Not the guy on THR, but the actual stuff they packed the SKS in. I recently bought a Norinco SKS off gunbroker and it is is great condition, but every single nook and cranny in this rifle is packed full of cosmoline. Even the cleaning kit in the butstock is full of this aweful gel. Does anyone else have similar frusrations with this stuff?
I hate cosmoline!
- Thread starter WestEnd65
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BK
Member
I like the stuff, and I wish I had a 5 gallon bucket of it. The guy is pretty cool too.
Just use some boiling hot water, diesel fuel, or mineral spirits. I like the smell of diesel fuel myself.
Just use some boiling hot water, diesel fuel, or mineral spirits. I like the smell of diesel fuel myself.
Handgunner
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I hate it too.
I restored an old Mosin 38 last year and am in the process of doing the same thing to an M44 now. I am giving up on the wood on this one. No matter how much I heat this one, the stuff still keeps weeping. :banghead:
I am going to see if I can swap the one I already refinished to the M44 and get a sporter stock for the M38.
I restored an old Mosin 38 last year and am in the process of doing the same thing to an M44 now. I am giving up on the wood on this one. No matter how much I heat this one, the stuff still keeps weeping. :banghead:
I am going to see if I can swap the one I already refinished to the M44 and get a sporter stock for the M38.
ChronoCube
Member
I use a space heater. It makes the cosmoline seep out and every few minutes I wipe it off.
General Geoff
Member
pressurized steam will get all the cosmoline out of the stock.
Vicious-Peanut
Member
I think he's a nice enough guy, give him some more time before you judge him.
Seriously, it does suck.
Seriously, it does suck.
fireman 9731
Member
Thats part of the joy of shooting an old milsurp.... put a hundred rounds through it and you get to enjoy the magical stuff spontaneously generate out of all the cracks and crevices that you had previously thoroughly cleaned.
BK
Member
I've heated wood in the oven (to dry it), at the very lowest setting, which is around 170 degrees. I don't know if that would work on cosmoline though, if you can even fit the furniture in an oven.
Handgunner
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Like Chrono, I usually use a space heater. It works while I watch tv. Wipedown during commercials.
Not so much with this one though. ugggggghhhhh
KBintheSLC
Member
Mineral spirits, cheese cloth and a toothbrush... all it takes to melt it away. Without the cosmo, your rifle might not have survived this long in storage.
Well, it took me two hours, but I finally have a good bit of the cosmoline off. I gave up, because as soon as I had the rifle put back together, more seemed to seep out of places I just cleaned. Oh well, it is time to go run a few hundred rounds through it and forget about the cosmoline issue.
Boiling water is your friend. I had 12 old Sten mags that were packed full of cosmo. I dropped them is an old ammo tin along with a cup of simple-green cleaning solution and water. I put them on the side burner of the BBQ till the water boiled and pulled them out one at the time and drained the mag. They were so hot, they dried right off and not a spec of cosmo on them. It had all melted and settled out to the bottom of the tin. Works with parts too. A funnel will help pour boiling water down the bore and a heat gun will get the rest.
Shadow 7D
Member
I've been told, if you live in a hot part of the country, just take the stock and put it in a bag of kitty litter in your trunk, kitty litter draws the oils out, and the heat weeps them out, check it every week and it will get there with a little time, I usually just drop the whole rifle in a troth of mineral spirits or paint thinner and pull it out the next day, or when every I remember, then I worry about the stock after I finish with the metal. I've found that Tung Oil makes a great finsih, or Danish oil, if you want the rubbed look.
A note of caution, if you let the wood soak in solvent, you have to wait for it to "dry" before a finish will set, and yes I learned that one the hard way, and the kitty litter works wonders, if you have the patience.
For the inpatient, I would suggest oven cleaner and an oven, at about 200 -250 F, but it gets a little stinky. Spray the stock with oven cleaner, let it sit until you see it get slimy, wipe dry, and look see if you need to do a second time, remember to flush the stock with water or vinegar to neutralize the oven cleaner, (it will eat you skin and soften you fingernails, be safe) then bake in the oven, wiping every 15 to 30 minutes.
Repeat until your wife's yelling gets beyond what you can stand, or until you get board, which ever happens first, then wipe dry and set aside for a day, steam the dents and refinsh.
A note of caution, if you let the wood soak in solvent, you have to wait for it to "dry" before a finish will set, and yes I learned that one the hard way, and the kitty litter works wonders, if you have the patience.
For the inpatient, I would suggest oven cleaner and an oven, at about 200 -250 F, but it gets a little stinky. Spray the stock with oven cleaner, let it sit until you see it get slimy, wipe dry, and look see if you need to do a second time, remember to flush the stock with water or vinegar to neutralize the oven cleaner, (it will eat you skin and soften you fingernails, be safe) then bake in the oven, wiping every 15 to 30 minutes.
Repeat until your wife's yelling gets beyond what you can stand, or until you get board, which ever happens first, then wipe dry and set aside for a day, steam the dents and refinsh.
Kernel
Member
A kitchen dishwasher can be used to remove cosmoline. If necessary pull the racks out and wedge the stock in diagonally. Run it on pots-and-pans cycle and hot water setting, Use regular automatic dishwashing detergent. Sounds odd but works like a charm. Raises small dents, too.
Or, for wood that’s really deeply soaked with cosmo. One that leaches oily secretions. On a hot summer’s day, leave it in a car sitting in the sun with the windows rolled up. Periodically through the day, as the stuff oozes out of the wood, wipe it off with a rag soaked in paint thinner. Repeat as required, for a few days… or weeks.
Or, for wood that’s really deeply soaked with cosmo. One that leaches oily secretions. On a hot summer’s day, leave it in a car sitting in the sun with the windows rolled up. Periodically through the day, as the stuff oozes out of the wood, wipe it off with a rag soaked in paint thinner. Repeat as required, for a few days… or weeks.
inherentical
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That's what I used on an SKS I purchased. Worked like a charm.
Seriously, removing cosmo from the stock is not that bad of an ordeal!
1) Remove all metal parts so you just have the wood.
2) Soak rag in mineral spirits and run it up and down the stock.
3) Repeat step 2.
4) Repeat step 3. (you get the idea. Just do it until you stop seeing brown crud on the rag.)
5) Lightly sand the varnish off the stock. I use ~300 grit wet/dry sandpaper soaked in mineral spirits.
6) Once all finish is removed on the stock, rub it again with mineral spirits soaked rag.
7) Cnce you see that the wood is clean and clear, just sand with finer sandpaper and refinish with BLO or Tung oil and you're good to go!
I've done several stocks like this and have gotten fantastic results.
1) Remove all metal parts so you just have the wood.
2) Soak rag in mineral spirits and run it up and down the stock.
3) Repeat step 2.
4) Repeat step 3. (you get the idea. Just do it until you stop seeing brown crud on the rag.)
5) Lightly sand the varnish off the stock. I use ~300 grit wet/dry sandpaper soaked in mineral spirits.
6) Once all finish is removed on the stock, rub it again with mineral spirits soaked rag.
7) Cnce you see that the wood is clean and clear, just sand with finer sandpaper and refinish with BLO or Tung oil and you're good to go!
I've done several stocks like this and have gotten fantastic results.
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