Vintage work crew photos

[Jon]

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

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

[hemmjo]

Great pic of all those destined for asbestosis, regardless of slacker/posers.

Curious what the tool is this guy is holding? Anyone know and it's use?

Attachment 26901

I wonder if it is a part of the locomotive, rather than a tool. Perhaps something similar to the "braces" at the front?


And then... what about those work clothes. What color were they at the beginning of shift? They appear to be dark under the white layer. Do you suppose they wore them home so their wife could wash them?


When I come home with clothes like that, typically mud or grease, my wife makes me use the pressure washer on them before they come into the laundry room. At least I do get to take them off first

[PJs]

I wonder if it is a part of the locomotive, rather than a tool. Perhaps something similar to the "braces" at the front?

And then... what about those work clothes. What color were they at the beginning of shift? They appear to be dark under the white layer. Do you suppose they wore them home so their wife could wash them?

When I come home with clothes like that, typically mud or grease, my wife makes me use the pressure washer on them before they come into the laundry room. At least I do get to take them off first

I thought that perhaps it was a part also but its shape lends itself to a tool to me and the marking/indent/protrusion on this end appears that it might match something. Perhaps some type of double ended pry bar because of the far end looking like a wedge of some type. It's the golf club end that is specialized I think.

Likely they did wear them home unfortunately. Funny about pressure washing while in them. Hate to admit it that I did that once after being in a crawl space full of water, adobe and whatever else was down there not intended for being in human contact...never again for crawl spaces or shooting oneself with High Pressure hot water. Should'a just tossed the clothes and had a streak & dunk in the pond. Doh!

When I get a few I'll try to enhance the picture a bit...perhaps some other things will appear.

[PJs]

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

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.

[marksbug]

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.

[Unkle Fuzzy]

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.

[Toolmaker51]

........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

[suther51]

My brother-in-law bought a sks in the late 90s, shot it out of the box cosmoline n all. Guess he didn't know better, gun worked fine despite. I took the gun with me to work n the boss had a good chuckle n showed me how to break it down n clean it. Real simple n durable gun if a bit crude. Good ol days.
Eric

[VinnieL]

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]

it took me the better part of 3 days to clean a new aircooled VW engine case I got 10 years ago for my car, anodized/alodined magnesium. what a mess that stuff was,I didnt get it all out of some portions of the case,but all the importaint places.their did not seem to be any dibris in it and if there was it would get cought in the oil filter. I tried somany different things to clean it,as I recall gas worked about the best, acetone worked good but evapration so fast it did not seem feaseabe. I thought for sure wd40 would do it....not much at all if any thing. that engine case now has over 80000 miles, going strong at around 3x the oe horsepower. and much more fun.