Fixing floppy boxes/What's in your grease hole?

[WadePatton]

As i noticed in the "What's in your Patchbox" thread http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=23999.0, there were multiple replies of "nothing", which was based on security issues (stuff fell out).

Here's what i writ a minute ago (in that thread*):
SO, yous guys what keep mostly nitrogen/oxygen and a smattering of other atmospheric gasses in your box because of premature manipulation, HAVE you considered the nature of that small disaster (of losing your goodies along the trail).  

Would a double latch or deeper notch or stouter spring or otherwise less-easy-to-manipulate release mechanism restore your confidence in that little storage cavity?  I know there's a line between security and ease of access, but as you've said-your access was too easy.  The box on the T/C i had was a nail breaking beech-and thereby plenty dang safe.

Second cousin sort of question:
What's in your grease hole?  (don't say that in mixed company (non-riflemen i mean).

*but have moved to this thread because it's too far from the OP (original post/poster).

[James Wilson Everett]

Wade,

Here is a grease hole from a Southern rifle c. 1800 with some old/original grease still in it.  The grease is now very hard, looks a lot like bees wax.  Since I do not see any dark staining in the wood around the hole, I do not believe that any softer grease was used with the gun.  I think that if a softer tallow grease was used, the wood would have absorbed some and left a stain in the wood.

Jim

[Dphariss]

If it were that hard originally how would they get it OUT on a patch? Especially in cold weather?

Dan

[WadePatton]

I'm guessing that a bit of rubbing with patch between finger and wax/tallow would yield enough lube for the job.  But i've yet to try it.

Maybe wax was melted into that endgrain enough to prevent softer fats from being taken up? 

Are the DNA result of the contents of that hole back from the lab?