Any one familiar with CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program, Jeff)and obtaining 
their fine wares,
knows all about cleaning cosmoline. Tried them all. I'm sticking with my 
wife's Scunsi steamer
(at least when she's not home!). That little devil cleans a rifle stock like 
"who flung the
chunk". With the tiny tip it gets into every nook and cranny and just melts 
it away and as
I learned working at the old Westinghouse East Pittsburgh Generator Works, 
steam is a dry
gas and will not harm a 100 year old wooden rifle stock.

After cleaning them you often need to repair them...Bing. Old tool content.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "James Thompson" 
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 3:36 PM
To: 
Cc: "oldtools List" 
Subject: Re: [OldTools] RE: cleaning oilstones

> Ayup! Long ago new military weaponry came coated with cosmoline. Hot water 
> and G.I. soap were the standard answer to cleaning it off. Gasoline worked 
> faster, if you could get gasoline.
>
> On Feb 23, 2011, at 12:29 PM, w.taggart@v... wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> On Feb 23, 2011, John Ruth  wrote:
>>
>>
>> :: Acrylic Enamel Reducer also removes cosmolene PDQ.  I'll start another 
>> thread about the
>> :: cosmolene-encrusted tool I bought at a surplus dealer.
>>
>>
>> Very hot water (i.e., from your tea kettle) removes cosmolene PDQ also, 
>> and leave the item nice and clean.
>>
>> - Bill T.
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