Link of the Week

Wikipedia’s entry on Cosmoline

It’s a thick, nasty looking, sticky concoction that appears to be a cross between axle grease and earwax. Historical arms collectors have to clean it off of and out of the bore of their weapons. The military slathers it all over their vehicles before they ship them to servicemen and women around the world. And, yes, even woodworkers have to clear the gunk off their power tools before they can put them to use.

It’s known as Cosmoline, and while cleaning it out of your power tools can be a sticky, gummy mess, it certainly does a great job preventing rust from forming on bare metal parts. This entry at Wikipedia notes the substance’s history, and even goes into some detail about how to clean it off treated surfaces.  Something you may not do every day, but it’s worth filing away for when your dream tool arrives at your shop!

2 thoughts on “Link of the Week”

  1. I think we used to use that for a cheap “Butch Wax” for our “Flat Top” haircuts back in the ’50s.

    If you don’t know what those things are, don’t bother asking. 🙂

    Rog

  2. Tom, great post as usual. I did stumble on a “modern” version of Cosmoline called Rust-Veto 342. It apparently provides the same protection but goes on easier and is easier to remove. Cousin swears by it. Seems a bit pricey, but hear it works great. Do you have any experience with it? http://www.CosmolineDirect.com Let us know…. Thanks for the post.

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