Chevy and put new wheels on it. I mean the people at Chevrolet worked hard to make the design for the car and they should respect that.
I'm with you, my friend, but we seem to be in the minority. MY pet peeve is when someone replaces the original fabric on the seats with velour or some other modern material. That's just tacky!
Great work, great talent. For my tastes, overdone.
I could not afford one, and doubt I would pay that much. It seems to be a special use for someone to buy, I'm sure not just to add to a collection. Maybe an executives office.
The Bakelite puzzles me, it goes against all I've know for several years, unless it was near new when he began.
D/P
1,128.32 :o
Anyone who has been watching eBay for a while has to have noticed the same sellers with positively great phones. Obviously the leader of the pack is Frank,
mcmurdosilver ( Feedback Score Of 1281)
but there are others
specialprojects* ( Feedback Score Of1001)
lggrave ( Feedback Score Of 725)
phone-sweep ( Feedback Score Of 423)
l17ajp ( Feedback Score Of 1701)
kka2446 ( Feedback Score Of 1073)
off_the_hook_60 Feedback Score Of 1167
All of these sellers has consistently high quality refurbed phones, that have the right parts on them. Besides our own Finlover, anyone have anyone else to add to the list. Be prepared to pay top dollar, but their phones are just outstanding....Doug
IV 36...this is a wonderful OLD WE 302. I am not a big fan of the over refurbed phones, but there is no denying; Frank is King. H1-3 over the mouse hole is something I have never seen. This is just meticulously done.
Bingster ....what do you say for a Coontest!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Art-Deco-Vintage-Western-Electric-Antique-302-Telephone-/320662029364?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa8f24434
Great minds think alike, I already referred to this--look at the "redeem myself thread."
Quote from: Dan on February 25, 2011, 08:38:45 AM
Great minds think alike, I already referred to this--look at the "redeem myself thread."
Hey Dan....sorry...I have not read the threads this morning. It sure is something...Doug
No prob sir ;)
What ever happened to Frank? I used to love Sunday nights to see what Frank had made into a Masterpiece that week. No one got the high end like Frank did. There are a lot of close seconds out there, but Frank was the King!...Doug
Working at updating the ebaY handles list recently I noticed that Frank had all but stopped selling on ebaY. I too wondered what happened.
Terry
He has a Picasa album where he posts pictures. He recently posted pics of a nice looking 653 WE phone.
Frank's web album (https://picasaweb.google.com/116608657516103518568)
http://tinyurl.com/7c486ah
I volunteer to work for free in this guy's shop for a few days. Taking the trash out or sweeping floors, I don't care! ;D ;D ;D
Yow, speaking of museum-quality! OK, so 1243s usually lived on farms where they'd pick up all kinds of dust and so on, and never quite looked that good in real life. But none the less, that shows what can be achieved with effort.
Now envision that kind of treatment with the metal housing in other colors, and a black handset and dial. Cobalt blue and pine-forest green come to mind.
Well....Frank is back.....BIG TIME!!!!. $717 for a 305. Hoorah!!!
http://tinyurl.com/cq6x6s2
Just a meticulous refub. I am not a real big fan of the finger print leaving finish, but Franks phones are truly tough to beat. His pictures are top notch as well. Somehow he always gets top dollar for his phones. This is just a beauty!...Doug
http://tinyurl.com/brsnhhz
He has your cut away finger wheel on that one too!
Terry
Yes, all his items are absolutely georgeous! I would never own one, they are works of art, not telephones!
I have asked him how he gets that shine on the bakelite F'1s but he never answered me.
In picture number 5 is the right plunger chipped on the top edge? Also visible in another photo further down that is not as close. I think we need to tell him his meticulous attention to detail is slipping ;D
Quote from: AE_collector on November 12, 2012, 11:51:01 AM
He has your cut away finger wheel on that one too!
Terry
Terry....I thought that too, but I haven't sold him any....... at least that I know of. I had 25 of them and only have two left for sale. I kept three and sold the rest. It was a real great find. I think they are just the coolest WE add on....Doug
That looks better than new! I wonder if he sprayed it with some kind of clear coat?
I agree with Harry. I bought a 5302 refurb from him and it was a beauty don't get me wrong but it just didn't look like a "real" phone.; I wound up selling it. I am a big fan of mint condition phones but an old phone should show some age.
Quote from: AE40FAN on November 12, 2012, 06:24:22 PM
That looks better than new! I wonder if he sprayed it with some kind of clear coat?
He says not so in the listing. He also says it's painted in lacquer. With a careful wet sanding and polishing, lacquer looks this good. Lacquer doesn't look like this when it's sprayed, though, it's the sanding and polishing afterward that brings up this kind of smoothness and shine. It was the finish of choice for show cars before urethanes came along.
