HBK
member
So...what's the best way to get the Cosmoline off the rifle? Anyone got a step by step process that they do?
Cosmoline Removal Question.
- Thread starter HBK
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ocabj
Member
Off metal? I'd use mineral spirits. Brake cleaner is better, but if you have a rearsenaled Russian rifle, it may have paint on the metal parts and brake cleaner will remove paint. Of course, if you plan on re-bluing, then it doesn't matter.
As far as wood, it's debatable. I used a heat gun on my 91/30. I was able to get most of it out that way, but I need to refinish it because the wood looks really washed out. Some people use oven cleaner. This works, but others claim that this will destroy the wood. Some use water and one of those rainbow cleaners like the Purple Power or Simple Green stuff. This is probably better than oven cleaner. The only thing with water is that you need to let it dry naturally. Don't try to speed dry it with a heat gun or in the sunlight on a warm day because you can warp the stock.
Check out http://www.surplusrifle.com. There are a few articles and tips on there regarding cosmoline removal.
As far as wood, it's debatable. I used a heat gun on my 91/30. I was able to get most of it out that way, but I need to refinish it because the wood looks really washed out. Some people use oven cleaner. This works, but others claim that this will destroy the wood. Some use water and one of those rainbow cleaners like the Purple Power or Simple Green stuff. This is probably better than oven cleaner. The only thing with water is that you need to let it dry naturally. Don't try to speed dry it with a heat gun or in the sunlight on a warm day because you can warp the stock.
Check out http://www.surplusrifle.com. There are a few articles and tips on there regarding cosmoline removal.
Lennyjoe
Member
My plan of attack on the SKS I have coming;
Total breakdown. All metal parts will go into a pot of boiling water with a touch of dish liquid. Boil the parts til they are clean. Use a toothbrush for hard to remove stuff.
The stock will be wrapped in newspaper and put in a black garbage bag and laid in the sun on the back porch for the day. (Easy to do in Tucson)
The barrel will go to the carwash and I am going to use the pressure washer with soap to blow out the barrel and gas chamber.
Oil everything down. Make sure the firing pin channel is clean and the pin moves freely.
I got all the info from www.surplusrifles.com
They have some good info there. Even teardown and build up videos.
Total breakdown. All metal parts will go into a pot of boiling water with a touch of dish liquid. Boil the parts til they are clean. Use a toothbrush for hard to remove stuff.
The stock will be wrapped in newspaper and put in a black garbage bag and laid in the sun on the back porch for the day. (Easy to do in Tucson)
The barrel will go to the carwash and I am going to use the pressure washer with soap to blow out the barrel and gas chamber.
Oil everything down. Make sure the firing pin channel is clean and the pin moves freely.
I got all the info from www.surplusrifles.com
They have some good info there. Even teardown and build up videos.
Omaha-BeenGlockin
Member
WD-40 removes the goop fairly well----inexpensive too. Use as a stripper only---go back to your normal gun cleaning fluids after the gunk is off.
Spray it on and let it soak in for a few minutes.
Spray it on and let it soak in for a few minutes.
HBK
member
Wow, this is gonna be a much bigger PITA than I thought! I guess it will be worth it, though. Thanks for the help, guys. The rifle should get here Friday, so that'll be my Saturday project.Omaha-BeenGlockin
Member
It gets easier with experience------my first SKS took a whole day---literally------the second was done in about 3 hours.
I can tell you how I do it. I have been satisfied with my method, but I have had other challenge me on it.
I try to wipe off as much as I can with paper towels. I then disassemble the rifle and put it in the bathtub. I spray everything down with a liquid soap. I use a brush to clean the hard to reach areas. I use a product called "Purple Power" that I bought at the local auto parts store. I would imagine that Simple Green, 409 or similar products would work fine. I let everything sit for 15 minutes or so. I then wash it all off with the shower. If that didn't get it all, I do it until all the cosmoline is removed.
I then clean the metal parts with bore cleaner and a tooth brush. I clean the barrel just like I would after shooting. I make sure all the water is gone and everything is lightly lubricated. For the wood parts I rub in coats of boiled linseed oil until I get tired of it, or at least until the stock no longer appears dry.
Usually after I fire the gun I clean it as normal and I apply a fresh coat of boiled linseed oil to the stock.
I try to wipe off as much as I can with paper towels. I then disassemble the rifle and put it in the bathtub. I spray everything down with a liquid soap. I use a brush to clean the hard to reach areas. I use a product called "Purple Power" that I bought at the local auto parts store. I would imagine that Simple Green, 409 or similar products would work fine. I let everything sit for 15 minutes or so. I then wash it all off with the shower. If that didn't get it all, I do it until all the cosmoline is removed.
I then clean the metal parts with bore cleaner and a tooth brush. I clean the barrel just like I would after shooting. I make sure all the water is gone and everything is lightly lubricated. For the wood parts I rub in coats of boiled linseed oil until I get tired of it, or at least until the stock no longer appears dry.
