BLUEMOMENT

please help me someone I'm a guest here and not really a sailor....here's the thing : have recently discovered an ancient pair of wooden oars in my parents' home - they are over 50 years old! the thing is they are covered in dust and haven't been moved for a long long time ...first of all how do you CLEAN them and TREAT them ? would they ever be seaworthy again ?

thanks in advance !

Wipe off the dust (sorry) and see what condition of varnish is like. Wipe over with white spirit to clean up then rub down any bare or loose patches with sandpapery stuff. Several coats of varnish to finish. I broke an oar once where a ring of tacks to attach a leather collar had encouraged rot. Quite proud of myself - seemed the stuff of sagas.

at last an answer ! thanks spuddy ...what kind of varnish please ? am new to all this

didn't want to be too detailed in case you were well up on other sorts of maintenance. If loose patches need it try rubbing down with about 120 grit; finish everything off with 180 to form a key for new varnish. Try B&Q who have packs of assorted grades - aluminium oxide is best, old fashioned glass paper doesn't last. You could use higher priced special varnishes but a pot of what's handy off the shelves should be fine. If twere me wouldn't use polyurethane cos it's very hard and chips and peels in my experience.