Nobody does it better than McMurdosilver...Doug
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221289423691
Started at $9.95 and is currently over $1,400. A very nice restoration indeed, and well listed as well!
Sold for $1,449.00.
WOW :o
That is just incredible. He does such magnificent work. The shine on that phone & handset is so deep it looks like it is in liquid form!!
He used to always have items on ebaY but not as consistent anymore. I think Doug posted a "Frank is BacK" topic a year or more ago.
Went looking for it and here it is.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5633.0 (this link is dead)
If you search McMurdo from the home page there are lots of hits.
How about a "McMurdo Silver" topic? I can merge the various topics where his name and some of his phones are shown into one tribute to Frank.
Good idea?
Bad Idea?
Terry
Terry...real good idea....Frank is a Master and he creates real Art...Doug
Got any suggestions for the Title Doug?
Terry
"The Telephone As A Work Of Art"
"McMurdo Magical Mastery Tour"
McMurdo's Alchemy - Wizard of Restoration!
Quote from: AE_Collector on October 06, 2013, 08:03:10 PM
Got any suggestions for the Title Doug?
Terry
All three suggestions are winners...Doug
It looks wonderful, but I see one flaw on it.
Although it looks very nice, the handsets never had white letters on the ring that holds the microphone in place.
that's interesting to know. i had thought of painting in the white letters on the 2 kellogg handsets i have, but if this was not the way a new phone would've looked i might not.
the phone shown above is really superb........ it reached a superb price too.......
here's another recent sale for a 925 that ended on 7th sept '13 at (only) $365 .........has repaired hairline crack as shown.
http://tinyurl.com/pmufro9
edit: the seller was classic_phones
Okay, Frank is the Master of Telephone Restoration and all I can Master is Merging Topics here on the CRPF. I used various words from the suggestions that I had for a title and all I came up with was this.
If anyone finds any "Frank" or "McMurdo" Topics that I missed, let me know.
Terry
thanks Terry....really nice....Doug
This is one of our favorite telephone sellers on eBay. This guy get his phones so shiny they could cause blindness, nobody even comes close to his level of restoration. I was always curious about his seller name. I recently came across it in an auction. McMurdo Silver was a manufacturer of radios in the 1930's and later got into test equipment! Apparently the founder of the company had the same ideas of perfection, what I read talked about the beauty of his radios & receivers.
Looks like he hasn't listed anything on eBay in over a year.
Has Frank ever done a phone in another color? I browsed through this topic & his web album, every phone was Black.
I haven't seen anything from Frank in five years. telephonenut@gmail.com used to be his email. Hopefully he just retired. He was a Master at refurbishing phones are as well as getting top dollar for them 8)....Doug
Does anyone know what happened to eBay seller Mcmurdosilver? Some of the most phenomenal refurbs I have ever seen. Then he is gone. I used to look forward to eBay Sunday night when he would post his next amazing piece....Doug
Hi Doug, Someone showed me this post. I felt I should answer.
I lost my wife to cancer in 2015. Due to my own health issues (arthritis) I am retired and no longer restore phones.
I still collect however. :)
Best, Frank
Hey Frank...sorry for your loss my friend. I understand the arthritis pain. I have gout as well. Not a good combination.
I Truly miss seeing your auctions. Your work is truly a work of art. I looked forward to Sundays, hopping to see another classic.
We would all LOVE to see pictures of your collections! Good luck.....Doug
Thanks for all the nice comments on my work.
Much appreciated!
Here's a link to my google photo album. Hope it works.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kc35HCGPt6Nf3pLj8
Frank...utterly amazing. These belong in the Hall of Fame of refurbs.
How to you get that "leave finger prints" shine to these beauties?
Thanks for sharing .....Doug
Quote from: mcmurdosilver on December 15, 2019, 05:36:31 PM
Thanks for all the nice comments on my work.
Much appreciated!
Here's a link to my google photo album. Hope it works.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kc35HCGPt6Nf3pLj8
Hey Frank!
Good to know you are still out there!
Very sorry about your loss sir.
Ray Kotke
Quote from: Doug Rose on December 15, 2019, 07:42:35 PM
....How to you get that "leave finger prints" shine to these beauties?
Thanks for sharing .....Doug
Some little secrets are best not shared.
Better to admire and just wonder how.
:)
Sorry for your loss Frank. Getting older is no fun. I have arthritis in several places also, I understand your pain. Good to see you here.
Frank,
your photography is as impressive as your phones.
Frank;
Sorry for your loss.
Your amazing work set the bar for perfection that will never be surpassed.
Check in once and awhile and reminisce with us.
None of us are getting any younger, I just turned 70 and have COPD.
One word of advice to the younger hobbyists WEAR YOUR RESPIRATOR, No matter how uncomfortable it is.
D/P
~
Sorry for your loss, sir.
Some of the most beautiful restorations I have ever seen. Photography is equally as impressive!
Benny