easy and chemical free way to remove cosmoline

[UniversalFrost]

ok, cleaned up the AK, but didn't even use any chemicals!!!


Was in Lowes with the wife looking at biodegradable / earth friendly cleaners (she is on a save the planey kick lately) and as we walked down the cleaning stuff aisle I noticed an oval shaped galvanized steel tub that holds 5.5 gallons. I instantly grabbed it and first thing that came to mind was using this to boil the parts on the gun. it was only 9 bucks so i bought it. well when I went to put it on the stove the wife said NO, and then I was just thinking now what??? then I thought, why not use my gas bbq grill??

well the tub with the parts went on the grill, set at high for 45 minutes to get a nice boil and the cosmo came right off. only thing I did have to do was rotate the barreled receiver a few times sine only about 2/3's would fit in the tub at any time. i also had an old metal cup that i used to pour water down the barrel and action (which ever was sticking about the water) and an old set of bbq tongs to "mix" the parts with and agitate the water. this really helped with the bolt (had previously boiled) and it still dripped cosmo for awhile till i got it entirely clean.

once parts were cosmoline free I hit them with some of the breakfree (folks that make CLP) powder blast which is a citrus based cleaner (works great at removing any type of oil, powder residue, etc...) then applied some CLP to the inside and outside of the gun and gave the bore and chamber a really good scrubbing to make sure no residue from the cosmoline. put everything back together and am good to go.

Here are some pictures

 

[General Geoff]

Cheap way to steam clean your gun Wouldn't recommend it for wood furniture, though.

 

[MinnMooney]

That's an awfully nice looking tub for only $9 ! I believe it's better than some of my cooking pots & pans. I'm single..... obviously.

 

[loose cannon]

sure beat a roll of paper towels and elbow grease.thats how i de-cosmoed my first chicom sks in the early 90s.didnt hink id ever get it all out lol.

universal frost's method is working smarter

 

[cleardiddion]

Another easy trick for hot places is to take the rifle, roll it up in some old tshirts or some other cloth, and leave it in a black garbage bag in the trunk during the day. Just swap out the cloth a day or so later and repeat till done. Takes a while but it gets the job done.

 

[JDGray]

A friend of mine put his naked SKS, into our engine block - parts washer, at work. Clean in 5 minutes

 

[UniversalFrost]

yeah, that was my first thought to either take it to a friends engine shop and either hot tank it or use the parts washer, but was the weekend and friend was out of town.

 

[wishin]

Brings back not so fond memories of when I joined the Army in 1958! At that time, we were being issued WWII cosmolined Garands and had to clean them with soap and water. What I would have given for HOT water and 50 years of experience.

 

[raindog]

I've used hot water for milsurp metal many times. Works great. You can boil bolts on a range top, too, but make sure it isn't your wife's favorite pot...ask me how I know...

For metal, brake cleaner works great, too.

For wood, I bake in the oven at ~200F and wipe a lot. It's OK if you can't fit it all in the oven and have to leave the door cracked - I think cosmo melts at 150 or so.

 

[LeonCarr]

If I was your neighbor, I would have asked why you were cooking your AK .

Those clothes steamers work great for removing cosmoline.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[mete]

Cosmoline melts at about 150 F. Somewhere on the web there's instructions to make an oven with a galnanized garbage can and lightbulbs for heat. Melt out the cosmoline and remove any remaining with solvent or hot detergent.

 

[rogertc1]

What happens to the water after you polute it with cosmoline? Putting it down the sewer or in the yard / ground would both be the polution of the water table and rivers. I guess one could take the poluted water to a recycling center?

 

[UniversalFrost]

yeah my normal method of removing cosmoline from surplus guns involves simple green, oven cleaner, lots of paper towels, and a black trash sack and if really bad then get the keroseone. I also was thinking of using engine degreaser this time around since I had a case of it left over from my engine rebuild and I had almost bought a steam cleaner after hearing a lot positives on getting the cosmoline out of every thing, but then I saw the metal tub.

works like a charm and now i just need to get another mauser that is soaked in the cosmoline (including stock) to try out and see just how fast I can do an entire rifle.

What happens to the water after you polute it with cosmoline? Putting it down the sewer or in the yard / ground would both be the polution of the water table and rivers. I guess one could take the poluted water to a recycling center?

the cosmoline floated to the top. I used the metal cup to remove it from teh water and dumped in with my old oil from an oil change and took to the parts store where they dispose of it.

also one other positive of having the tub is that you can put ice in it and have a place to store your beers and sodas!

 

[bluetopper]

Do it outside out of the way of anything, but gasoline dissolves cosmoline away in a snap.
Plus it evaporates quickly.