Cosmoline!

[nwilliams]

I've been using heavy duty oven cleaner and boiling water for years and it's worked really well for me.

 

[Sport45]

I did the boiling water thing to clean my first M1 stock. It cleaned it very well taking off all the cosmolene and grease. I'm sure the wood looked just like it did before being dunked in the finish oil that was used 50+ years ago.

Fast forward to now and I kind of regret stripping the stock of its character. The M1 carbine stock I'm working on now has spent several months in the attic in a garbage bag of driveway oil-sorb. On hot days it sets in the sun and I remove the oil as it seeps out by rubbing with the absorbent. I want this one to maintain the red patina that took 60+ years to achieve.

 

[asahrts]

Haha I thought this thread had to do with you at first lol.

Agreed, I laughed out loud at that comment!

 

[mdThanatos]

I may have missed it but I have heard of guys using dishwashers as a lazy way to do it. There is a surplus rifle forum that has an article discussing how to make an "oven" for lack of a better word out of metal trash cans, light bulbs and a rack for the rifle so you can bake it out. Generally for wood, I used the black trash bag and 105 degree temps outside. For metal I have used hot water, hoppes, break free, a steam gun and elbow grease.

 

[Slamfire]

I may have missed it but I have heard of guys using dishwashers as a lazy way to do it.

These guys probably died from poisoning, after eating off of plates contaminated with heavy metal particulates that came from the dishwasher.

There are “food” grade greases. Cosmoline is not one of those. There are some real nasty inhibitors in rust preventing greases. They are not to be considered food sources for the living.