100% Cosmoline removal....is it possible?

[spt_1955]

Can you ever really remove the cosmoline from the wooden stock of a Milsurp rifle? I've reached the point of deciding to seal it in with polyurethane and hope for the best. My SKS has been steamed, sanded, left in the sun is a plastic bag, and treated numerous times with a hair dryer. I thought I had it more than taken care of until I left it in the trunk the other day for 8 hours in the sun and when I took it out there were scattered beads of cosmoline seeping from the wood.

FYI.. there was not a lot of cosmoline weeping from the stock but the trunk sure smelled like cosmoline!!!!!!

 

[MadatMarek]

Probably a little late now but putting them in the attic does wonders.

 

[fivepak]

My SKS was covered in it. I disassembled it and ran it through a normal cycle in the dishwasher. The water is very hot in there. After one cycle it was squeaky clean.

 

[ochmude]

Oven cleaner did the trick for my Mosin stock.

 

[LoginName]

Never tried it myself, but people have reported good results using home built 'ovens' constructed with galvanized trash barrels, flue pipe, bulbs, heating lamps,

heating elements, etc.

I used a combination of brake cleaner, heat gun, sanding and elbow grease to clean mine up.

Never noticed a problem with it weeping, but then again, I've never left it for any period of time where it would bake or get hot.

 

[mikelawtown]

Just left the range actually with my Norinco and dry as a bone. I used a heat gun on low and I did this for an hour then cool then repeat, (a many times this way)same routine for two days , don't rush it . Wiped each time with mineral spirits , sanded , stain x3 then poly x3.

And if you look back at some before pics I posted it was 100 times worse than the yugo's that people got in the group buy, Mine was caked and black
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[CharlieFoxtrot]

I have refinished numerous Mosins. The most effective method I have found to remove cosmoline is to boil the metal parts, steam out the bore, and heat the stock several times to get the cosmo to weep out and then hit it with several coats of brake cleaner, which makes the cosmo melt right off.

I also found that judicious use of a wood conditioner (http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/preparation/minwax-prestain-wood-conditioner) prior to staining helps the stain to soak in better and coat more evenly.

 

[Rockrivr1]

I e tried a number of these methods and to this day if I leave one of those rifles in the hot sun for a bit it will weep some cosmo. Personally I don't think it's possible to get all of it out.

 

[powerman]

'ovens' constructed with galvanized trash barrels, flue pipe, bulbs, heating lamps,

on my Yugo, from the group buy, I have a piece of duct work with two Incandescent light bulbs making an oven, duct is wrapped in a welders blanket from home depot, was baking at about 150 degrees or so. stock didn't have much Cosmoline. be carful lamps should not get close to wood 10-12 inches at min.

Now I'm in the finish stage, using raw linseed oil, about 10 coats, hand rubbed.