The stuff is a first cousin of cosmoline, the gunk that they put on military weapons during ww2 to prevent corrosion while stored or shipped. My g'uncle the gun collector had 4 03-A4 Springfield sniper rifles still in the original shipping wrap with the cosmoline still on them. It normally took boiling water and gasoline to get it all off, or it would ooze out of crevices forever...

Not responsible for advice not taken...