Propeller Varnish?

[VISCOUNT]

I recently bought this blade and was wondering as to what had happened to the original varnish.

I appreciate that prop restoration is not a good idea, but I was wondering if this blade would be a suitable candidate for the appropriate application of varnish.

And if so, what should be used and how would it be applied?

Many thanks,
Bob.

[Bob Gardner]

Greetings Bob,

It's an interesting remnant. You can see where linen was fitted to the tip by the colour change and hence the protection that it provided. It also shows the construction and laminations well. It illustrates very well the instantaneous catastrophe of a crash and one can empathise with the pilot whose emotions probably escalated from worry to anguish to relief in a few seconds. He survived the crash or we wouldn't be looking at his souvenir ninety years later.

Varnish was a waterproof and sturdy protective coating which now is not necessary. It needs a different protection today to preserve it from waterloss and loss of the natural oils in the wood. Beeswax will do this wonderfully and transform the look of the wood. Use only pure beeswax out of a tin. Not an aerosol from Sainsbury's which contain added silicones which can harm old wood. Wax it once a month for a year with small amounts. The first application will probably transform it. In twelve months time it will look like the valuable antique that it is. I don't mean valuable in financial terms.

With kind regards,

Bob

[VISCOUNT]

Many thanks Bob.

I'm amazed that this propeller has survived in it's original damaged form.

I have a WW1 propeller blade that suffered similar tip damage but the damage was rounded away to a blunt smooth tip by a carpenter,probably not long after the crash. More aesthetic of course but not the real thing!

Here's a picture of an exposed dowl on the damaged blade. Good to see one in the flesh.


Best Regards,
Bob.

[Bob Gardner]

Good photograph!

Dowelling was only used by the British, and its use ended around late 1917.

The shape of the blade hints at a design from the Royal Aircraft Factory, but this is a very tentative thought.

If you do beeswax your prop and it comes up well, you might like to post a photo here; before and after, as it were!

With kind regards,

Bob

[VISCOUNT]

I hope to be applying the first coat of beeswax this weekend. Ill let you know how I get on

Regards,
Bob.

[MWP_Lamar]

I hope you will post pictures here. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Lamar

[VISCOUNT]

I applied the first layer of beeswax a week ago and here are the pictures. Although the difference may not be readily visible in the photos, the finish is smoother and slightly darker.

I used a mixture of beeswax and turpentine (NOT turpentine substitute!). And I used a soft cloth. I applied the polish along the grain.

The wood seemed to thive on the stuff.

In one picture, I've placed the blade againnst my Be2 blade for comparison.

Regards,
Bob.

[Bob Gardner]

Hi Bob,

Why turpentine?

Keep applying the beeswax once a week.

Thanks for the photos,

Bob

[MWP_Lamar]

That's a noticeable improvement Viscount. Please continue to keep us up-to-date. Thank you.

Lamar

[Bob Gardner]

Bob,

Another tentative thought about your prop blade.

It's made of laminations of walnut and mahogany. The use of walnut alone was mandatory in Britain from 1912 until early 1916 and the preferred choice for the remainder of 1916. In 1917 both mahogany and walnut were used together and by 1918 walnut was hardly seen and British props were made of several different types of mahogany.

This suggests that your prop blade was made in 1917, but I'm sure there are local variations on this timespan, where, for example, one of the hundred British makers might have bought a large stock of walnut in 1917 which saw him through until 1918.

With kind regards,

Bob

[VISCOUNT]

Hi Bob,

Why turpentine?

Keep applying the beeswax once a week.

Thanks for the photos,

Bob

I've now used beeswax and am impressed with the result. I can certainly notice the improvement and it will obviously get better with each application.

I'm not sure what to do about the impact damaged areas where untreated wood is showing. The exposed wood seems sound.

[Bob Gardner]

Hi Bob,

It does look quite a bit better. I suggest that you apply beeswax to the bare wood as well. Put it on a little thicker. Leave it stand for a couple of hours somewhere warm (so that it doesn't set solid) and then brush it off with a toothbrush, which will also help rub it into the wood.

With kind regards,

Bob

[VISCOUNT]

I've added more polish and these photos go some way to showing the progress. Some way to go yet.

Bob, I'll go with your advice next with the toothbrush on the fractured area.

Regards,
Bob

[Bob Gardner]

Hi Bob,

It's beginning to get a good sheen. I don't think it will ever become brown like your other blades.

Bob

[VISCOUNT]

Bob,

The wood is becoming slightly darker with waxing although it's difficult to capture the progress on camera. The attached pictures are not far off it's sheen in real life.

I've worked on the damaged tip area exposed wood with beeswax application as advised and I'm very pleased with the results. The toothbrush was of the softest bristle selection.

The damaged exposed wood has now a slightly glossy sheen but is now protected (I hope!). Is it's dark colour the result of exposure to the atmosphere over time?

Regards,
Bob.