How to Clean/Restore

[johnk]

I pulled a wooden propeller out of my barn. I always knew it was there but have no idea how long it was there for.

I thinks it’s a waste to leave it unseen, but it really needs a good cleaning. Any suggestions on best practices.

Attached are pics. I believe it’s WWI. Anyone know the history?.. It’s approximately 8’-3”.

[Dbahnson]

I'd do as little as possible with it for now. Can you read any stampings in the wood, usually on the hub. It looks like it might be for a Hisso engine, but I'd need to see the hub dimensions to rule that out. It's always better to first see if you can figure out what it was used on, then worry about what to do with its appearance.

[johnk]

First At the Finish

The Stamp says DBC, Davenport Brown, First At the Finish... I wiped the hub with a damp cloth. Still hard to read, but that is what I came up with.

[Dbahnson]

I've never heard of that manufacturer, but there were hundreds of them in the teens and twenties - and beyond, as many aircraft continued to fly for some time after WW1.

No numbers stamped around the hub?

[johnk]

Stamping

I need to do a little cleaning to see all stamping. The stamp I can see is "B.A.P. NO 72944" Does this help?

[Dbahnson]

"BAP" is the "Bureau of Aircraft Production" but the number doesn't help in identification. It does suggest WW1 vintage.