It wouldn't damage the metal bluing either. Upon removing the parts, the hot water will evaporate and you will have totally degreased and cosmoline free parts. How To Clean Cosmoline Off Sks - knowhowcommunity.org It melts at 113-125 so hot soapy water or steam cleaning works. Type your new password and hit button below to confirm it. Mind you ,I keep a close watch on this. METHOD #1: Wipe with Cloth, Rag or Paper Towel, METHOD #2: Soak Parts in Cosmoline Remover. Cosmoline is a petroleum-based, grease-like rust inhibitor, that is typically used on firearms that are going into long term storage. Your email address will not be published. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Be sure to re oil the parts. If you plan to fire the firearm, it absolutely needs to be removed for the reason stated above. You may find that some firearms have been brushed . That will do the cleaning with no damage to the wood or original oil finish. Lightly go over the parts with the heat gun. It might just be the hardest challenge to returning the gun to a useable state. Militaries worldwide immediately embraced cosmoline as a means of chemically embalming small weapons, armored vehicles, and other items for long-term depot or transatlantic transport. 5-Gallon Pail ($265.00) << Special Price, Best Value! AtLunde Studio, our primary goal is to provide a dedicated resource for all gun enthusiasts from all walks of life. 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Consider this just a primer on how you might tackle a cosmoline cleanup job, but there are tons of ways to go about it. WD40 is an expensive version of mineral spirits. What is Cosmoline and How to Remove It - Gunsmithing Journal I used simple green on some that weren't as bad before. We personally used a Lyman sonic cleaner and Lyman solvent, which worked pretty well and got us most of the way there, with only a tiny bit of extraneous scrubbing required afterwords. WD-40 does a good job of removing Cosmoline and is an excellent cleaner especially on plastics. Cosmoline Removal for a P38 | Walther Forums Its important to extract as many residues and greases out of the gun as possible to avoid the risk of disassembling the gun in the future to uncover a hidden chunk of the rust-preventive gunk. after that just give it a good cleaning with some hoppes 9 or whatever and you are good to go. Afterward, disassemble the rifle down the the point where you can remove all the moisture and clean a few nooks and crannys and properly lube. You have the option to disassemble your firearm before beginning this process or keeping it intact throughout the cleaning process. After hours of scrubbing, you will eventually remove the majority of Cosmoline from the gunbut you cant stop with that. I tried Hoppes #9 (gun cleaner) on a small section and was surprised at how easy it took it off. The Best Accessories for Your Gunsmithing Bench for Under $11. Re: Cosmoline removal Ford & Pontiac used alot of Cosmoline back in the 80`s & 90`s to protect the car from transit contaminants. Born and raised in Austin TX, Alfred has been shooting guns since he was 18. 2 When all the parts have been cleaned they must be treated with oil to prevent corrosion. Cosmoline Cleaner/Gun Cleaner Question - Sawmill Creek Heat and humidity make a heat gun or hair dryer a good option here. Disassemble the SKS all the way down to clean it properly. Before I go full bore on this, has anyone used this? the metal is hot enough from the water that when removed, it's warm enough to evaporate all moisture from itself. Kroil is known as The Oil That Creeps and has made quite a name for itself in the firearms industry. CitriStrip on the wood parts. Educational Zone #23 - Cosmoline Removal - Firearms and Ammuni Forum It doesnt cut the oil. Brake cleaner does a good job but is very harsh on the skin and can eat some plastics and brake cleaner will remove painted on finishes on some firearms so test first. WD-40 does a good job cleaning up wood stocks without removing the underlying finish. In addition, dish soap and water can remove the excess residues in your weapon too. cosmoline, best way to remove it??? - sawmillcreek.org Cosmoline Cleanup - M1 Garand - GarandGear Cosmoline can create a dangerous situation with your firearm. no crazy cleaners, no toxic chemicals, no complicated setups. Fighting socialism one republocrat at a time. You must log in or register to reply here. There are a few methods you can use in order to clean Cosmoline off in this state: WD-40 If you spray WD-40 . The protective layer was