rough cosmo problems.

T

tahunua001

New member
hello all,
I just got in my new M39 and the cosmoline on it is pretty...persistent. it's dried it pretty bad and I can't get it all off with CLP. any idea how to get it off without risking harming the finish?
 
I let my SKS sit in a steaming bath for about 15 minutes then I commenced scrubbing all of the places that remained with a nylon brush. I didn't use any sort of detergent, mind you, so there wasn't anything to really lift the cosmo off of the metal except the water and steam, I have a feeling if you added some sort of soap or a detergent to the water it would lift the cosmo off and less scrubbing would be required. After that I would drain it, dry it, run another bath with plain water and then scrub any other places that may remain. And thoroughly dry it (although the steaming water does a lot of the drying for you). Like I said I just used water with my SKS and no detergents or soaps, so use them at your own discretion. A blow dryer helps to make sure you don't have any water anywhere to cast rust.
 
The hottest water you can get is the answer. Hook up a hose to your hot water heater hose bib and softer that stuff up.
 
Boil a big pot of water and throw the small pieces in. Boiling water down the barrel and receiver.
Heat is the key if you do not have access to a vapor degreaser.
 
Cosmoline is just thick grease. Soak the whole thing in a vat of mineral spirits for 24 hours. Then wipe off the gunk. No flushing said gunk down any drain. It's toxic.
You will have to oil the metal and wipe down the stock with BLO ASAP. Not a great deal of rushing required though. Rust doesn't form instantly. Not at all if everything is kept dry.
 
^ +1

Mineral spirits are the best. Soak everything you can in a tank of odorless mineral spirits for several hours. Come back and scrub everything with a toothbrush after the crud has loosened. Repeat this process a couple times and you will be rewarded with a degreased and very very clean rifle.
 
I also used mineral spirits. Another thing that works is on a hot day set the rifle vertical in a black trash bag in the sun. Just not sure how many 90 degree days are left for Idaho? :) Mineral spirits and a stiff brush.

Ron
 
Edit....missed that you referred to just the stock at the end.
Stocks get placed in a black plastic bag full of newspapers on the truck dash in the sun...
Metal parts....Brake Kleen (non - chlorinated). I buy the stuff by the gallon.
Any brand brake cleaner will work. Be sure to lightly oil all surfaces including a patch down the bore after because this strips all protective oils from the metal parts.
 
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