I have a Yugo and a Russian SKS and everytime I shoot some cosmoline comes out of nowhere even though I cleaned them with several kinds of surfactants (soaps...) then dried (the metal parts, of course) in the oven. What can I do to remove the cosmoline totally?
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Store them in a hot attic wrapped in newprint works, but we ar enow moving into fall so I don't know if that helps. A heat gun can duplicate your shooting them till they get warm and bring out the cosmo as well. I've used a heat gun alot on my milisurps, others I stand in the attic for a month or 2.
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Another idea - wrap the stock wood in newspaper/paper towels, roll the bundle up in a couple of black leaf bags and place on dash of car/pickup etc. - a couple of sunny day "heat soaks" usually does the trick. I follow this with a good denat. alcohol cleaning then re-BLO for YUGO's or new shellac for Russians etc. I use non-chlorinated automotive brake cleaner in spray can to "blast" cosmoline out of nooks and crannies of metal parts after an initial washing with mineral spirits.
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Gasoline may be a little too much for some painted finishes, and it IS very flammable.
I recommend either cheap paint thinner, or one of the "gun scrubber" sprays.
Take the metal outside away from pilot lights, and pour some cheap Wal-Mart paint thinner in a can.
Use the thinner and solvent-proof toothbrushes and bottle brushes to soak and scrub the parts until the cosmoline is melted, dissolved and flushed off.
Allow to air dry, or blow dry with compressed air, OR use a hair dryer to warm the metal.
Another good method is the gun scrubber sprays. Some people use automotive brake cleaner, but TEST on the finish before using.
If it doesn't damage the finish, LIBERALLY spray everything down, paying special attention to joints and crevices.
After the metal is completely dry, apply a good rust proofing lube like CLP Breakfree. Since all the lube will be gone, even from in between areas like between the receiver and the trunnions, be sure to apply plenty of lube and allow to penetrate into those areas to prevent rust.
I recommend either cheap paint thinner, or one of the "gun scrubber" sprays.
Take the metal outside away from pilot lights, and pour some cheap Wal-Mart paint thinner in a can.
Use the thinner and solvent-proof toothbrushes and bottle brushes to soak and scrub the parts until the cosmoline is melted, dissolved and flushed off.
Allow to air dry, or blow dry with compressed air, OR use a hair dryer to warm the metal.
Another good method is the gun scrubber sprays. Some people use automotive brake cleaner, but TEST on the finish before using.
If it doesn't damage the finish, LIBERALLY spray everything down, paying special attention to joints and crevices.
After the metal is completely dry, apply a good rust proofing lube like CLP Breakfree. Since all the lube will be gone, even from in between areas like between the receiver and the trunnions, be sure to apply plenty of lube and allow to penetrate into those areas to prevent rust.
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I used brake cleaner and mineral spirits for the metal on my Yugo, but if i were doing it again i would first get a long plastic container and soak the metal in gasoline for a couple days then use mineral spirits & brakleaner on wats left. A length of pvc with a cap on one end would also work well for soaking it, ya might hide yer marlboros on the days yer plannin on doin this so ya don't slip up and have an unpleasant barbecue.
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roger that
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Be careful with heat guns..I friend of mine cooked a mauser stock trying to de-grease it with a heat gun.
WD-40....yep I use the hot car trick or even direct sunshine works pretty good on getting the stuff out.
After the heavy stuff is gone.. I use very hot water and dawn dishwashing liquid. Followed by a very hot rinse.
WD-40 for the remainder.
WD-40....yep I use the hot car trick or even direct sunshine works pretty good on getting the stuff out.
After the heavy stuff is gone.. I use very hot water and dawn dishwashing liquid. Followed by a very hot rinse.
WD-40 for the remainder.
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Is Goo-Gone any good for spot cleaning of cosmo?
I just bought a Norinco factory 26 and there's some left in the crossbolt hardware and a few other odd nooks and crannys. Not enough to need the whole gun sweated, just a few last scraps in the corners.....
I just bought a Norinco factory 26 and there's some left in the crossbolt hardware and a few other odd nooks and crannys. Not enough to need the whole gun sweated, just a few last scraps in the corners.....
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From www.thegunstockdoctor.com, makers of Tom's 1/3 Wax...
Typically, you can put this mixture in a 20 oz. water bottle, some disfiguring of the bottle
will occur, but it should be good for 3 or 4 months or so.
4 ounces of De-natured Alcohol
4 ounces of Turpentine
4 ounces of Raw Linseed Oil (I never tried BLO)
and 1 ounce of Ammonia
When using it on the stock, scrub with steel wool or possibly a green scratchy. How
dirty the stock is, will determine how many times you have to use it. Typically, for a M1
Garrand Stock from Korea - you know the really grungy ones, it will take 2 or 3
"treatments". Wipe the stock with a disposable rag with Mineral Spirits in between
applications. Also, let the stock set for a day between treatments - you are using
Linseed Oil here.
