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11/17/2007 5:18:30 AM EDT
JUST PICKED UP AN SKS UNISSUED. COVERED IN COSMOLINE. LOOKING TO HERE SUSGGESTIONS ON CLEANING. ESPECIALLY THE WOOD AS IT LOOKS LIKE I GOT A NICE ONE. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED. THANKS
11/17/2007 5:43:54 AM EDT
[#1]
Boil the metal parts.  Seriously.  It's the easiest way to get cosmoline off.  Use an old pot.

And drop the caps lock.  Hit "Control" and "+" to make all the text on your screen larger.  "Control" and "-" will make it smaller.
11/17/2007 5:48:34 AM EDT
[#2]

Quoted:
Boil the metal parts.  Seriously.  It's the easiest way to get cosmoline off.  Use an old pot.

And drop the caps lock.  Hit "Control" and "+" to make all the text on your screen larger.  "Control" and "-" will make it smaller.


That's the cheapest way, the easiest way is gasoline.  I used the pizza oven at work
11/17/2007 6:02:32 AM EDT
[#3]
What about the wood stock?
11/17/2007 6:05:05 AM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
What about the wood stock?
HOT water and a lot of brushes and rags you don't need any more.  You can use a solvent, but you may be smelling it for months.  Heat is the key.
11/17/2007 6:32:19 AM EDT
[#5]
Brake cleaner works perfectly.....
11/17/2007 7:35:10 AM EDT
[#6]
Kerosene  works good

For the stock, since you are Florida, set it in a dark garbage bag and let it set out in the sun for a few hours
11/17/2007 7:36:47 AM EDT
[#7]

Quoted:
Kerosene  works good

For the stock, since you are Florida, set it in a dark garbage bag and let it set out in the sun for a few hours
I never even thought about that, that's a good idea.
11/17/2007 7:36:49 AM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:
Brake cleaner works perfectly.....




agreed one can and ten minutes [had to go back and get the litle tricky places.]
11/17/2007 8:45:57 AM EDT
[#9]
So the heat and moisture created from being in the bag will loosen it and then just wipe it clean?  As for the kerosene use it right out of the can?  thanks
11/17/2007 9:07:41 AM EDT
[#10]
I'll second brake cleaner on the metal.  For the stock put your oven around 150 degrees or it's lowest setting and put it in there.  Take it out every 20 minutes and wipe it down with a paper towel.  The cosmo will bleed out of the stock.  Repeat until it seems you've gotten most of it out.  *Warning this will make the room smell like cosmo

Some people throw it in the dishwasher but I dunno if that'd have long term effects on the wood or not.
11/17/2007 10:25:43 AM EDT
[#11]
Pick up a gallon of mineral spirits from Lowes or Home Depot.

Works great for the metal.
11/17/2007 1:13:14 PM EDT
[#12]
Diesel fuel is cheaper and has a much higher flashpoint temperature than gasoline.
11/17/2007 4:08:51 PM EDT
[#13]

Quoted:

And drop the caps lock.  Hit "Control" and "+" to make all the text on your screen larger.  "Control" and "-" will make it smaller.


Yeah man, you don't have to yell.

11/18/2007 7:50:39 AM EDT
[#14]

Quoted:
So the heat and moisture created from being in the bag will loosen it and then just wipe it clean?  As for the kerosene use it right out of the can?  thanks



Yep and yep


For small parts I pour some kerosene in a old ice cream bucket and let them soak and just wipe them off

Just make sure it is one of the black garbage bags, prop up the stock so the cosmoline can "bleed out" and let mother nature do her thing. Pull the stock out wipe it off and no mess to clean up on the driveway
11/18/2007 7:55:04 AM EDT
[#15]

Quoted:
Pick up a gallon of mineral spirits from Lowes or Home Depot.

Works great for the metal.


+1

It's safer (and now cheaper) then gas.
It will also work to get most of the cosmo off the wood, and it doesn't matter what you do to the wood you'll never get all the oil out of it.
I put some mineral spirits in a pan and soak the small parts and saturate a rag and slowly pass it over the larger parts several times. After I get all  I can off I give everything a quick blast with brake cleaner.

And if you use deisel you still have to clean everything again, diesel will leave an oily residue.
11/18/2007 3:05:39 PM EDT
[#16]
Hot water mixed with Dawn dishwashing liquid is the way to go.   Cheap, effective, safe, and non-toxic.

Remember, there is no military in the entire world that calls their soliders inside because it starts to rain, and they don't want their rifles to get wet.
11/18/2007 3:07:37 PM EDT
[#17]

Quoted:
Hot water mixed with Dawn dishwashing liquid is the way to go.   Cheap, effective, safe, and non-toxic.

Remember, there is no military in the entire world that calls their soliders inside because it starts to rain, and they don't want their rifles to get wet.
Dawn won't go anywhere near my stuff. I've seen it's corrosive effects. It will eat asphault with enough time.
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