Soft scrub on M/N stock to remove cosmoline?
- Thread starter Sobel
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buckhorn_cortez
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Go to Home Depot or one of the other big box stores. Buy 2 cans of WD-40 - it will be inexpensive like $1.50 a can - if you can find the large can of WD-40, you will only need one can.
Get 2 rolls of paper towels. Spray the gun liberally with WD-40 and it will cut right throught the packing grease/cosmoline. Wipe off with the paper towels. I use this on machine tools and it is absolutely the fastest and easiest way to get through the gunk.
Far less expensive than the often recommended kerosene and just as fast if not faster. When you're done, you'll need to lubricate the gun as WD-40 is not a lubricant.
It will not hurt wood finishes, you just don't want to get it onto unfinished wood as it will soak in. Ultimately, even if you do get it on unfinished wood it will evaporate out of the wood. On wood areas, I would wet the paper towels with the WD-40 and wipe off the gunk, followed with a dry paper towel immediately to limit potential penetration into unfinished wood between the stock and receiver or forearm and barrel.
Get 2 rolls of paper towels. Spray the gun liberally with WD-40 and it will cut right throught the packing grease/cosmoline. Wipe off with the paper towels. I use this on machine tools and it is absolutely the fastest and easiest way to get through the gunk.
Far less expensive than the often recommended kerosene and just as fast if not faster. When you're done, you'll need to lubricate the gun as WD-40 is not a lubricant.
It will not hurt wood finishes, you just don't want to get it onto unfinished wood as it will soak in. Ultimately, even if you do get it on unfinished wood it will evaporate out of the wood. On wood areas, I would wet the paper towels with the WD-40 and wipe off the gunk, followed with a dry paper towel immediately to limit potential penetration into unfinished wood between the stock and receiver or forearm and barrel.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
A hair blow dryer or heat gun will melt a lot of it off.
WD-40 will handle the rest.
It was meled in a big tank when they dipped the gun in it to put it on.
So melting it off with a heat gun or hair dryer is just reversing the process.
rc
WD-40 will handle the rest.
It was meled in a big tank when they dipped the gun in it to put it on.
So melting it off with a heat gun or hair dryer is just reversing the process.
rc
Chawbaccer
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Its a Mosin, so you don't have to be delicate about it. And since your Ma is helping maybe she will let you stick it in the dishwasher. Just a light sanding and spray some clear coat on afterwards.
Claude Clay
Member
steam is what i use. a $30 garmet gizmo from CVS or the like.
besides having no oder it also puffs the wood thus
reducing the size of dimples and gouges.
i place a green plastic garbage can liner in an old dresser draw
to make for a mess free easy clean up.
besides having no oder it also puffs the wood thus
reducing the size of dimples and gouges.
i place a green plastic garbage can liner in an old dresser draw
to make for a mess free easy clean up.
Odorless mineral spirits will take the cosmoline off just fine. And, it will take the cosmoline off the metal parts too. I would not use soft scrub on your stock. I am a C&R junkie and that is how I clean the rifles I get that are packed in cosmoline.....chris3
Franco2shoot
Member
I used raw gasoline out in the back yard with several rags. Also used in the chamber and trigger mechanisms. I could not get the stock into my dishwasher, but I was looking at that as step 2. Hot soap and water was used instead. Once the stock was thoroughly clean, step 3 was a thin application of Pledge. I used the shotgun fluffy (I think it was 12 gauge) and after dipping in gas, spun this in the chamber. Once re-assembled I cleaned the rifle'ing using a piece of cloth on the wire bruse, and coated with Red JR rouge. This was spun using a 1/4 inch drill at LOW speed (inspect the barrel and determine the direction of the rifle'ing, pull the cleaner from breech towards the muzzle) I did this about 4 times, then set about and cleaned in the normal fashion.
Worked for me...
KKKKFL
Worked for me...
KKKKFL
maskedman504
Member
When I got my SKS I took the action out of the stock and cleaned it (the action) with steam, hot water and soap.
I got the rifle when I lived in FL; I wrapped the stock in a towel and put it in the trunk of my car for two days in the summer- about 98 degrees. The stock looked like a tree trunk weeping sap. That cosmoline seeps into the stock and only a surface cleaning cannot remove it all. You can remove the action from your mosin and put it in an oven (if your wife doesn't freak out). Run it at ~150F but make sure it is on a pan to catch the cosmoline. And it will make your house stink for a bit.
I don't know what your goal is- I stripped my SKS down to clean, bare wood and refinished the stock.
I got the rifle when I lived in FL; I wrapped the stock in a towel and put it in the trunk of my car for two days in the summer- about 98 degrees. The stock looked like a tree trunk weeping sap. That cosmoline seeps into the stock and only a surface cleaning cannot remove it all. You can remove the action from your mosin and put it in an oven (if your wife doesn't freak out). Run it at ~150F but make sure it is on a pan to catch the cosmoline. And it will make your house stink for a bit.
I don't know what your goal is- I stripped my SKS down to clean, bare wood and refinished the stock.
Cosmoline
Member
There are two kinds of stocks when it comes to cosmoline. First are the ones with an existing finish such as shellac with cosmoline ON TOP of the finish. Second are the ones with no finish or warn finish with cosmoline directly on the bare wood and infiltrating the grain. You see this mostly with Finns.
For the first category, it's a piece of cake to clean. Just use a damp rag and for bad bits a wet sponge, then promptly wipe dry. You are just removing the grease on top of the finish. DO NOT use harsh cleansers, gasoline or acetone which could strip shellac as well. There's no need and those chemicals will take your skin off too.
For the second type, it's a lot tougher. Heat and time are the best combination, and to some extent you'll just have to live with some amount of cosmo leeching out of the stock when the barrel is hot.
For the steel parts, strip the rifle down completely and blast the cosmoline off with super hot water or near boiling. Just like a muzzleloader. Works like a charm. Finish with a thorough cleaning and scrubbing particularly of the chamber and bore. Then oil it up to displace any lingering water and you're good to go.
For the first category, it's a piece of cake to clean. Just use a damp rag and for bad bits a wet sponge, then promptly wipe dry. You are just removing the grease on top of the finish. DO NOT use harsh cleansers, gasoline or acetone which could strip shellac as well. There's no need and those chemicals will take your skin off too.
For the second type, it's a lot tougher. Heat and time are the best combination, and to some extent you'll just have to live with some amount of cosmo leeching out of the stock when the barrel is hot.
For the steel parts, strip the rifle down completely and blast the cosmoline off with super hot water or near boiling. Just like a muzzleloader. Works like a charm. Finish with a thorough cleaning and scrubbing particularly of the chamber and bore. Then oil it up to displace any lingering water and you're good to go.
tyeo098
Member
Make sure you boil all the bolt parts like pasta.
Disassemble, boil for 7-9 mins, serve with a light oiling.
Cure for all 'sticky' bolt syndrome.
Disassemble, boil for 7-9 mins, serve with a light oiling.
Cure for all 'sticky' bolt syndrome.
+1 on the steamer....it gets very hot and the stuff just comes off so nice.
morcey2
Member
That's the refurb mark. There's a corresponding mark on the barrel that is a bisected square.
i looked up a list of them apparently it means it was rearsenaled in Ukraine. Not sure if that source is correct
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