Due to the Linseed Oil, your stock is pretty much "Finished" when you're done cleaning
it. A quick go over with my 1/3 Mix and you'll be done.
Typically, you can put this mixture in a 20 oz. water bottle, some disfiguring of the bottle
will occur, but it should be good for 3 or 4 months or so.
4 ounces of De-natured Alcohol
4 ounces of Turpentine
4 ounces of Raw Linseed Oil (I never tried BLO)
and 1 ounce of Ammonia
When using it on the stock, scrub with steel wool or possibly a green scratchy. How
dirty the stock is, will determine how many times you have to use it. Typically, for a M1
Garrand Stock from Korea - you know the really grungy ones, it will take 2 or 3
"treatments". Wipe the stock with a disposable rag with Mineral Spirits in between
applications. Also, let the stock set for a day between treatments - you are using
Linseed Oil here.
Due to the Linseed Oil, your stock is pretty much "Finished" when you're done cleaning
it. A quick go over with my 1/3 Mix and you'll be done.
I've been using plain ol' kerosene for going on 40 yrs now. It's cheap, readily available about everywhere, relatively non-toxic, a whole s--t load less disaster potential than gasoline (??!!!!!), won't strip or damage most mil-spec metal or wood finishes and works like a charm.
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Lemon oil
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You won't find a better way than this if you've got a real cosmo problem! http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2006/lowheatmethod/index.asp
The worst sks's were the albies and i purchased a large blue tub from walmart and filled it with 3 gallons of kerosene. I disassembled the sks and let it soak for days in the kerosene and washed it with a soft parts cleaning brush every other day till it was clean and free of all the caked on cosmoline. Then i took the orginal G.I. Rifle bore cleaner and gave it a full G.I. cleaning.
Trust me all the other sks's are cake to clean, the albies were the worst.
Its either kerosene or deisel fuel, I heard that deisel fuel works good too.
Trust me all the other sks's are cake to clean, the albies were the worst.
Its either kerosene or deisel fuel, I heard that deisel fuel works good too.
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52 Posts
Heat gun
used with proper care there is no better.
I cleaned up two unissued Yugos that way.
No need to over do it.
Take parts to the "hot potato" stage, just to the point where it is uncomfortable to handle them with bare fingers, but not to the burning hot stage and wipe off all you can with rags or paper towels.
The cosmo will be quite liquified at this temperature. It sure does stink though!!
At least the yugo stuff does, I don't remember Chinese or Ishapore smelling so bad.
Use your WD40 or carb cleaner, or brake cleaner while parts or still warm. Clean narrrow places like inside trigger group and firing pin channel etc. with the solvent. The heat just makes it work better but also evaporate quicker.
Also, IMHO, you must have Qtips, pipe cleaners, dental picks and one more tool that some of you might be unfamiliar with, the little set of fold up reamers used for cleaning the tip of a oxy/acetylene torch.
used with proper care there is no better.
I cleaned up two unissued Yugos that way.
No need to over do it.
Take parts to the "hot potato" stage, just to the point where it is uncomfortable to handle them with bare fingers, but not to the burning hot stage and wipe off all you can with rags or paper towels.
The cosmo will be quite liquified at this temperature. It sure does stink though!!
At least the yugo stuff does, I don't remember Chinese or Ishapore smelling so bad.
Use your WD40 or carb cleaner, or brake cleaner while parts or still warm. Clean narrrow places like inside trigger group and firing pin channel etc. with the solvent. The heat just makes it work better but also evaporate quicker.
Also, IMHO, you must have Qtips, pipe cleaners, dental picks and one more tool that some of you might be unfamiliar with, the little set of fold up reamers used for cleaning the tip of a oxy/acetylene torch.
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27,677 Posts
Not recommended
But kerosene does well, and not nearly as flammable. The dashboard plan with newspapers in a plastic bag works great-concur with this plan.
Someone on the boards recommended Dawn Power Dissolver. Its for cleaning baked on grease and that sort of thing. I didn't have much faith but at $1.98 a bottle at Walmart it was worth a try especially since wood stripper, mineral spirits, lacquer thinner and baking stocks in my car wasn't working very well. So I tried it and the results were Great! My M1 carbine stock came out like a beautiful piece of furniture wood. My AR43 Mauser came out nearly as well. And there was absolutely no discoloration like what can happen when you use oven cleaner.
Now I can't bring myself to turn back them back into military stocks with BLO/turp/beeswax. They are just toooo nice! I am thinking of using a walnut stain or maybe mahogany so the grain will show up better. Appreciate your opinion or ideas.
Now I can't bring myself to turn back them back into military stocks with BLO/turp/beeswax. They are just toooo nice! I am thinking of using a walnut stain or maybe mahogany so the grain will show up better. Appreciate your opinion or ideas.
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gasoline
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