Cosmoline

[Robert Luland]

There has to be something said when a motor head holds a part a masked in cosmoline that’s sixty years plus. There’s definitely a bonding that takes place. You have to respect the time, energy and care that someone put in to wrapping these cables to make the journey. Sadly it’s almost disappeared in this country. My Sunday morning project. Set those puppies free. As fresh as the day they where canned. Bob L

[c.o.]

Yup........they were thinkin' ahead when they used that stuff!!

[T. Cotten]

I have rendered a lot of parts out of cosmo that were obvious seconds, and/or rusty before they were packed. (From both the Wigwam AND from Milwaukee.)

I think that they were thinking that they were hiding the crap.


...Cotten

[INLINE4NUT]

Wish they wud have packaged me in the stuff 60 years ago !!! Might not be so crusty !!!

[gary.h]

i replaced some gears in my 45" tranny and got some that were packed in cosmoline and the outer wrapping paper was hand written in pen,packaged dec 11 1941,it almost broke my heart to use them but i sat on the couch for awhile staring at those words wondering who wrote them and what was happening at the factory that day.just like opening a time capsule eh?

[23JDCA 808]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmoline

[Paps]

Those hand written parts probably were military. When the motorpool's unloaded certain equipment. they were ordered to preserve the parts inventories. Some motorpool's had access to type, some didn't. This would explain many of the poor looking cosmoline packaged parts, such as Cotten spoke of. The parts were damp, were packaged, and rusted or corroded, beneath the packaging. I've been pretty lucky though. 99% of any parts sealed in cosmoline I have unearthed, have been outright beautiful. Wiring included. Paps

[Kozy]

Cosmoline

Were civilian spares packed in cosmoline? Or just military stock?

[Chris Haynes]

Just Military.

[Robert Luland]

i replaced some gears in my 45" tranny and got some that were packed in cosmoline and the outer wrapping paper was hand written in pen,packaged dec 11 1941,it almost broke my heart to use them but i sat on the couch for awhile staring at those words wondering who wrote them and what was happening at the factory that day.just like opening a time capsule eh?

Gary, considering the japs had hit Peril four days earlier. Your right, I couldn’t conceive of what was going though that mind. I like your analogy of the time capsule because that’s exactly what it is. Let’s raise one up tonight to the packers, wrappers and the guy or gal that pushed it down the line. Bob L

[T. Cotten]

Today I skimmed through a small stack of ordinance packaging, and although many had what appeared to be handwriting, I was surprised to find some so identical that they HAD to be a stamp.

And none of that small collection had any dates whatsover.

I have bottled samples of cosmo from H-D and from Indian parts, and they vary considerably.

....Cotten

[Paps]

The HD presevative varies widely as well. Some is more like a grease and others a soft to hard wax. Color seems to remain the same though. maybe time has change the consistencies ? Pap

[Chris Haynes]

i replaced some gears in my 45" tranny and got some that were packed in cosmoline and the outer wrapping paper was hand written in pen,packaged dec 11 1941,it almost broke my heart to use them but i sat on the couch for awhile staring at those words wondering who wrote them and what was happening at the factory that day.just like opening a time capsule eh?

I opened a NOS Govt Surplus headlamp lens. It was wrapped in the December 7th 1941 Sunday magazine cover from the Chicago Sun

[Ohio-Rider]

That’s a nice souvenir Chris. Hope you kept it. Silly me! Of course you did.

[gary.h]

I opened a NOS Govt Surplus headlamp lens. It was wrapped in the December 7th 1941 Sunday magazine cover from the Chicago Sun

thats cool,that must of put a grin on your face eh chris?