Cleaning Cosmoline....what is the best cleaner(s)

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bjkbush.theswissriflesd...	Cleaning Cosmoline....what is the best cleaner(s)	Lead	[-]
Posts: 4 (02/05/08 05:09 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None I went to Home Depot and Lowe's to purchase some cleaner for removing some cosmoline from a new rifle purchase. After going to the paint departments at both stores, I became a little confused. I believe that I have read that mineral spirits is the usual recommended cleaner for removing cosmoline from guns. After finding the mineral spirits, I realized that there are two kinds...paint thinner (100% mineral spirits) and oderless mineral spirits. What is the difference between the two and which is the better of the two. I also see that both stores have various other cleaners such as acetone, naptha, toluene, xylene, denatured alcohol, laquer thinner, etc. Are any of these any better than the mineral spirits for removing the cosmoline? I ended up getting the paint thinner (100% mineral spirits) but I guess I can carry it back if I purchased the wrong thing or if there is something better. I figured that some of the other cleaners might be so strong that it also strips the bluing and/or the wood on the rifle also. Thanks for all comments back. Last Edited By: bjkbush 02/05/08 05:20 PM. Edited 1 time.
Cabinetman		#1	[-]
Posts: 5109 (02/06/08 11:12 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Welcome to the forum! Let me start by saying that there is little difference between mineral spririts and "oderless" MS other than the fact that one is less "smelly" than the other. That being said, I would not recommend either one. MS is very oily. It will most certainly remove stuff from the surface of a stock but it'll also really "wet" the surface and take a long time to evaporate from the stock afterwards. If the stock is cosmo contaminated, the MS will only make things a bit worse since it's oily. I've always recommended lacquer thinner or acetone. Both of those solvents will cut right through the hardest preservative on the stock and will also evaporate quickly. Neither Acetone or Lac Thinner will harm any bluing or any remaining finish, either. Both are what I have used for years and can recommend here. So, if you have paint brushes, keep the MS. It does a good job on metal pieces, btw, just not on the wood, itself. You'll want to remove all the metal bits from the stock before you begin, anyway. Hope that helps. Let us know about your progress. Rome A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
dogboysdad		#2	[-]
Posts: 49 (02/08/08 09:04 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I have used the cheap brake cleaner from the auto parts store many times.
ptrthgr8		#3	[-]
Posts: 3684 (02/14/08 11:55 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I've done dozens and dozens of rifle stocks with a fairly simple method: stick 'em in the oven for a few hours (tmioe varies upon amount of cosmo ickiness) at 175 degrees (or the 'warm' setting) and then run 'em out to the garage for a bath in mineral spirits. I use a fairly coarse/stiff paintbrush to get the cosmo out of the nooks and crannies, but most of the stuff comes out pretty easily since the heat from the oven leaches it to the surface. Agreed, Rome, that the mineral spirits are fairly oily, but I've also found that everything evaporates much quicker when the wood is one the warm side. Of course, I only use that method on stocks with an oil finish. And I've yet to have any issues with the new coats of Behr's #600 that I apply afterwards. I usually wait until the day after cosmo removal to allow all of the mineral spirits to evaporate. I'm not a big fan of acetone and laquer thinner... can't stand the smell of the stuff. The odorless mineral spirits work just as well (IMHO) without the stink. Cheers, ~ Greg ~ "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse." -- John Stuart Mill Check out my photos! public.fotki.com/ptrthgr8/ Click here to adopt a US sniper today!
Pezman1	Cosmo removal.	#4	[-]
Posts: 1742 (02/17/08 11:28 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	And I combine Cabinetman's and Ptrthgr8's methods. First I use Laquer Thinner and old rags to remove the cosmo. Do this outdoors, as it does stink. The LT evaporates almost instantly and doesn't "strip" the wood. Next I bake anything that fits in the oven at 200 degrees for a bit then immediately do the laquer thinner rubdown again Finally, if there are big dents or gouges I steam the stock by placing a wet washcloth over the area then press a hot iron on it for "five-one thousands" I follow up by rubbing the treated are with an extra-fine 3M "sandblaster pad" just enough to get any raised wood whiskers. Although people here use and swear by Behrs#600, I love and use Lin-Speed BLO. So easy to use, such excellent results, and nothing to clean up. Just rub it in with your hands untill it won't absorb anymore, set your stock aside to dry overnight, and wash your hands with plain old soap and water. I realize this finish is not as weather-proof as the Behr or others, but I don't care.
