Removing hardened cosmoline?

[Remander]

A friend has a nice Arisaka bayonet and scabbard that has been sitting around about 50+ years at his dad's house (in the scabbard). His dad is a WWII vet who brought it back.

It looks like the bayonet and the scabbard have a coats of hardened cosmoline, my guess anyway. The coating looks like varnish, complete with drip marks.

Bore cleaner and other gun cleaner stuff took some off, but a lot is left.

I'd like to clean these up for him, but not remove all the patina by scrubbing with an abrasive or steel wool.

I have read that paint thinner works well for this.

Is that the right route to go for this project? Any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

[zoom6zoom]

Heat. Put it on a drip tray under a hot lamp, or in a low oven, or boil it.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Deisel fuel will take it off... and a nylon scrub brush (like you find in a gun cleaning kit) make sure you work outside and don't smoke.

Let the gunked up metal soak for a half hour before you start scrubbing... it comes off pretty easily.

 

[Manedwolf]

Hair dryer can soften it, too. Just don't get it too close or hot, don't want to bake it on.

 

[QuickDraw]

I tried to boil some parts on my SKS.
It removed some,but left a lot more
than it took off.I think higher heat
is called for.
Paint thinner or diesel.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Diesel fuel

Put it in diesel let it set in the sun a few hours and scrub. Cleans it great.

It is the easiest and the best,

HQ

 

[oops!]

Mineral spirits is the thinner/solvent for cosmolene.

 

[Mauserguy]

Diesel works very well. Also, it is not flamable like most other solvents.
Cheers,
Mauserguy

 

[BEARMAN]

Goto www.surplusrifle.com then look at "articles" there are numerous methods of removing cosmoline. The best seems to be a heat box made with garbage cans and light bulbs, it just melts the cosmoline off. This is one of the heat methods www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2006/lowheatmethod2/index.asp

 

[Sunray]

Diesel fuel will eat the leather. Use mineral spirits on the steel and mild dish detergent with warm water with a plastic brush on the leather. Don't soak the leather though. Gently brush it with the soapy water. Once most of the crud is off, use a regular leather cleaner.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Diesel is a good cleaner

It will remove a lot of the nasty stuff from leather that it has aquired,
Let it dry as good as it will sitting in the sun then add a good leather product to get it back into shape.

It is a petroleum based item, most of the oils are petroleum based and need to be cut by the solvent. Diesel has a cutter and an oil all in one. Good stuff.

I like to let my firearms sit in it with the hot sun hitting it for about an hour, Rub them with a cheap brush you can buy at "Home Despot" for about a buck or less, and then blow them off with an air gun and then wipe them down with a clean old white, cotton tee shirt.

Use a patch, dry, after cleaning the bore with a brush. It is the easy way to go. Then ad sparingly oil where it is needed. I run a slightly damp diesel patch through the bore as a last step keeps it oiled, just right.

I have heard that you can leave to much flameable stuff in the barrel and really have a good flash at night But that can be with any of the products.

HQ

 

[oweno]

Maybe "cleaning" it would hurt its value? Is there a forum for WW-II Japanese military weapon collectors? If so, they'd know.