strip the wood bare, sand it very smooth with finer and finer grades of sandpaper until it gleams like it is polished, then apply a light coat of clear polyurethane spar varnish, wait two days, sand lightly, apply another coat, wait two days, then sand and apply the final coat. If you want colored paint on your nunchaku, start with same sanding, then use oil-based primer like Kilz first, followed by oil based paint in a semi-gloss or gloss sheen. two coats of paint with two days dry time each coat.
