That would depend on whether you are a collector or not. The answer is no if you are a collector because refinishing it will lower the value. If it is in its original condition, wood propellers may show imperfections that can add character and value to the propeller. It is evidence that that propeller may have been through an air battle. A collector would know that only refinishing that improves the provenance of a propeller is possible. A good example of this is the Bristol propeller. It requires you to cut down the blades to bring it home and is part of its provenance.

To improve the appearance of an old propeller just rub it down with linseed oil and after it dries apply a coat of furniture wax. Do not use water-based cleansers or varnish on it. This will lower its value.

Mounting a propeller is very simple. Simply cut a circle the size of the hub or a little larger and drill holes where the bolt holes are into the wood. Then remove the prop and glue small enough wooden dowels (same size as the hub bolts) into the wood so that they will not be visible when mounted. Once the glue dries, you can easily slip the propeller over the dowels. Make sure the bracket that you attach it to is strong enough to hold a propeller. You can use bolts instead of dowels for a more secure attachment.

Just like old wooden beer signs or lake house signs, you want to avoid moisture and large variations in temperature to avoid damage to the propeller.

Some people think an old wooden propeller would make a wonderful wall clock. Never alter the hub in any way because it detracts from the appearance of the propeller. It also lowers the value!

If you run a small business you know one of the keys to success is how you market yourself.   Are you a professional lawyer, doctor or dentist?  If you are, you probably are registered with one or more professional association’s representing your industry, which speaks to your level of professionalism.

You also very likely have a web site by now and probably even a page on Facebook or one of the many other social Web sites out available, and may even have the budget for some TV or radio advertising.

Each of these forms of marketing are great for spreading the word that you are “open for business.”   But what about advertising your personality?   Research suggests that, when choosing a doctor or dentist, for example, that consumers are more inclined to gravitate toward a professional who speaks to their style and sense of humor.

You can offer to show the public a little bit about how you operate, no pun intended, from the inside out with specialty signs—doctors signs, for example, that hearken back to days of yore, when the black bag and stethoscope were pretty much the tools of the trade.

Perhaps you have a brand new bar opening up and you want to offer a light-hearted form of entertainment, such as pool and or shuffle board games.  Why not evoke the feel of the old west with old wood signs that tell saloon stories in print and offer a glimpse into the past.

Many companies out there are specializing in manufacturing reproductions of historic business signs, welcoming lake house signs, signs for cabin rentals and other places to advertise the warmth of a vacation rental for example, which invites guests in to your establishment—even if it’s a B & B in the middle of a suburb.

These old wooden signs (others are made of tin and metals), can attract customers to your doors while providing a form of entertainment and joy to those out there who may be just as plugged in to every technological gadget on the market as the next guy, but somewhere still find themselves ultimately drawn to nostalgic forms of advertising.