Kingfisher, I've asked some of my friends who are deeply into catapults and especially home made ones. It's a bit of a mix of ideas of what they would use. A lot have said the same as myself and gone for plain Danish oil. Others have said boiled linseed oil (there is a difference to ordinary linseed and it's not a case of boiling it up yourself...) while another has been a mixture of boiled linseed and beeswax. Beeswax alone might be a possibility too.
Just some more alternatives to think about Especially if you happen to have some of these in the house/workshop already
Currently reading......Go Fishing For Bass and Go Fishing For Skate and Rays both by Graeme Pullen, The Kill Switch by James Rollins, Raspberry Pi Manual - Haynes, 'Make: Electronics by Charles Platt' & the 'Myford series 7 manual by Ian Bradley'
Thanks KevanF1, I nearly asked yesterday about boiled linseed oil as I do have some of that. I wanted to put some kind of protection on it because last year whilst walking the dog I tapped the road with my thumbstick because the dog wasn't doing what she was told and it snapped. It was only a light tap too, so hazel goes brittle over time...even more so if left in the sun.
Thanks for the advice.
God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.
Good job KF.
I too would opt for an oil over varnish. Bare in mind if the wood is unseasoned it may be prone to splitting.
"We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.".
T. S Eliot http://richard-cleaver.blogspot.co.uk/