[Judgedredd]

This thread was posted on the firing line and I didnt get a chance to print it out before they shut down. Now I heard that a real good way and less harmfull for the wood and metal is to use Mineral Spirits? Does anyone know that process? Or even better whats your way thats takes cosmoline off? I heard coleman propane applied is good.
My SKS thanxs you as she waits in the box full of cosmo as we speak. :D

THANXS

[DMK]

I dissassemble the weapon then spray it down with brake parts cleaner. Once that dries, I finish it up with Hoppes #9 and a toothbrush.

For wood, mineral spirits or Purple Power. You will then need to re-oil with Tung or BLO.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Been using WD-40 with good results-----just spray it on thick and let it sit for a bit-----the cosmo will come right off.

[9mmepiphany]

for the metal/bore: both wd-40 and brake cleaner work and are cheap
for the wood: purple power and standing in the sun will draw out the grease. spray and wipe with windex when the cosmo is gone and then refinish with you choice of finish

[Redlg155]

I've been using Remington Wonder Lube. I'm not sure of the lubricating qualities that it has, but it melts cosmoline pretty good. I haven't seen the stuff in gun stores. I picked up the case that I have at the last gunshow I attended.

Good Shooting
RED

[Drue]

I use mineral sprits and an old paint brush. It works just fine. Basically anything that will disolve the cosmoline without attacking the metal finish will do.

Drue

[cratz2]

CRatz2s 10 Step Program To Cleaning MilSurp Rifles:
Take rifle apart, wiping off the excess using papertowls.
Push a brush through the bore about 10 times and send a couple patches through.
Plug both ends of the barrel, fill with mineral spirits.
Take the rifle down as far as you are comfortable.
Again, wipe off as much excess as possible then soak everything in mineral spirits, they aren't going to hurt anything.
Strong compressed air (along with safety glases) is good for those tigh spots.
Reclean the bore until patches come out clean.
Coat all metal with FP10 or CPL.
Apply as many coats of tung oil or boiled linseed oil to the wood as patience allows.
Take some nice quality pics and post them for us to drool over.

[Brian Williams]

Take off all wood and let the wood lay in the sun, take all metal objects and lay them out in a pan and cover with Tranny fluid then when all the cosmoline is gone wipe with mineral spirits and apply your favorite lube.

[Redlg155]

I've always wondered about those Romanian SKS's.

Anyone ever got the stock to dry completely, enough for a refinish?

Good SHooting
Red

[Brian Maffei]

Heat. Either find an oven big enough to put the stock in(175F) or wrap in a garbage bag and put it out in the sun or on the dash of your car. This process takes time. Every so often wipe it down with a rag and repeat until the grease has stopped oozing out. I've tried using oven cleaner, had to refinish my vz24.

[Kharn]

I hit my C&Rs with a heat gun (imagine a hair dryer with a supercharger if you dont know what one is :D ) to turn that cosmoline to liquid, and then I just wipe it up with papertowels when it runs out of all the nooks and cranies.

Kharn

[foghornl]

My Mosin-Nagant M-44 looked like it had been dunked in a tub of Cosmo. I used over a gallon of Mineral Spirits to clean it up....swap on a heavy layer of M/S, wait 15 minutes, wipe off, repeat process....repeat process.....repeat process....

to clean the bore, plugged muzzle end, filled barrel with M/S, and let it soak a couple of hours, then went at it with bronze brush, repeat several times. Used the "brake cleaner", patches, brushes, more M/S, P-B Blaster Penetrating Oil, etc...

took many hours and a few weekends, but well worth it. Interesting weapon, and a real "Blast" to shoot, especially with the 180-Gr "Heavy Ball" ammo.

[Tropical Z]

1.Nitrile gloves (www.harborfreight.com)
2.Mineral spirits
3.Paint brush and plastic shoe box ($1.00 at Wal-Mart)
4.Scrub-Brush-Scrub!
I let small parts soak for 24 hours in spirits before i scrub.Let dry for 24-48 hours before re-oiling.;)

[Quartus]

Good news!

