Help with Cosmoline

Source, I'd try Ebay or Amazon.

Information. The gentlemen on rec crafts metalworking will know this kind of thing.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

Anyone know where I can find?

Jack Boot

cheaperthandirt.com

According to Brownell's, real cosmoline is discontinued. They do supply a replacement. What do you need it for? There are other, better, less goopy rust protectants. If you just want to goop something up, get some cheap wheel bearing grease. Cosmoline was the residue left after the good stuff was boiled off in a refinery still, but a cut above petroleum coke and asphalt. The military latched onto it because it was cheap and kept the salt spray from really rusting up their coastal guns. It's a lower grade of petroleum jelly. If you just gotta have a small quantity of the real stuff, find a dealer in Moisin-Nagants and offer to clean out some barrels for them in return for the goop. You'll have to bring your own rod, jag and patches. It was mostly replaced in US service during WWII by other packaging that let the equipment be used immediately without degooping it. VPI, dessicant packs and Saran wrap did wonders for battle-readiness right off the boat.

Stan

And it originally was a hair pomade. Guys were really serious about keeping every hair in place back in those days. d8-)

Cosmoline is microcrystalline wax with some oil added so it is not a solid chunk of wax. Or maybe it is the stuff before the oil is removed. microcrystalline wax is often used in lost wax casting. Seattle Pottery has it and you might find some closer to where ever you are by looking for places that do lost wax casting. It is better than paraffin for rust prevention.

Dan

It's the old brown stuff.

Lloyd

Do you know where to buy a bent bolt handle for the MN by chance? The one company I found that makes them are out of stock/backordered for months.

Would LPS-3 work?

If I were in need of such, I'd make some bending blocks, whip out the rosebud tip and forge one. As far as buying one, that's going to depend on the availability of spare bolts, usually from scrap guns. Haven't seen many M-N scrappers lately, they want to sell complete guns in working order. I just wonder how deep those piles of M-Ns were, they've been selling at bargain prices for more than a decade, at least. Eventually the floors in the warehouses will be reached and they'll start being collector's items instead of cheap sporter material.

Re; other poster: As far as cosmoline being "microcrystalline wax", it might have become such eventually, but the old shooting books I've got say it was originally the bottom of the still scrapings, right before it became asphalt. See here:

Stan

I get the impression the O.P. wants it for something other than rust protection, he never answered my query as to what he wanted it for, though. Maybe he's got a "cosmo" tin from a squad 1911 cleaning kit that needs filling for display or something. As far as the original use of cosmoline, LPS-3 is about as close as you're going to get to a spray-on substitute, I use it for long term outside storage. Not as cheap as the original, though. Not as nasty to get off, either.

Stan

And where do you think microcrystalline wax comes from?

LPS-3 is nothing like Cosmoline. Cosmoline provides more of less eternal protection on parts not exposed to the sun. This is why it is so difficult to remove.

Not so with LPS-3. I sold a 25 lbs jar of Cosmoline recently.

"Ignoramus16440" wrote

LPS-3 is good for a year or two in the sun and rain. I spray it on galvanized roofing and the exposed welds on my trailer. Once a thin rust or zinc oxide film has formed it holds the LPS-3.

jsw

For me, it was good for 6 months. Yes, it does work pretty well.

You can use a set of blocks to forge (red hot and bend it) it down, you can cut it off, leaving a stump and then a new on the lathe and weld it on. Use a flat piece of steel and make a "butter knife bolt handle". Many solutions.

See:

John B.

There is also LPS hardcoat. lasts longer, leaves a wax more like a not sticky cosmoline. supposed to last ten years inside. I'm still testing. get back to me in another nine years.

karl

A long time ago, I bought a "bent bolt kit", cut off the original bolt, and took it to a welding shop to weld on the replacement.

Just as an aside, I put vaseline on my bird feeder pole to keep squirrels off it, and I expected to have to regrease it weekly or so. It's now been 8 months out in wind, rain & snow and it's still quite greasy. I can't say how rustproof it is, as the pole is painted.

I used to do that. I also had a set of blocks to hold the bolt and allow you to re-forge the bolt handle down. There are all kinds of ways to do it - I found one site that would do it for you for $60.

-- Cheers,

John B.