WW2 or post war tool coating.

[ickysplatt]

Just a quick silly question here to satisfy my curiosity. So I recently got this box of sockets and extensions from a large and old tool distributor here in Columbus Ohio who is being liquidated. And quiet afew of these seem to be if I had to guess 1940s production from the war. Snap on stamped G, lots of Plomb. And maybe there not, I don't know. But I was curious about the coatings, the Plomb extension in the picture has this still slightly sticky "paint" on it, and all the sockets are just about white. Any one have a moment to learn me?

 

[NJ Marty]

Cosmoline was used alot back then and worked very well.
Looks like the Plomb extension is coated with it.

 

[gpw_42]

Cosmoline (the black sticky coating) is a preservative, and will keep steel in "as treated" condition until the cockroaches are the only remaining animal life on the planet. It can be removed with gasoline, brake cleaner or other chemicals. Letting it warm up in the sun first will help the process. Some folks like to have tools still preserved with the stuff, others don't.

The white powdery substance on your sockets appears to be cadmium. Take a look at the sticky in the vintage forum for insight about it. DO NOT wire wheel the stuff!

Nice scores!

 

[Farmer J.]

Yup. It looks like sticky cosmoline on the extension, and the deadly white powder on the sockets..

 

[JjKk40]

Bake it in the oven on a not so good plate and it will drip right off. Then hit it with the solvents to get the rest. Acetone or mineral spirits are what I use. So many SKS's came in crated and covered in cosmoline. Same process, there's some good you tube videos on the process.

 

[ickysplatt]

Ha! Cadmium, good old Cadmium.. I forgot about the Alloy Artifacts info on that. Thanks everyone.

 

[David Jackson]

Could this be a wartime coating of some kind? The ends are polished and the color is a really dark brownish green. It is not rust, it is too even and there is no pitting. This wrench is actually prewar, most likely mid to late 1930s, according to Alloy Artifacts data, so it might be military but prewar. Any ideas?