I bought a pair of 9' oars I'm refinishing for the drift boat I'm also refinishing. Learning a lot in the process. The oars are painted red and I'm sanding them to the raw wood. They appear to be ash. The guy I bought them from claims they are made by Willie boats. wondering if I should finish them in boat oil or epoxy and varnish?
Mark: Any finish will work> I like just varnish- 6 or so coats, the first ones thinned somewhat. Whatever you use- don't put any on the grips. If you can, thin out the blades somewhat to get a better balance-or use counterweights inboard of the oarlocks. Home cast lead from wheel weights are economical- and you can experiment with the weights to get the "feel" of the oar. Some of the pros might have better advice than mine.