OIL

C

confederatemule

Inactive
I have used naptha, paint stripper, acetone, heat gun, easy off oven cleaner, and starting fluid, to remove the oil from my M44 Mosin Nagant stock. The oil is still there. The oven cleaner probably worked better than anything else, but it removes whatever the stock is finished with, also.

Does anyone know of something that will remove "all" of the oil. It is mostly in the trigger area, where a nasty hand wrapped around the stock to pull the trigger. But it is fairly heavy in the general area of the magazine and bolt.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, Mule.
 
that oil is cosmoline. Its basically impossible to get it ALL off. you can get the majority of it, but its probably going to be like that as long as you own it. Ive cleaned mine numerous times and have put over 1000 rounds through it and yet it still kinda seeps out when the barrel gets hot.

Don't worry about it, that's just how it is.
 
Slow and steady heat will bring alot of the cosmoline out of the wood.When I get cosmoline soaked rifles I dunk the metal in boiling water or mineral spirits and hang the stock near my wood stove.
 
Oven cleaner can chemically burn wood. Take the stock off, drop it into a vat of mineral spirits and leave it there for 24 hours. Wipe off the excess and apply BLO.
 
How to remove cosmoline:

1. Wrap stock in several layers of paper towels.
2. Place wrapped stock inside a large black plastic garbage bag.
3. Place on the dash of your car on a sunny day.
4. Replace cosmoline soaked paper towels as the solar heating cooks it out of your stock.
5. Repeat every day for three years.:D
 
Here is another option! Worked great for me. Your results may vary due to the ammount of cosmoline. I have a MN M38 surplus and this was what worked for me.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/cosmoline/index.asp

A good read. Solved all my cosmo problems. Just remember to re-oil all parts properly.
I will say it took me 3-4 hours to get it all clean. I used the Shark hand held steam cleaner. Beats chemicals and disposal problems!
 
If you know someone who works in an auto repair shop, ask nicely and they may let you use the solvent tank. Wipe away as much as you can before taking the parts into the shop.

I like the steam cleaner idea, we used to steam clean engine blocks.
 
Dogtown Tom's post was kind of tongue in cheek, but it's probably the best way to get the cosmo out of the stock without running the risk of damaging the finish. If you don't care about the original finish or if the original finish is trashed, then some solvent method is probably the quickest way to do it. But if you want to keep the rifle original, then you're just going to have to do it the semi-old fashioned way. And have lots of patience.
 
In the past I've used whiting (ground white chalk also works) and sun.

You pile the whiting on, set the stock in the gun, wait until the whiting is discolored, brush it off, and repeat.

It takes awhile, but it slowly works.
 
Dogtown Tom #5 Post

This is the way I have cleaned and degreased all the milsurp stocks in my safe. This saves most all the original markings and doesn't smell up the workshop.
Slow but pretty easy and it is environmentally friendly. The finish was shellack and I'm surprised that so much oil/grease got thru the old finish.
As with all wood working slow is best. If you are soaking wood in any type of solvent, and water is a solvent, the wood needs to "dry" back to the proper moisture content. Too dry and you will get cracks too wet and you will see swelling and warping.
As all my rifles are US military I use BLO or Tung Oil to seal and finish the stock. Many light coats and lots of rubbing.
 
I've used a 60/40 mix of HOT water and simple green and a toothbrush, eventually followed by use of a steam cleaner like this one and then a good hot water rinse. The only trick is that you then need to re-oil the parts IMMEDIATELY or you'll get some rust.

Cat litter in a plastic trash bag in the hot car trunk has worked best for getting the cosmo out of wooden stocks...but it does take time.
 
I feel I must apologize. I just now noticed the "sticky" on removing oil. Sorry.

On with the oil story. Well, I decided that the oil/grease stain would add character, so, I put two coats of the finish on. Then I noticed that I was using clear lacquer, not polyurethane.
I used more E-Z Off. After this process was over and the stock was clean and dry, low and behold, there is no oil stain and it does not feel waxy. I do not know what happened.

I do appreciate the suggestions. I have made a list of them, for later reference, because I will buy more Mosin Nagants.
Thanks to all,

Mule.
 
Oh, man... I forgot what happens to a cosmo'd gun that's "clean" in the summer after you fire it a lot: boiling cosmo seeps out of the wood.
DSC01189.jpg
 
The darkening at the wrist is often times not due to oil but due to body fluids reacting with the wood. Harsh chemicals will get it out but will also damage the wood and strip the finish. It all depends what you're trying to accomplish but usually just living with the darkening is best.

Best,
Oly
 
Again, my mistake.
Most of it is gone. What is left is in other locations, and not as visible.
I am going to go ahead and apply the Polyurethane tomorrow, at least, start tomorrow.

Mule
 
Mule, my friend, your new finish won't make a difference. That Cosmo's gonna find it's way out of that wood on a hot day or when you shoot the gun alot. It won't be as bad as mine pictured above with a good refinish, but... you'll still get it popping up.
 
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