thick, tough and not easy to remove. Cosmoline Remover - Nothing Removes Cosmoline Better! | Cosmoline Direct Worked great. It may take a few dips or baths to get the majority of Cosmoline off. You are using an out of date browser. It will melt off. There you go. just cosmoline removed easy. Air compressor. Attempting to remove the rust-preventive after letting it warm up will turn the Cosmoline into an oilier coating, as opposed to a thicker, wax-like substance. Once you have removed as much of the Cosmoline as you can, it's time to move on to the next step. Cosmoline removal ?? | Shotgun Forum You can empty your disgusting cosmoline soup as you go along or just leave it, cosmo floats in water so you might need to skim that off at least before taking the parts out. In general, their toxicity to humans is minimal, although there are exceptions. Used Citristrip on my T53 stock, along with CLP to get the cosmoline out of the metal parts. And as if that were not enough it came from a heaver smokers home seemingly as everything, cosmoline, dirt, and grime were shellacked with thick coating of nicotine. Press J to jump to the feed. Buy an 8" piece of HVAC round duct pipe, a blow dryer, and paper towels. There's two main types of cosmoline: RP- 342 and RP- 344 I belive. hey thanks for this information. We finally discovered the quickest way to remove the cosmoline was to fill up a teapot with water, bring to boil, then slowly pour the boiling water onto the SKS. How to Properly Remove Cosmoline from Military Surplus Firearms If you have chunks of cosmo, remove them out first.. carefully remove the "deep" stuff. #1 Engine Bay Cleaning/Cosmoline Removal 03-02-2012, 08:52 AM Hey guys, I want to get my engine bay as clean as possible without shaving or paint work before the new engine goes in. Then reassemble and enjoy boom. Make sure. Clean and repeat until it stops weeping. got the cosmo out and it looks good too! This particular C96 seems have been dunked in the stuff, so I decided to try boiling it in water to melt the cosmoline rather than clean it all with rags and Q-tips. Immediately spray everything down with WD-40 to displace any remaining water. You just stripped the finish off of your rifle. used kompact kamp mini mate for sale. Mauser Rifles 1933 to 1945 - The Nazi Period. After his military service, he attended the Colorado School of Trades(CST) in Lakewood, CO for gunsmithing. The cleaning process starts by removing as much of the cosmolines as possible. I remember when a "Yugo" was a piece of crap car. This process is simple but very messy and should be done in a well-ventilated area. For future cosmo removal, try mineral spirits. Best Way To Remove Cosmoline And The Easiest way To Clean - YouTube Here are the stuff youll need: Avoid using gasoline and harsh chemical solvents as your cleaner because that can strip paint and other coatings from the guns surface. First off, youre going to want to disassemble the gun down to a level that youre comfortable with. This solvent-based formula is safe to use on any painted surface and is ideal for preparing new vehicles for sale. Cosmoline is petroleum-based rust and corrosion-inhibiting grease. To help you get rid of this slimy substance, our team spent 48 hours researching the easiest steps in removing cosmoline from your firearms. Grease will burn when exposed to temperatures, but it will not catch fire. There are a ton of ways to do it and most work great. gear. They have an impressive inventory of nearly 1,500 historical firearms and an outstanding selection of uniforms, bayonets, and odd ammunition. Although the fine, colorless sprays coating was dry after a week of freshwater sprays, the panel had no rust. You only have power over people so long as you do not take everything away from them. Your Complete Guide to All Things Cosmoline, All the Questions You Need to Ask to Pick the Right Rust Preventative, How to Properly Remove Cosmoline from Military Surplus Firearms, How to Make Your Outdoor Furniture Last Longer. Review, Shortening a shotgun stock and fitting a recoil pad, Rogers Single Point M4 Rifle Harness Review, Howa 1500 v Winchester 70 action comparsion, Muzzle Brake Installation on a Precision Rifle: Timing and Installing an OPS R3E2C, 223 Remington/5.56mm NATO Barrel length versus Velocity- Short Barrels- 6 to 14 inches, Building a custom 7mm Rem Mag Hunting Rifle-PART 1, Customizing the 1911: machining a golf ball pattern slide, Installing a muzzle brake between centers, 1911 Rear Sight Installation (Novak style cut). It is used for undercoating and