My cosmoline removal device - version 1.0

props on inventiveness, but oil filled electric baseboard's are like $250+ for a 4ft section! did ya have em lying around or something?
 
Jasper said:
props on inventiveness, but oil filled electric baseboard's are like $250+ for a 4ft section! did ya have em lying around or something?
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I initially built it with electric baseboard heaters (seen in the pic), but upgraded to the oil filled versions that I got from Building 19. The covers were all busted up, so I only paid like $50 for 2 6' sections.

This was initially built to serve as a Hot Box for waxing skis. After reading around on how to remove cosmoline did I think of using it for my surplus wood furniture.
 
GENTS, got some questions - 1. is the walmart steamer a garment steamer or a steamer cleaner like a bissel? 2. how bad does heated cosmoline smell anyway? I live in pretty closed spaced housing - is the smell going to freak out my neighbors? pardon my ignorance, I never had to take cosmoline off a firearm. thanks.
 
squiddoc39 said:
GENTS, got some questions - 1. is the walmart steamer a garment steamer or a steamer cleaner like a bissel? 2. how bad does heated cosmoline smell anyway? I live in pretty closed spaced housing - is the smell going to freak out my neighbors? pardon my ignorance, I never had to take cosmoline off a firearm. thanks.
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First off, what are you cleaning?

Any steamer with a pointed nozzle with attachements works well for cosmolene removal. Its a pressure jet that blasts steam and is quiet and odorless but in this weather you may die using it because of humidity.[laugh]

Cosmolene has hardly any smell unless its on a Turkish firearm and even then its just a little smoother and smoky smelling. Expect a slight turpentine like odor but not as harsh.

Steam works great on stocks where oil base finishes were applied such as rifles from Yugoslavia, Turkey, the US, India, and British. Rifles packed away with grease from these countries absorbed a lot of it. Most Russian rifles on the other hand like Mosins need no steam because they are sealed with shellac.

It also blasts away cosmolene from metal but be aware it leaves it bare steel and is prone to rust if not treated.

I strongly suggest WD40, an old toothbrush, an aerosol can of compressed air and a bunch of rags unles you have something really greasy like a CMP rifle or a Yugo/Albanian SKS.
 
thanks, sks ray. I am trying to clean a yugo sks and it is coated in cosmoline. I will take that trip to walmart for the steamer.
 
I remove cosmoline from small to medium parts by dumping hot water on them or placing them into a pot of boiling water. Works like a charm. Keep the hot water way from the wooden parts though.
 
OK, simple really. I thought this is how this post came bubbling back to the top, today of all days.

1) Spread a bunch of newspapers in the driveway, about 1/8" thick.
2) Put cosmoline covered weapon on newspaper in today's sun.
3) Wait until around sunset.
4) Clean up.
 
I'm gonna have to try some of these tips/tricks on the Mosin Nagant 91 30 i just picked up.I already wiped the major excess off what i could while still assembled,I'll have to disassemble and start the clean up.

I'll have to post a couple pics (taken with cell though)
 
I just bought a monsin nagat and seen alot of methods of cleaning the cosmoline off and i must say the best way i found and did was buying some mineral spirits and a plastic tub from walmart, strip the whole gun and place the parts in and let them soak for 15-20 mins and thats in. The mineral spirits breaks the cosmoline up and just run water over the parts after your done and clean it like a regular gun.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zFP5ZZQe6g <<<<<Check it out!!!!!!
 
+1 for the mineral spirits. I bought my mosin today, watched a video about doing it with mineral spirits and it took it all off no problem.
 
I just hit my wife's ak with hot water until it was all gone, went outside hit the weapon with the air compressor, sprayed with wd40, stood it up and came back later on.
 
I built one of these trashcan things to get most of the cosmo out of my SKS. The stubborn parts (grenade launcher, front night sight, bayonet, trigger group) I sprayed liberally with WD40 and that got most of the rest of it out. Anything else I just clean up with a rag at the range as it heats up [grin]
 
Is it normal to be pulling patch after patch after patch after patch of like a forest green color out of the barrel?? It seems like it's never ending!
I sprayed WD40 down the barrel, plugged it and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Ran a patch of Hoppes #9, let it sit for a half an hour and ran a brass brush through it about 6 times. I've been running more and more patches of more hoppes... Moved over to break free and its still showing a lighter forest green.
I'm startin to worry if i have a decent barrel?

Keep in mind, this is my first Mosin cleaning!
 
