can we revisit cosmolene removal again?

[greencobra]

Please. I bought some soviet bloc preban mags that appear to have been manufactured, gunked up with gobs of cosmolene, crated up and put aside and never issued. I'm planning to boil water and just drop em in the pan after I disassembly melting the stuff off. Seems easier than wiping, one took me a long time by hand. So I read this boiling water thing on the inter web, so it works, right? Anything I should know before I go this route? I found a sticky here, someone was baking them with a light bulb a la easy bake oven but I don't want to go that route. This boiling seems legit, I'm just going where I've never gone, to you milsurp guys, it's old tricks. If I'm heading into trouble, please shout out.

 

[enbloc]

I have a couple of gallons of bad gas that I make usefull...

 

[weldingmachine]

Mix some hoppes into the water
You probably shouldn't use the pan for food after either

 

[greencobra]

I have a couple of gallons of bad gas that I make usefull...

Yeah, thought about that or kerosene but really don't want to go the flammable route.

I will try the hoppes in the water, makes sense to me oddly.

 

[headednorth]

No expert, but I used boiling water on an SKS. Wiped off the heavy stuff first. Sprayed the metal parts down with wd-40 after and then cleaned as usual. Worked really well, imo.

 

[Fixxah]

Get a length of abs plastic (4 inch diameter) if you can find it. Stand it up and put the mags inside. Leave out in the sun and go to work. Come home and cqeack a brew and enjoy clean mags. Little bit of a wipe may be necessary.
Stocks should fit as well.

 

[Garys]

There is a lot of information about this in the Milsurp collector forum. Which is where this thread probably belongs.

 

[Boris]

it goes with the rye bread the best

also try boiling in petrol or wipe with WD40 soacked rag.

 

[Tracer1951]

Lucky Gunner has a good video...http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/how-to-remove-cosmoline-from-military-surplus-rifles/

Mineral spirits.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zFP5ZZQe6g

Well one old method was dropping in a vat of boiling water. The cosmo melts easily and rises to the top and the parts come out and dry fast due to the hot metal and water. Kerosene cuts it well if you use it in a safe fashion. Boiling water works very well to melt the grease off. If you have one of the turkey friers and a galvanized wash tub. Pour the boiling water over the metal pieces....

Use a Electric heat gun to melt off the cosmoline...

Use a hand steamer to deal with the cosmoline...

oven bake method..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeJvNL6NATw

Mineral spirits...... http://www.diy-review.com/g6eQZHowToZ5PFz3/How-to-remove-Cosmoline-the-easy-way-.html

 

[LoginName]

Well... whatever you do, Do Not use your kitchen oven (or dishwasher), to accomplish
this unless you like sleeping on a motel couch for a month.

Personally... I've used brake cleaner, followed by wipe down with WD-40 with excellent results.

Brake cleaner and Simple Green for the furniture.

 

[Royal]

Used the side burner on my Weber to boil Simple Green and water in a disposable metal roasting pan covered with aluminum foil. Did about 3-5 at a time followed by springs and followers followed by a good wipe down of everything while hot.

 

[LoginName]

Lucky Gunner has a good video...http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/how-to-remove-cosmoline-from-military-surplus-rifles/

Seems more like a PITA and time consuming from a guy possibly afflicted with OCD and/or a tree hugger.

His method might be ok for the metal parts, but, if anyone plans on refinishing the stock... his method alone
(and expecting a decent job), isn't going to cut it.

Removing the grime and cosmo from the metal parts is easy enough and shouldn't take more than a few hours
(remember to strip that bolt down and thoroughly clean the firing pin channel).

Removing the grime and cosmo from the stock takes a little bit more elbow grease and patience.

 

[sig shooter]

I soak in wd 40 for a day or so then wipe down with rags or paper towels. I use antique furniture refurbisher on the stock, isn't as harsh as other methods

 

[enbloc]

Yeah, thought about that or kerosene but really don't want to go the flammable route.

I will try the hoppes in the water, makes sense to me oddly.

Bad gas ain't flammable... that's why it's "bad".

Besides, the way I cook, I got a better chance of burning down the house by boiling or baking it.

Also, think of what you are going to do with a gallon+ of hoppes/melted cosmo liquid. That ain't good down the toilet.

I just pour the bad gas back into the can and use it again another day. Now that's environmentaly friendly.

~Matt

 

[mac1911]

I have a old Colman stove and various old pots to do all sorts of dirty deeds.
hot dish soapy water does wonders for many cleaning chores.
hmmmm would cosmolene make a good bullet lube................

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/15306-My-cosmoline-removal-device-version-1-0 some nes ways

 

[enbloc]

...hmmmm would cosmolene make a good bullet lube.....

Maybe need to add some wax?

 

[SKS Ray]

Wd40 is really all you need. It melts cosmolene and leaves the metal well protected.

 

[whacko]

Please. I bought some soviet bloc preban mags that appear to have been manufactured, gunked up with gobs of cosmolene, crated up and put aside and never issued. I'm planning to boil water and just drop em in the pan after I disassembly melting the stuff off. Seems easier than wiping, one took me a long time by hand. So I read this boiling water thing on the inter web, so it works, right? Anything I should know before I go this route? I found a sticky here, someone was baking them with a light bulb a la easy bake oven but I don't want to go that route. This boiling seems legit, I'm just going where I've never gone, to you milsurp guys, it's old tricks. If I'm heading into trouble, please shout out.

