Should I try to repair prop before selling

[ijn]

My dad had an old propeller in our basement, which had some damage. I took it to university where I stripped the paint on it. It was black with yellow tips. Someone had used wood filler under the black paint on some trailing edge damage, so I thought I had done a smart thing. I never could figure out where it came from, and then recently started looking on it and doing web searches and lo and behold it's a de Havilland Major prop. In my research, someone on the net had said, "and the previous owner foolishly removed the black and yellow paint". Doh! Anyway, a few years ago I put it in the attic and forgot about it. I finally got it down and the heat has damaged the varnish on the trailing edge and some of the leading edge. It has actually flaked off in places, revealing beautiful dark wood underneath.

So now my question, because I am thinking of selling it... should I bother doing anything to the prop, or just leave it as is and sell it damaged. Sometimes "they" say to not refinish things. It looks kind of ugly with the varnish that is missing and the discolored sections from the heat.

I feel foolish for damaging it. I had kept it nice for 25 years and then in my attempt to clean up the house, damaged a vintage prop. It also had a missing tip from a prop strike, so it's not like it was perfect to begin with.

So I tripped over this site doing a google search, and am hoping someone can offer some guidance.

Thanks and regards,
Ian

[D.Hicklin]

post some pictures of the prop please

To really get some idea of the damage and the condition of your prop, would you please post some pictures of it, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Dennis Hicklin
Seattle Washington

[Dave]

It sounds as if yours was not the first attempt to restore it, if someone put wood filler "under the paint". Once the first step in restoration, i.e. removing the existing original coating, has been done then there is no going back to an original propeller, so the damage has already been done.

Like Dennis says, photos would help.