Other than the oven, what's the next best way of getting cosmoline out of the stock?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Other than the oven, what's the next best way of getting cosmoline out of the stock?

Posted: 3/14/2006 4:44:16 PM EDT

I just got my CMP garand and it is COATED in cosmoline. I want to keep the stock original, but I would like to clean it up. I've heard low temp in an oven will melt much of the cosmoline out of the wood, but...new house, new oven. I don't want to take a chance of messing up the oven.

What is the next best way? Any chemical applications, or leave it in the sun on a hot day?

Suggestions?

Thanks.

Posted: 3/14/2006 4:48:14 PM EDT

[#1]

In the old days we used oven cleaner and rinsed it off in hot water. Do not let the wood stay wet very long if you do this.

Posted: 3/14/2006 5:42:46 PM EDT

[#2]

On my 24/47 I used my heat gun, the kind you use to strip paint off the house. I don't know how expensive they are anymore, but I've had this one for several years. It worked great. Greg

Posted: 3/14/2006 5:47:17 PM EDT

[#3]

I had really good luck with using #0000 steel wool and mineral spirits on the stock of my 03A3. That drew a bunch of it out. I've not finished it yet with BLO, as this summer I'm going to try the kitty litter in a plastic bag trick, and put it in the back of our pickup (black truck and black cap) to try and draw some more out.

I've just not had enough guts to try the dishwasher or Easy-Off treatment yet. Just can't bring myself to soak a wood stock in hot water and not worry about warpage. I keep thinking a 60 year-old rifle has seen more than its share of days in the rain!

Posted: 3/14/2006 6:07:05 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
I just got my CMP garand and it is COATED in cosmoline. I want to keep the stock original, but I would like to clean it up. I've heard low temp in an oven will melt much of the cosmoline out of the wood, but...new house, new oven. I don't want to take a chance of messing up the oven.

What is the next best way? Any chemical applications, or leave it in the sun on a hot day?

Suggestions?

Thanks.

Oven cleaner.
Let it soak for a while.

More oven cleaner.
Let it soak.

With rubber gloves and eye protection in place,

Use a soft bristle toothbrush to reach the nooks and crannies.

Rinse with hot water. repeat oven cleaner/scrubbing if necessary.

Soak/cover rinsed stock in windex or ammonia.
This is supposed to neutralize any oven cleaner remaining.

I cannot take credit/blame, as these instructions are not mine

B_S

Posted: 3/14/2006 6:10:49 PM EDT

[#5]

I use a $35 steamer from Wal-Mart(even came with a wand attachment). Melts the stuff like nothing else and will help leach it from the wood. Also works great at getting many dents out of the old wood if you are restoring a stock. Best $35 I have spent for my adiction and it keeps me out of trouble with the wife. (That can sometimes be more important than anything else)

Posted: 3/14/2006 6:38:24 PM EDT

[#6]

Thanks for the input!

I think I will try the WalMart steamer first and see how that does. I've got some mineral spirits, so I may give it a soak in that after seeing how the steaming goes.

I won't try anything on my Garand first, I will have to pull one of my K31s out of the closet and use it as a guinea pig.

Thanks again.

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:42:52 AM EDT

[#7]

There's a thread maybe a few days back that I started, Hoppy I believe came up with a heating cylinder made out of air duct pipes from Lowes/Home depot. and a ceramic heater. Worked for me.

Posted: 3/15/2006 11:55:16 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
There's a thread maybe a few days back that I started, Hoppy I believe came up with a heating cylinder made out of air duct pipes from Lowes/Home depot. and a ceramic heater. Worked for me.

Yep! Round duct tube, register flange, heater at flange. Watch the sharp edge of the duct tube as you slide the gun, pull out and wipe a few times till it stops running. Do it indoors so the house smells like guns

Posted: 3/15/2006 5:56:48 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
There's a thread maybe a few days back that I started, Hoppy I believe came up with a heating cylinder made out of air duct pipes from Lowes/Home depot. and a ceramic heater. Worked for me.

It looks like a great idea, but I can't take credit for it. It came from this board though.

I have a gas fireplace and I set my stock on top of some newspaper about three feet in front of it.

Posted: 3/16/2006 12:31:05 AM EDT

[#10]

I just got my CMP 1903 which was CAKED with Cosmo. I went out and got all sorts of goodies to fix it up, like latex gloves, trash bags, mineral spirits, two rolls of paper towels, a steamer, etc.

Just tongiht I finally got all the metal taken care of (although I think I need to clean the barrel and chamber a little better), and tomorrow I can set into the stock. With the steamer, would I need to wrap towels around it, or just place it on some to catch what comes out? I'm a little hesitant to apply direct heat, so I will easy into bit by bit instead of jumping in knee deep like I did with the metal.

Posted: 3/16/2006 4:08:51 AM EDT

[#11]

For steaming, I normally hang the rifle over a trashbag lined trashcan with some papertowels in the bottom and start steaming from top to bottom. Don't worry about how much heat you are generating. No steamer is going to get hot enough to hurt anything on a rifle. Its amazing how well it works on both the metal and wood. Make sure to lightly coat or wipe the metal parts after steaming.

Posted: 3/16/2006 8:31:20 PM EDT

[#12]

Greased Lightning works like a charm. Just make sure you wear gloves unless you want all the oils sapped from your hands.

Posted: 3/16/2006 11:38:48 PM EDT

[#13]

Greased Lightning is good stuff and I have no reason to think it wouldn't work, though I've never used it on firearms. I removed most of the cosmo from my M1903 stock with Ballistol, rubbing alcohol and a heat gun. First rub it down with Ballistol. Then clean it off with alcohol. Then heat up the surface with the heat gun and watch the cosmoline sweat out. Repeat as necessary.

Posted: 3/17/2006 1:40:36 AM EDT

[#14]

i used my dishwasher and dishsoap

Posted: 3/17/2006 4:02:25 PM EDT

[#15]

Back porch in july with the sun beating down, be sure to place it on old newspapers or such.

Posted: 3/18/2006 4:53:19 PM EDT

[#16]

I used the dishwasher on the pots and pans setting + regular dish detergent.
Before
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/avidshooter/gunstuff005.jpg
After washing
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/avidshooter/gunstuffnoserno.jpg
Then the finish.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/avidshooter/Jan2106005.jpg

Posted: 3/19/2006 11:05:22 AM EDT

[#17]

That came out very nice. Looks like your horse shrunk though.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Other than the oven, what's the next best way of getting cosmoline out of the stock?

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