Boiling water works the balls. I've done it two times on milsurp rifles now. Use a big ass rubber maid container for rifles......for the mags you are going to clean up just about any container will do.

 

[je25ff]

Soak in mineral spirits, rinse and repeat, use a rag to remove what's left. Since it's starting to get colder, leaving them in the sun all day won't be an option. Hell, you can try putting them in the over if you want.

 

[xcom]

The best and cleanest method I have that work great for wood is to wrap it in paper towels and them wrap it in a black trash bag tightly and seal it with tape. Then leave the package in the rear window of your car for a few days (works better in the spring and summer). The heat will seep out the cosmo onto the paper towels. It works for metal parts as well but, depending on the part, it might not be kosher to leave it in th ecar like that. Of course, it may be a little cold for this but direct sunlight will heat up a car nice.

 

[Broc]

it goes with the rye bread the best

also try boiling in petrol or wipe with WD40 soacked rag.

WD40 works great.

 

[Cabinetman]

Heat is your friend. This stuff will melt in a warm environment so boiling water works and it's safe. Mags are small and all metal so you won't damage anything nor will you have to have 40 gallons to bring to a boil. It's going to get sloppy, however.

At the end of WWII, a lot of Garands and Carbines were put into a 55 gallon drum and then a hose with warm cosmo was pumped into the drums and the drums sealed. They figured this was a way to preserve these rifles should they be needed once again. Well, Korea raised it's ugly head and voila! Canned rifles to the rescue. The barrels were brought to the troops in their camps and they were instructed to remove the rifles and clean them. The hell you say! Some enterprising young man decided that heat would do the trick so large fires were lit and the cans were put on top and the cosmo became very thin, indeed, was poured off and water put in........onto of the WHOLE RIFLE, STOCK INCLUDED. What a nightmare but damned if that didn't work. The wood should have been damaged and warped and checked but evidently there was enough cosmo in the stock to prevent the water from doing too much damage. Today we get these rifle from time to time still with the cosmo hard at work and it takes heat to get it out. On the metal parts, however, boil the crap out of 'em and then oil 'em up really well because they will rust within an hour.

Rome

PS Allow me to add..........NEVER EVER BOIL A STOCK! PLEASE!

 

[greencobra]

Thanks everyone, for the thoughts and ideas on this. What seems matter of fact to some, we'll this is a stupid question, to others like myself who have never delt with this stuff before, it's perplexing. Of course I've seen some of this crap before , but it was so light it wiped off. But this, caked on would be an understatement. Much appreciated.

 

[JZ1018]

Cosmoline has a melting point of 113 - 125 degrees F. Anything that heats the metal up to above that point should do the trick. A hair dryer should work well. The flash point is 365 degrees F, so don't heat above that.

 

[Horrible]

Boiling water works the balls. I've done it two times on milsurp rifles now. Use a big ass rubber maid container for rifles......for the mags you are going to clean up just about any container will do.

This. I have only cosmo cleaned my SKS, so I can't speak to other methods, but boiling water in a bucket worked for me. you probably need to let them sit for 15-30 minutes. Take them out, wipe them down, and then oil generously when cooled.

 

[whacko]

Oh.....forgot to mention oven mits are a must. Damn that steel is hot!

 

[inerlogic]

brake cleaner

 

[browncoat]

brake cleaner

I have used brake and carb cleaner in the past, they work great. I worry about water running into the action and causing rust somewhere.

 

[Erichkruger]

Cosmoline is always SOOOoooOOO great to deal with . Got to love the stuff though, without it a lot of this old surplus equipment and guns would red tinges in some eastern bloc cave.

For the removal of my mosin and SKS i used boiling water + simple green for the metal parts and a hair drier + piles of paper towels for the wood furniture. After drying the metal parts, spraying a bit of wd40 into the hinges to displace any water is probably extra insurance from rust developing. Will still get cosmo weeping from the furniture that is near the receiver and barrel if you get a decent range session in.

 

[whacko]

I have used brake and carb cleaner in the past, they work great. I worry about water running into the action and causing rust somewhere.

both rifles I've done with boiling water are now over a year old to me.......not a speck of rust on em. Just boil em wipe em down and clean with CLP.....total time to comso free is one hour!

- - - Updated - - -

Cosmoline is always SOOOoooOOO great to deal with . Got to love the stuff though, without it a lot of this old surplus equipment and guns would red tinges in some eastern bloc cave.

For the removal of my mosin and SKS i used boiling water + simple green for the metal parts and a hair drier + piles of paper towels for the wood furniture. After drying the metal parts, spraying a bit of wd40 into the hinges to displace any water is probably extra insurance from rust developing. Will still get cosmo weeping from the furniture that is near the receiver and barrel if you get a decent range session in.

I actually think its cool to see comso seep out of the wood when I'm blasting away with my M38 and 91-30! I just bring a rag to the range with me......after a year now and many range trips the cosmo seepage is starting to die down Must be time for a new mosin :0