The best cosmoline removal for stocks

[phantomak47]

The age old question arises here often, how do I get all of the cosmoline off my recently purchased C&R rifle? While getting cosmoline off the barrel and receiver is easily done with mineral spirits or the typical gun cleaner, the stock is a different animal. I have done several rifles including getting the purplish colored paint that was standard on all SAR-1s and an SKS that was dipped and left in a vat of cosmoline for eternity. I tried all of the standard approached, but I found that Citristrip product at Lowes completely and easily removed all of the cosmoline from my SKS and took off the paint off my old SAR1.

After applied two coats of citristrip on my stock and then gently washing it off each time with water and promptly drying the stock, there was zero cosmoline bleed out. I left it for a month in my hot garage and still there was not any bleed out. I did the standard tung oil finish and I was very pleased with the outcome of using this product, no harsh fumes, but most importantly it just worked. Heres the link.

http://www.citristrip.com/

 

[equitytrader]

I used this stuff, it's the same stuff most car shops use to clean their floors. It's pretty wicked stuff and you don't want to get it in any cuts on your hands but it literally pulls the stuff out of the wood.

http://www.mclendons.com/item.asp?sku=10944360

 

[nwilliams]

A few cans of heavy duty oven cleaner and hot water is the best combination I've found to remove cosmoline from wood.

 

[longdayjake]

Products

I have tried every kind of chemical to get cosmoline out but mostly just get a funny colored stock with no cosmoline left in it. I always end up sanding the thin layer of strange color off of the stock and it looks brand new. I have used easy off and degreaser and carb cleaner/brake cleaner. You name it I have tried it. It always makes the stock darker. I always have to sand to get down to the true color of the wood.

 

[kingjoey]

We do an initial cleaning then put the wood in a stove at 150 degrees for a couple hours. Then we wash the stock down with MEK and put it back in the stove for a couple hours. One last wipedown and it is cosmoline free.

 

[CK]

Steam cleaner. and search of the old thread.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/cosmoline/index.asp

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=326028

 

[Halo]

I use pretty much the same method as kingjoey. I used to use different solvents but always got bleached/discolored wood as a result. With C&R rifles, I now prefer to be as conservative as possible and just use heat and absorbants rather than solvents. I've been happy with the results.

 

[jrfoxx]

Purple Power cleaner/degreasr from Wal-mart works good too. Its in the auto section I thing, available up to 1gal jugs. Inteded for cleaing up greasy/oily garages and driveways and such. Works great, even diluted. It will remove cosmoline and anything else in and on the stock when you spray it on, let it sit a few minutes, and gently rub a green scrubbie pad around, the rinse with hot water. The downside, at full strength it's likely corrosive enough to cause skin irritation at the minumum, so I dilute a fair bit and still wear rubber gloves and goggles anyway (although after I dilute, I have gotten some on me and didnt feel/see any problems at all, so it not like the stuff is terrible or anything).Better safe than sorry.I recall it is pretty cheap too.

 

[Franco2shoot]

My recent M44 Mosin-Nagant must have been cosmolined in a pressure chamber. On disassembly of the barrel/magazine assembly the goop oozed out from under the forearm. The above mentioned cleaners just didn't hack it. (I couldn't find my favorite Easy-Off Oven cleaner). In desperation I went out back where the Lawnmower gas can is and dampened a cloth in Raw gasoline. To my amazement this did a good job and did not tint the wood. The rag needed constant turning as it kept coming out yellow with each successive wipe. I used gas on the barrel parts as well with good results. Final neutralization was done with common household cleaner from under the sink.

KKKKFL

 

[strat81]

http://www.formbys.com/products/refinisher.cfm


Used that on my CMP Garand and it worked like a charm. Smells like acetone and mineral spirits. Followed it up with HOT water.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

You're gonna laugh, but seriously this works.

Go to a car wash, self serve. Select the soapy spray choice. High pressure, hot, soapy water - gets into nooks and crannies - does the job.

Or, you can mess with chemicals, paper towels, hair dryers, and a lot of messy-ness in your home instead of leaving the mess at the car wash.

 

[TimboKhan]

Gas will take cosmoline off pretty well, but it isn't the safest thing in the world to do.