I started buying handmade floats 4 yaers ago, I tried putting hard as nails on the bodies and whipping line around the eyes etc, it just upsets the pattern of the float and they still fall apart ! I bought some Hillbillys 4 years ago ther still going strong and they have got stronger still I got a new batch for christmas and they are no longer balsa bodies there some hitech high denisty foam these floats will last years, theres also alot more finesse about these new versions slimmer profiles etc.

I use a standard boat deck varnish, nothing fancy here.

A thin coat of hard as nails nail varnish works for me to seal and strengthen my pole floats. Does not seem to change the way they sit in the water to much.