The Firing Line is still searchable. You can still find any thread and print it out.


The thread you are looking for is here (http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=146842).

[cwalker3]

If the cosmo's not too heavy, I use Simple Green and coarse steel wool on the wood. Rinse off with very hot water and then start all over. If the cosmo is heavy, I wipe off the excess and then clean with Purple Power.

For the metal, I use mineral spirits. I usually soak the small parts for a day before cleaning so that all the gunk in the nook and crannies gets dissolved. For the bore, I get most of the gunk out with a brush and patches, then pour boiling water down it a few times. The last few times I'll plug the muzzle end and let the water sit in there for a few minutes. Spray bore with WD-40 to displace the water, run several dry patches down it and lube with CLP.

I have been using a wallpaper tray to clean the barrel assembly in, but usually the tray is too small to completely lay it down in. Anybody have any other ideas as to what to use that the fit the entire barrel?

[COHIBA]

gasoline and a five gallon bucket. when your done scrubbing take it the casr wash and blow it out w/ clean cold water. apply lube. done

[Detachment Charlie]

CWalker3 ---
Try using a length of rain gutter. You can get them about as long as you want..that's for youse guys trying to clean your 20mm Lahti:what:

[cwalker3]

Detachment Charlie, I thought about using gutter, but didn't know how the caulk would hold up to mineral spirits. Any idea?

[Judgedredd]

THANXS those responces helped out a lot. I will post up the pics when im done!! THANXS AGAIN

[CWL]

Dissassemble, soak parts in bathtub of hot water.

Wipe down & oil. Reassemble.

[jar]

The metal parts are pretty straight forwrd but getting all the cosmoline off the wood can be a bitch. After I get the wood pretty clean I've found a method that does the final job and also helps fill any little nicks and dings. Take some old towels, wet them and wrap the stock. Then use a steam iron and iron the towels. The heat and moisture pull any remaining cosmoline out of the wood and also help fill those dings and dents. The cosmoline gets trapped in the towel and you just toss them. then all you need to do is a final sand and tung oil application and the stock will look like new.

[Badger Arms]

Take off all wood and let the wood lay in the sun,Just got off the floor after about ten minutes of rolling around laughing. Okay, if I lay my gun out in the sun (I'm temporarily stuck in Seattle) it will just get wet. Sun, isn't that thing above the clouds I see each time I fly out of here? Back home, laying it out in the sun will probably freeze it to the ground. Not sure WD-40 will still flow in that temperature.

I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that there are other methods. I have a small 250 watt halogen spotlight that I point toward the stock at close range. Don't get too close or dwell too long. This does a good job of releasing oil. For the metal parts, I am at a loss. I might just have to wait till summer. Any suggestions?

[GLOCKT]

I used 2 cans of Gumout,a plastic bucket,several paint brushes of various course thickness and a blow dryer.
First I disassembled every part of the reciever possible take down the Yugo bolt and springs,piston rods and gas tube.
Put all loose items in the bottom of the plastic bucket.
With one can of Gumout,spray down the inside of the barrel,from muzzle down to reciever.All excess spray soaks items in bottom of the bucket.
I used the 2nd can to spray the the outside of the SKS,magwell and gernade assembly.
Hung up the SKS to drip dry.
Brushed out all the items in the catch bucket now full of 2 cans of Gumout excess run-off.wipe down with several throw away rags.
Use the blow drier to sweat the wood stock of the deeply penetrated Cosmoline.
Reassemble,shoot and enjoy.
Total time for this SKS was roughly 4 hours.

[Dave R]

_________________________
Dissassemble, soak parts in bathtub of hot water.
_________________________

But then how do you get a ring of cosmoline off a bathtub?

[Cosmoline]

Why would you want to take it off? I love the stuff. If you leave it on your skin long enough, it turns you an interesting orange hue.