MIbrad		#5	[-]
Posts: 326 (03/01/08 03:54 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Brownells sells a product called Whiting. It's a white powder thats designed to pull excess oil and grease out of old gunstocks. I mix it with acetone to make a paste then brush it on a warm stock. Works well for me. Its messy but gets the job done. Brad
Aladinbama	From an old post here ...	#6	[-]
Posts: 144 (03/28/08 10:47 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I picked this up off of here a while back. It's suppose to be an old British formula (I think). It really works well on just about everything I've tried it on so far. I scrub it with #000 or #0000 steel wool and wipe it down with a turp soaked rag afterwards (be careful - flammable), and yes, if the stock is really grungy, it can be a little messy. 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 Give it a shot. Tom Please Visit My Website
600racer		#7	[-]
Posts: 10 (12/21/08 12:13 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tom, I'm going to try your recipe on an Isreali K98 that the stock is nearly as black as the metal. It looks as if it was soaked in used motor oil and it has a few worm holes in it. MIbrads idea sounds good since I saw some whiting at a local mil-surp store. I've heard of using oven cleaners or dishwashers but I would rather leave them to cleaning ovens and dishes. Some dent steaming might be tried once I get it cleaned up to a point I can see what I'm dealing with. I'll keep the idea of kitty litter in a black bag and Purple Power in mind also. When/if I get the stock clean enough, what would be a good correct finish? BLO or Tung oil? Of course the Finn wax I ordered from you should hopefully complete things. It'll be a spring project since working outside this time of year is not that much fun. Kevin
eb in oregon		#8	[-]
Posts: 533 (12/21/08 02:00 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I use a 3"x5"x36" aluminum trough that a friend made me years ago, filled with diesel fuel. Seems to work just fine, I recycle the fuel as a fire starter, and it's pretty cheap to do. After removing the cosmoline I'll clean the metal in hot water and Simple Green. I remove the metal from the stock, detail strip, soak and brush the metal, wipe it off, re-clean, and reassemble the action. The stock I'll bake under a heat lamp, which boils out all the oil and cosomoline. I'll bake it until it doesn't weep any more oil or cosmo then refinish with BLO or what ever is appropriate for that stock. When all done, reassemble and shoot. http://www.sandygunworks.com/articles/a003.htm Eric "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin, July 4 1776 Last Edited By: eb in oregon 12/22/08 08:27 AM. Edited 2 times.
Cabinetman		#9	[-]
Posts: 5253 (12/21/08 06:39 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Ebb, you don't mean that you "soak" the stock do you? Rome A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
eb in oregon		#10	[-]
Posts: 534 (12/21/08 09:06 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	No man, I'm not that much of a gorf! I just use heat on the stock. Eric "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin, July 4 1776
groundsman03A3		#11	[-]
Posts: 208 (12/21/08 09:09 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Sorry for hijacking your post and question, bjkbush, I use the acetone on rags to remove the goo on the stocks, and use mineral spirits on the metal pieces. I recall my father telling me, that when he was in the Marine Corps in 1950. He was in an expedited basic training class, shipping out to Korea in November. They were all isssued M1 Garands. Dad said that he recalled someone saying that the rifles were left-overs from WWII. He said that they were issued rifles that had been packed in crates, and the crates were full of greasy cosmoline. After being handed a rifle, they were instructed to dunk their rifle into drums of kerosene. After a bath in that, most of the large masses of goo were disolved off, they were given rags to get rid of the rest. Once clean, he noticed that there were rifles of all kinds of condition. Some looked like they had been in a war, others were very nice. The oven method. I got a friend, his wife didn't appreciate the leftovers in the oven and the smells in the house either. groundsman03A3 "these pretzels are making me thirsty" (Kramer)
Cabinetman		#12	[-]
Posts: 5254 (12/21/08 11:40 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Phew. I misunderstood your post. Thanks! Rome A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
600racer		#13	[-]
Posts: 11 (01/04/09 11:40 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I just got through using kerosene and a stiff paint brush for the metal on an M39. Worked great.
eb in oregon		#14	[-]
Posts: 593 (01/04/09 12:05 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Kerosene and diesel are very similar. Diesel is cheaper by the gallon though, and I run diesel in my garden tractor so I HAVE some of that. "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin, July 4 1776
dadcat069	cosmoline removal	#15	[-]
Posts: 59 (01/06/09 08:44 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Years ago I bought 10 Albanian SKSs from AIM at $50 a piece. Since they were basically a gun shaped lump of grease and I had quite a few to clean I came up with this- 4' length of 4" schedule 40 PVC, then capped with a regular pipe cap on one end. Secure upright (I tied mine to a tree next to the shop) Add either kerosene or diesel to within about three inches from the top. Strip all metal from the gun, wrap a 4-5' piece of baling wire through the trigger guard securely. Wrap the wire around the rifle a few times, thread the wire through all the small parts like the buttplate and such. Slide down into the tube. I cut a 5" hole in the bottom of a capped milk jug and used it for a top. Let it sit a few days. Pull the gun up to the surface and plunge it up and down a few times. Viola! All the cosmo has dissolved and you are ready for the next rifle. If you let the tube set a few days all the cosmo will precipitate out and fall to the bottom. I've used this thing for years, and have never changed the cleaner out, just added a little about once a year. For wood do whatever the Cabinetman says, Rome is the man!