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Inferno said:
Is it normal to be pulling patch after patch after patch after patch of like a forest green color out of the barrel?? It seems like it's never ending!
I sprayed WD40 down the barrel, plugged it and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Ran a patch of Hoppes #9, let it sit for a half an hour and ran a brass brush through it about 6 times. I've been running more and more patches of more hoppes... Moved over to break free and its still showing a lighter forest green.
I'm startin to worry if i have a decent barrel?

Keep in mind, this is my first Mosin cleaning!
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I got a mosin about 3 weeks ago and asked the same question - someone here said they don't really ever get clean, just cleaner. LOL
 
They do get clean.Green color on the patches just building up fouling.powder, cooper ect .I use blue wonder to clean my guns,I also have Nagants,When I get a new one.This is what I do.Put a few patches down there.That will remove some of the cosmoline.Thanboiler some water and pure it down the barrel.,That will melt and remove the rest of it,Than a few dry patches.Make sure the barrel is dry.Than I run a couple of patches with lots of Blue wonder down it.I let it set for at least 20 minutes.Than run a brush again with more Blue Wonder.You might have to do it a couple of times.I have had barrels that looked terrible.But all came out nice and clean with all residue removed.
 
dishwasher-10.jpg



it's like it was designed to do the job.
 
colt_fan said:
2 oil filled baseboard heaters attached to a thermal controller that has a thermocouple going to the inside of the plywood box. i lined the plywood box with rigid foam insulation and taped all the seams. by cranking the temp up to 60C, the cosmoline oozes out of the wood. i need to take the stocks out every now and then to wipe off the excess. it took me 8 hours for all the cosmoline to stop leaching out of the M44 stock. I have a Yugo SKS that I am going to try this weekend that is pretty gooey with cosmo.
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The Yugos must have pressure infused the stuff. I had to heat and wipe a Yugo Mauser stock many, many times to get the stuff out. Brutal.
 
garandman said:
The Yugos must have pressure infused the stuff. I had to heat and wipe a Yugo Mauser stock many, many times to get the stuff out. Brutal.
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I'm still finding cosmo leak out of my m59/66 SKS and did the heat gun/WD40/air compressor trick that Ray told me to do. The stock must be embedded with cosmo.
 
ColdDayInHell said:
I'm still finding cosmo leak out of my m59/66 SKS and did the heat gun/WD40/air compressor trick that Ray told me to do. The stock must be embedded with cosmo.
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Don't forget... the more you dry the stock the more its susceptible to cracking under pressure or absorbing moisture and warping. Nothing wrong with a little cosmo left in there. Just bring a rag to the range with you on warm days.
 
Okay, I'm going to revive this thread again. I just got my new-to-me SKS all cleaned up real spiffy like. Well, it's much less disgusting at least. I was going to hit the metal parts with CLP and let that soak in overnight. Is that overkill. Do you guys do anything to the metal before reassembly? I don't expect I'll get a chance to shoot it for a while and I'd rather not rust it up any more than I have to.

Next step: The stock...
 
ToddDubya said:
Okay, I'm going to revive this thread again. I just got my new-to-me SKS all cleaned up real spiffy like. Well, it's much less disgusting at least. I was going to hit the metal parts with CLP and let that soak in overnight. Is that overkill. Do you guys do anything to the metal before reassembly? I don't expect I'll get a chance to shoot it for a while and I'd rather not rust it up any more than I have to.

Next step: The stock...
Click to expand...

If you cleaned it with hot water then yes I would make sure to oil all metal parts. I don't think you need to let it "soak" though.
 
exodious said:
If you cleaned it with hot water then yes I would make sure to oil all metal parts. I don't think you need to let it "soak" though.
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Thanks. The last step was to hit all the parts with Simple Green and rinse with hot water. Not only was it all caked in cosmo, it had really started to harden. I hit it all with CLP and it's now soaking more out of laziness than anything.
 
ToddDubya said:
Thanks. The last step was to hit all the parts with Simple Green and rinse with hot water. Not only was it all caked in cosmo, it had really started to harden. I hit it all with CLP and it's now soaking more out of laziness than anything.
Click to expand...

CLP cleans and protects. It will also soften up and remove caked cosmolene. I use WD40 only because its cheaper and you can get cans with the pin point blaster tip.[grin]
 
Reviving this thread once again. I've just ordered an M44 (yay C&R license!) and I will be needing to de-cosmoline it once it arrives. Does anyone have a "Mosin oven" that they would be willing to loan to me for a little while to do the job? I think my wife would kill me if I put a gun in the dishwasher or oven.

I will gladly exchange some beer and/or ammo for your trouble.
 
I just warm the area with a heat gun, it doesn't take much, it doesn't need to be hot, just warm. Then hit it with a bucket of kerosene and a parts cleaning brush. Easy peasy.
 

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