preventing the damages in a car caused by driving on roads. Use an air gun to blow the cleaning fluid off after you finish, then apply lube as needed. Once it's clean, remove the bolt assembly from the water and place it on a towel. Only used it to finish wiping off the light residue. The process is very dirty. I simply pour it on a rag and wipe away the cosmoline. A reminder on why you shouldnt use gasoline to clean a firearm: its simply not practicable to clean a firearm, especially in the quantities required to clean a standard C&R pistol. From there if youre working on a rifle with wooden components, nows the time to separate them and toss them in a trash bag. A kitty litter can also remove cosmo in your guns. How to Remove Cosmoline | Tennessee Gun WD40 is an expensive version of mineral spirits. It's original purpose was as a water dispersant for machining - since the 60s, machine shops have gone to water-based machining lubrication/coolants and when you're done machining a part, you want to get the water-based lube/coolant off the part quickly. old nasty cosmoline removal? - NASIOC These guns were usually just dipped in a big vat of Cosmoline and then put into storage. If you have some cosmoline removal in your future, you may want to pick up a bottle of this stuff. I use fluid film on all my cars, but fluid film won't hold up under a car for more than six months without re-applying it. Halogen lamps do the trick or me. Took days of cleaning for all the original proofs and markings to become visible. Dont worry too much if you cant actually get to most of the grease yet, just consider this an initial pass thatll make later cleaning a little bit easier. Cleaning cosmoline off the rifle westrifle.com All good tips, and this is how I clean the metal parts for the most part. 5 Steps in Removing Cosmoline 1. The heat will bleed the cosmo out. Are you aware that cosmoline and shellac are, in fact, two different substances? It is frequently used in indoor and outdoor applications and does a great job for long-term storage. Login with username, password and session length, Metal-hot water, WD 40, diesel, brake cleaner, or simple green. Before you start cleaning, here is a list of things you will need: Some things you should avoid when trying to remove Cosmoline: A note on why you shouldnt use gasoline: using gasoline to clean a firearm just isnt practical, especially in the quantity you would need to clean a typical C&R firearm. However, it might not be necessary if you have no intentions of shooting it. A heat gun on the low setting or a hairdryer both work great for this task. Strips the finish and removes the cosmoline really, really well. Cosmoline was quickly adopted by militaries the world over as a way to chemically embalm small arms, artillery pieces, armored vehicles, and so on for either long term storage or trips across the Atlantic. Ive always had the best luck with mineral spirits. If the firearm is left to accumulate for too long, it may clog, resulting in a firing failure or the need for repairs. The Enfield P1917 above is a perfect example. (, We noticed that you have previously logged in with your, Check what do you get by creating an account, Bookmark and compare your favorite firearms, [Complete Guide] Cosmoline Removal: SKS Example. Cosmoline is not a new invention and was originally used as a pharmaceutical product in the late 1800s. When the grease came to the surface or began to run off, I hit the parts with Brake Kleen then put them back out in the sun again. Again, if youve ever dealt with military surplus guns before, you might have some experience with the somewhat laborious process of removing the infamous goop from them. Following high school, Kurt enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Boom Operator, where he eventually rose to the position of Instructor. Ive just tossed all metal parts in the oven at around 150F for about 5-10 mins. Water based chemicals eliminate the risk of fire. Thank you for the support! The gooy, gross, petroleum preservative that is seemingly locked within every porous surface and crevice possible. That means it will come off with kerosene or mineral spirit, and could even just wipe away with rubbing alcohol. Reference a disassembly manual and take every piece and part out of it. Apply some to a cleaning patch and run it through the bore. If you are like me, you were hooked the first time you picked up a cosmoline-covered surplus rifle or handgun. After that, dry thoroughly, degrease, then apply oil and a film of liquid silicone. Military surplus