Usually after I fire the gun I clean it as normal and I apply a fresh coat of boiled linseed oil to the stock.
ocabj
Member
Yeah. Removing cosmoline from a stock can take a bit of work. That's why I was extremely happy when I received my Czech Vz24 Mauser from Empire Arms to find it was pre-cleaned of cosmoline (metal 100%, stock in unissued condition).
mainmech48
Member
I've always used plain ol' kerosene and a couple of brushes. Field strip the piece and remove the stock. I use an oil change pan, but a two-lb coffee can will usually work, too. Best done outdoors or in a well-ventilated garage.
Pour a pint or so in the container. Subassemblies like bolts, trigger groups, etc. go in for a brief soak. Brush 'n flush until all the gunk is dissolved. Wipe and/or blow them dry with compressed air.
Barrel/receiver gets the same treatment with one end in the pan to catch the solvent, swapping ends as necessary.
The wood can be wiped off with rags dampened with kerosene. DON"T SOAK THEM! An old bath towel works fine. Wipe them dry thoroughly. I've never had a problem with stripping or other damage to original military finishes on either wood or metal using this method.
After everything is clean and dry, lube and reassemble.
DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WITH GASOLINE!!! Several orders of magnitude more hazardous in terms of both flammability and vapor inhalation. It'll also strip the finish off of the wood and lift many enamels from metal.
Pour a pint or so in the container. Subassemblies like bolts, trigger groups, etc. go in for a brief soak. Brush 'n flush until all the gunk is dissolved. Wipe and/or blow them dry with compressed air.
Barrel/receiver gets the same treatment with one end in the pan to catch the solvent, swapping ends as necessary.
The wood can be wiped off with rags dampened with kerosene. DON"T SOAK THEM! An old bath towel works fine. Wipe them dry thoroughly. I've never had a problem with stripping or other damage to original military finishes on either wood or metal using this method.
After everything is clean and dry, lube and reassemble.
DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WITH GASOLINE!!! Several orders of magnitude more hazardous in terms of both flammability and vapor inhalation. It'll also strip the finish off of the wood and lift many enamels from metal.
Destructo6
Member
The initial cosmoline removal was pretty easy with my Yugo SKS. Paper towel wipedown followed by mineral spirits and such.
Whenever I went to the range, however, it would start to sweat grease.
I went to re-refinish it last week and had a heck of a time getting all of the cosmoline out of the wood. I would Easy-off the stock, scrub it with a greenie, rinse, and repeat. Every time I thought I was done, I would notice a greasy spot on the stock, then more and more as the stock warmed up in the sun. Applying heat, via a heat gun, to an apparently grease-free portion of the stock was rewarded with grease bubbling to the surface.
I finally gave up getting every last bit of grease, so I gave it one last Easy-off treatment and let it dry indoors. That cleaned the surface enough to stain and spray varnish it. It looks pretty nice now.
Whenever I went to the range, however, it would start to sweat grease.
I went to re-refinish it last week and had a heck of a time getting all of the cosmoline out of the wood. I would Easy-off the stock, scrub it with a greenie, rinse, and repeat. Every time I thought I was done, I would notice a greasy spot on the stock, then more and more as the stock warmed up in the sun. Applying heat, via a heat gun, to an apparently grease-free portion of the stock was rewarded with grease bubbling to the surface.
I finally gave up getting every last bit of grease, so I gave it one last Easy-off treatment and let it dry indoors. That cleaned the surface enough to stain and spray varnish it. It looks pretty nice now.
TheOtherOne
Member
I concur. My first one wasn't quite a whole day but it took about 3 movies on HBO. My second one I finished through Harry Potter.
I am trying to order a third SKS now and I think one of the reasons is because I'm looking forward to sitting down in front of the TV with a few cokes and getting to work stripping it down.
I fill the bottom of a bucket with mineral spirits and then put all the metal parts that will fit in it and let them soak. The barrel I just spray off/out with Gun Scrubber/Brake Cleaner. I wipe the stock down with a rag a few times throughout the process (but DO NOT use mineral spirits on your rag unless you want to refinish your stock) and then I put everything back together and add a light coat of CLP as I go.
VG
Member
Purple Power appears to have the same active ingrdient as oven cleaner.
Mineral Spirits usually work well on wood. If it is well soaked, heating may be required to draw it out enough to refinish.
Mineral Spirits usually work well on wood. If it is well soaked, heating may be required to draw it out enough to refinish.
One thing to consider is that most of these stocks were originally finished with something like boiled linseed oil. Back in the day, the soldier would occasionally wipe down his stock with BLO, expecially around inspection time. So, when you are oiling a stock, you are not refinishing a stock. You are not staining it, sanding it, varnishing it etc. You are simply maintaining it in the way it was intended to be maintained.
When you are trying to remove cosmoline, dirt, and such from the rifle by using products such as soap, it will remove some or even a lot of the oil from the stock. Doesn't hurt a thing. You just add more.
