I'm not sure which is worse, cosmolene (sounds like something from an
episode of The Jetson's) or blister packing.  I used to work for a company
called Hunter Engineering.  We manufactured and sold automotive shop
equipment.  I was the guy that would install the equipment at the customer
site and then train their technicians how to use said equipment.  One of our
more popular products was wheel balancers.  When I first started working for
them, they would ship the parts coated in cosmolene and we would have to
clean all of of it off of the cones and adapters before the machine could be
used.  This was a pain, but, in an auto shop, generally, break cleaner spray
is easily accessible and cheap.  It did a fair job of cutting that stuff and
cleaning the parts with a little bit of wiping with a rag.  Later, they
abandoned the cosmolene and someone decided to blister pack the parts to a
piece of cardboard instead.  Anyway, the end result of that was having to
dig pieces of plastic out of the threads of the shafts and clamp nuts.  That
really was a pain.  It got so bad that I submitted a memo (these went across
the desk of the CEO) about it.  These memos were intended for making
suggestions where a product was dangerous, needed and improvement to work
better or something like that.  Not to complain because it was taking me 2
hours just to get the machine unpacked when I was only paid 1 1/2 hours to
install the machine and train the technician.  Anyway, I worded the memo
something like "if the guy with the blister pack machine, packing the wheel
balancer parts, doesn't lighten up, I am going to go to the plant and
blister pack him."  Anyway, I never received a response (I'm probably lucky
I didn't lose my job.) but some time later, I noticed that, while they were
still blister packed, somehow, they had figured out how to do it so it
didn't get into every little nook and cranny of the parts.  I was happy.

Doc

On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 2:50 PM, John Ruth  wrote:

>
> Bill and Jim:
>
> > Very hot water (i.e., from your tea kettle) removes cosmolene PDQ also,
> and leave the item nice and clean.
> >
> Thank you for that gem.  Not having been in the service, I was not aware
> that cosmolene could be melted off.  That stuff seems like a cross between
> wax and grease.
>
> I really need to discuss that tool in a separate thread - which I want to
> start when I have the tool in my hand.  The cosmolene makes me suspect this
> tool was originally ordered by Uncle Sam.
>
> John
>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
> To read the FAQ:
> http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
>
> OldTools@r...
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>

-- 
John Holladay
DocHolladay0820@g...
205-229-8484
------------------------------------------------------------------------