Remove cosmoline darkening

[Citron]

Not sure if this is the right forum, please move if needed.

I have a Mosin Nagant 91/30 circa 1944 non issued mil surplus. Set in cosmoline until I bought it a few years ago. Shoots real nice, very accurate. I would like to clean up the wood and refinish it. The wood is all nearly black from the years of cosmoline. What is the best way to do this? Sanding? Chemical remover?

 

[DocRock]

Start with a mild degreaser like Citristrip. Apply, leave it for 45 mins, remove with scotch brite and paper towels. It will probably take 3 -4 applications to get the surface stuff off.

Once as much of the surface stuff is off, the sun is your friend. You want to sweat the rest out. If you are in a cold dreary climate, wait for the spring. Stuff the stock in a black trash bag and leave it out in the sun all day. In the afternoon, wipe it down with paper towels and a mild cleaning agent like Zep. Keep doing it until it stops sweating Cosmoline.

Now, the wood is dry. It wants some moisture and oils returned. Boiled Lindseed Oil is best. While the genuine pure BLO is probably best, it takes forever to dry. The stuff with the drying agents is fine. Wear gloves. If you want the red to bed finish the Soviets were fond of, you can mix in a little reddish stain the first few coats. Go !ight and build up to desired hue. Five to seven coats, 24 hours drying, going over with #0000 steel wool on each dried layer will give you a bloody good looking stock.

 

[Citron]

I did the black trash bag thing when I first got it, but only enough that I couldn't feel it on the stock anymore. So it is really just drawing the cosmoline out of the wood with the sun? Will the wood lighten in colour as it is drawn out? That will have to wait, I live in Washington, rainy season right now. Do you think an oven set real low, like around 200F would work? I have an oven in the shop for bake on coatings and heat assembly of engine parts.

Thanks for the tip on the BLO. I have quite a bit in the wood shop, and reddish stain.

 

[DocRock]

I wouldn't do the oven myself but wait and see if others have some experience of it. @GunnyUSMC usually has very good tips on milsurp stock refinishing. Hopefully he will be along and opine.

 

[wiscoaster]

Oh, please don't sand it to remove Cosmoline, it's in there too deep. Acetone cuts Cosmoline fairly well, but it'll also remove the underlying color and the finish, which in the case of a Mosin is likely to be shellac. However if you're refinishing anyway, you probably want a method that works fast; gentleness isn't a priority. Your oven idea sounds good, but I wouldn't turn it up that high. 150 degrees ought to be plenty. For a really dirty rifle on which I'm not preserving the finish anyway I like to finish up with a hot shower and Simple Green. This is going to raise the grain, so it will need a very light sanding w/ 400 grit after it dries and before you do anything else.

 

[Citron]

Okay. That sounds like something I could start on pretty soon, since I wouldn't need to wait for the sun. Plus, I already have the acetone. I like projects that don't cost anything.

 

[HankC]

Do you think an oven set real low, like around 200F would work?

I did 2 SKSs on my BBQ grill to remove Cosmoline! Works but be careful and check frequently.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I found when sanding with steel wool that it is almost impossible to remove all the metal fragments from the stock, I like to use green scouring pads and hardwood dowels