When you are trying to remove cosmoline, dirt, and such from the rifle by using products such as soap, it will remove some or even a lot of the oil from the stock. Doesn't hurt a thing. You just add more.
Sunray
Member
"...bigger PITA than I thought..." It's not that big of a deal. Kind of messy though. Take it apart and drop the whole thing, stock and all, into a tank of mineral spirits or any degreasant (Easy Off is for removing carbon and will remove paint) and leave it there for 24 hours. Then use a plastic brush to brush off the cosmoline. Then clean as per normal.
Remember to oil the metal and apply a coat or two of BLO to the wood when you're done. Do not dump the resulting sludge down the drain.
Remember to oil the metal and apply a coat or two of BLO to the wood when you're done. Do not dump the resulting sludge down the drain.
Cosmoline
Member
444 makes an excellent point--one too often lost on collectors. It is not proper to keep these firearms in the filthy condition they are often found in. The stocks will split and eventually fall apart. There's nothing sacred or valuable about a stock that hasn't been oiled in ages, and continued maintenance should not be seen as someone ruining the historic value of the firearm.
Diggler
Member
I've heard that you should wait till your wife leaves, then wrap the stock in aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 150 degrees for a few hours.
Lennyjoe
Member
I have heard of fellas putting the stock in the oven at 150 and taking it out from time to time to wipe it down but I aint doing that in my house. Wife will skin me alive.
Besides, I have the Arizona Sun to do the dirty work for me.
Besides, I have the Arizona Sun to do the dirty work for me.
russlate
Member
I believe there was an article in the Rifleman where plain white flour was mixed with acetone and applied to the stock with a brush and let sit in the hot sun. A black baggie over it would help retain the heat.
Possibly prefaced with several applications of straight acetone.
Brush off when dried out and repeat the procedure until you are satisfied or give up/out.
I think this may have been one method to use on over-oiled stocks to draw oil from the inside of inletted parts of the stock.
Keep meaning to do this with my No.4's but forgetting to do it when July and August roll around.
Possibly prefaced with several applications of straight acetone.
Brush off when dried out and repeat the procedure until you are satisfied or give up/out.
I think this may have been one method to use on over-oiled stocks to draw oil from the inside of inletted parts of the stock.
Keep meaning to do this with my No.4's but forgetting to do it when July and August roll around.
Ben Shepherd
Member
I use foaming engine degreaser for the heavy work. It gets 80% of the gunk off, but wont harm any painted stuff(like your sight graduations on the grenade sight of a Yugo model), or the bluing.
Then seperate the stock from the actual gun, and get busy with a tooth brush and a dedicated gun cleaner of some type on all the metal parts. Hose the stock down with brake clean a couple times, this pulls the cosmoline out of the wood very well. Then set the stock out in the sun for a couple hours to sweat the rest out.
Then its a light sand and finish job on the stock, lube the metal parts up, and reassemble.
NOTE: MAKE SURE THE FIRING PIN RATTLES FREELY IN THE BOLT BEFORE SHOOTING THE GUN.
Then seperate the stock from the actual gun, and get busy with a tooth brush and a dedicated gun cleaner of some type on all the metal parts. Hose the stock down with brake clean a couple times, this pulls the cosmoline out of the wood very well. Then set the stock out in the sun for a couple hours to sweat the rest out.
Then its a light sand and finish job on the stock, lube the metal parts up, and reassemble.
NOTE: MAKE SURE THE FIRING PIN RATTLES FREELY IN THE BOLT BEFORE SHOOTING THE GUN.
SuicideKing
Member
Little trick I use on the wood......
clean stock with Purple Power.. then.
get a box of corn starch.... dump half of it in a bowl you wont use again.......
take some paint thinner or acetone and make a pancake batter out of it.
Paint on a liberal coating on the stock and let this dry on there.
Once it is dry... do your black plastic bag thing/put in hot car in the sun thing...
the hot cosmo will seep into the cornstarch instead of just gathering on the surface.
wash the stock again with Purple Power.
repeat as needed.
clean stock with Purple Power.. then.
get a box of corn starch.... dump half of it in a bowl you wont use again.......
take some paint thinner or acetone and make a pancake batter out of it.
Paint on a liberal coating on the stock and let this dry on there.
Once it is dry... do your black plastic bag thing/put in hot car in the sun thing...
the hot cosmo will seep into the cornstarch instead of just gathering on the surface.
wash the stock again with Purple Power.
repeat as needed.
bigmtnman
Member
I don't know why more people don't try boiling water? I take down all the metal parts and put them in a large collander. Then repeatedly pour boiling water over the pieces. It just melts the cosmo right off. The barrel gets the water poured in both ends several times. This gets 99% of the cosmoline off and the remainder is flushed off with brake cleaner. One hint. Wear gloves or an oven mitt to pick up the pieces after the pour. Unless you don't intend to inspect them too closely.
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