Vintage work crew photos

**Jon** · Dec 16, 2018, 02:05 PM

Fire control crew. U.S. Forest Service. Utah, 1937.

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**ranald** · Dec 21, 2018, 08:04 PM

nice pic of fire engine watering the desert. The tyres (tires) look substantial for the real deal though. doubt the water storage would last long without a hydrant or dam nearby. thanks Jon for this one as usual.

**Jon** · Dec 13, 2018, 08:54 PM

Dipping rifles in oil before shipment, Midvale Steel and Ordnance Co. Eddystone PA Apr. 1918

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**PJs** · Dec 14, 2018, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Jon

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Dipping rifles in oil before shipment, Midvale Steel and Ordnance Co. Eddystone PA Apr. 1918

Great Quality Pic Jon, Thanks! A tell all in expression, especially the supervisors vs the workers. That was likely some form of Cosmoline in 1918 (invented by Satan according to some gun collectors). I can personally attest after stripping a brand new O3A3 back when I was a kid...Smelled great but a Pita to get it all off of every single nook and cranny and the stock wood...oh my.

Interesting that it's derivations are ~140 years old and started as a pharmaceutical product.

https://www.originalcosmoline.com/who-we-are.php

Cosmoline was developed by Houghton International in the late 1800's as a pharmaceutical product. The original Cosmoline was basically an ointment and was used for many different cosmetic and medical purposes. It was kept in homes to disinfect wounds and was used by veterinarians to treat cuts, abrasions, bruises and sprains. Cosmoline could even be found on the farms where it was used to relieve swelling in cow's udders.

As industry changed so did Cosmoline.

Cosmoline products were available in ranges from a light type fluid to a thick, heavy grease meant for long term protection. Cosmoline's versatility was unparalleled.

Cosmoline became an everyday name when it received a government specification as a rust preventive and began being used by the military to protect it's equipment from rust and corrosion. Cosmoline could be found on military equipment in the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict and Vietnam.

In 1958 Schafco Packaging began packaging Cosmoline products into aerosol versions for Houghton International and in 2004 Schafco became the exclusive distributor for the Cosmoline Aerosol line of products.

**Toolmaker51** · Dec 14, 2018, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by PJs

........Interesting that it's derivations are ~140 years old and started as a pharmaceutical product.

Cosmoline was developed by Houghton International in the late 1800's as a pharmaceutical product. The original Cosmoline was basically an ointment and was used for many different cosmetic and medical purposes. It was kept in homes to disinfect wounds and was used by veterinarians to treat cuts, abrasions, bruises and sprains. Cosmoline could even be found on the farms where it was used to relieve swelling in cow's udders.

I find this factual, easily concurred on Wikipedia. Bag Balm originated 1899 and besides antiseptic properties, has all kinds of historic use. Always been a can in my house, but other uses never occurred to me. I'm old fashioned anyway; Ivory Soap, Vick's, Corn Husker's Lotion, SnoSeal, it's hard to find Ovaltine though
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bag_Balm

**VinnieL** · Dec 15, 2018, 07:42 PM

I have a friend who has an 1917 Eddystone rifle (cal. .30-06) and shoots it a lot. Sending this photo to him.

I spent better part of a day removing Cosmoline from an SKS rifle. Finally ended-up soaking the steel parts in gasoline overnight.

A modern day version of the stuff is called RIG (Rust-Inhibiting-Grease). Even some machine tools coming from the Far East still use the stuff on ground and polished surfaces.

**marksbug** · Dec 14, 2018, 02:58 PM

Ill bet it even went into the future as cosmo cogs are probably coated with cosmoline....witch must be why they have robot maid's to clean the clothes...and pick up after elroy. keep the old pick coming!!! it's great to see where we came from and what we missed.

**Frank S** · Dec 18, 2018, 07:05 PM

Check out those high tech jack stands

**PJs** · Dec 20, 2018, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Frank S

Check out those high tech jack stands

And the guy under the rolling stand! Peeling in and out of there looks No-Fun to me. There also doesn't appear to be any overhead system to move them to those fine jack stands either...a 6-8 man lift mechanism?

The floor is way to clean for me also and not a tool box in sight. Likely a staged shot.

Amazingly crisp pic though, in what looks to be a real Sepia. Nice find Jon!

**Unkle Fuzzy** · Dec 14, 2018, 07:11 PM

Rifles are being dipped into heated Cosmoline to thin it and allow penetration into all the books and crannies. Even penetrates into the wood stock.

I have been told many newly issued rifles were boiled in hot water to thin the Cosmoline and leach it out of the wood. These rifles were boiled whole action barrel and all.

I know of collectors who buy mothballed Mausers and use that very method. If you try to scrape it off at room temp, more just migrates out of the hidey holes and gums up the mechanism.