firearms are typically very easy to fully disassemble with minimal tools, making it a pretty painless job. We made a trash can cosmo melter. Which makes it susceptible to environments that also kill small children and pets when they get locked inside minivans which well simulate by stuffing it in that trash bag and letting the angry heat orb outside do its thing. Cosmoline Remover - Cosmoline Removal Made Easy - Removes Grease, Wax Using a rag, wipe the stock off. Is using WD-40 to Clean Your Gun a Good Idea? - Smart Gun Cleaning (Demonstration video coming soon). Next, wash the firearm with soap and hot water. Collector, reloader, amateur gunsmith and CHL holder. All of the above is primarily educated guessing for Eastern Bloc procedures, aka a WAG American practice for removing actual Cosmoline (not the ersatz Cosmoline that communist countries used) was the chlorinated solvent approach (disposal in pits, not rivers), based on first hand accounts. 5. To clean your gun, you can apply heat. The old surface grease and grime can be removed with a good cleaning. AK-47 Tips/Tricks, Links, Content and Buyer Guides. If you have a firearm that has been stored in Cosmoline, the first step is to remove as much of the Cosmoline as possible. Free-floating firing pins, like the one found in AR-15s and the SKS, need to freely float. For best results, turn cloth frequently while cleaning. There are a few rare examples where you shouldnt remove it. Took me less than an hour. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then run a few dry patches through. You would tie an old shoelace to a receiver, a gear, a bolt assembly, whateverdrop it in a pre-prepared tank of boiling water, watch the clock, and remove. Today, you can find literally hundreds of recipes, formulas, tips, trick and strategies online for removing our favorite rust preventative coatingbe careful though, some of these "solutions" are more credible than others. Simple Green has never worked that well for me. I generally disassemble the gun into it's primary components first. Brake cleaner is pretty nasty even its not in chlorinated form though, so make sure youve got gloves and a well-ventilated area to work in. you a link to reset your password. Type your email address and well send Had some residual cosmoline on a receiver that came off surprisingly well last weekend with HOT water, near boiling temp. All that being said I usually buy cotton cloths from a big box store ringspun or recycled and I just wipe. but I'm definitely open to suggestions as well. You don't realize how many times you say it until you record yourself without ade. Youll finally remove the majority of the cosmoline from the gun after hours of scrubbingbut basically, you cant stop there. Ok, what method is easier. cosmoline removal wd40excuses to get out of annual training. Is either of these acceptable? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I took it easy on the wood (making several passes) so as to not hurt the finish. Back in the day, ethyl or "high test" gasoline was good stuff. It is brown in color and usually engulfs those beautiful surplus rifles at the local gun show. 12,772. It worked so well that I took pictures and video of the last small cosmoline section of metal I had to clean. Stripping the finish is a big no-no for some. Click the button below to add the Cosmoline Remover to your wish list. Let me show you how I safely remove cosmoline. You n00b! Afterward, you can dry out your gun and finish it with lube. This P17 was packed in cosmoline, wrapped in paper, and shipped to its destination like millions of other rifles. Author: Marie Sonder I lost count around the 200 mark. http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/index.asp, http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/cajuncj/M91%2030%20Finn/IMG_0849.jpg, Quote from: RangerAR on December 24, 2006, 08:37:16 PM, Quote from: singleshotcajun on January 05, 2007, 05:31:34 PM, Quote from: yber26 on January 21, 2007, 08:39:55 PM. Gently rub area to maximize contact between cleaner and surface. This has worked well for me and has turned out to be the least labor intensive of the methods I have tried for cleaning off cosmoline. (cross-posted at mAss Backwards) After trying the old fashioned method of removing the cosmoline from the SKS by repeatedly spraying each piece with degreaser and/or WD-40 and wiping dry with a shop rag, I decided I'm going to give the "low-heat method" a try, and build my own version of the "Easy Bake Garbage Can", as illustrated there at www.surplusrifle.com.