Fun With Cosmoline

[Freak_090]

Because no firearm forum would be complete without a complaint about cosmoline.

I am wanting to put the wood stock back on my Mosin, but before I do that, I want to get rid of all of the Cosmoline.
I took a hair drier to a small section of it earlier, and ended up with bare wood. This isn't good. There are several ways I can remove the cosmoline.

1) Boil water in a metal trash can, suspend the stock in there for a while, then hang it to let it dry.

1.b) Step one, minus the water.

2) Boiling water, pour on stock, wipe, repeat.

If the stock ends up as just bare wood or splotched, what would be a good finish to put on it? I don't want a glossy finish, I want it to look like regular wood, as you might find on an AK.  

[Inquisitor Brock]

I use rubbing alcohol, others use mineral spirits.  

[Freak_090]

Inquisitor Brock

I use rubbing alcohol, others use mineral spirits.

How did you go about using the rubbing alchohol? Just put it on a cloth and rub?  

[OberFeldwebel]

... Someone told me about using the oven.
:/

Anyway, I haven't had problems with the stock being full of cosmoline, just the action and in the case of my Yugo Mauser, the firing pin and spring were jam packed with cosmo.  

[Inquisitor Brock]

Freak_090

Inquisitor Brock

I use rubbing alcohol, others use mineral spirits.

How did you go about using the rubbing alchohol? Just put it on a cloth and rub?

Yep. I soak the little pieces like the screws and bands and such in a little tub with some rubbing alcohol.  

[Freak_090]

OberFeldwebel

... Someone told me about using the oven.
:/

Anyway, I haven't had problems with the stock being full of cosmoline, just the action and in the case of my Yugo Mauser, the firing pin and spring were jam packed with cosmo.

If you can find me an oven that will hold a 3 1/2 ft piece of wood, then ok.

The hair drier has gone a long way, the main problem is that when I try to wipe off the cosmoline from the stock, some of it gets rubbed back in.


Brock: The metal pieces aren't the problem. I am working on the wood. I have taken out the back plate and scrubbed it down with soap and a brush.

Side note: Just to help you guys understand what I'm dealing with, when I removed the back plate the wood underneath looked like it had been soaked. I ran through 2 paper towels wiping off cosmoline, and I'm not even halfway done.  

[Inquisitor Brock]

Well it's a time intensive practice regardless, so get to scrubbing, b***h.  

[OberFeldwebel]

Freak_090

OberFeldwebel

... Someone told me about using the oven.
:/

Anyway, I haven't had problems with the stock being full of cosmoline, just the action and in the case of my Yugo Mauser, the firing pin and spring were jam packed with cosmo.

If you can find me an oven that will hold a 3 1/2 ft piece of wood, then ok.

The hair drier has gone a long way, the main problem is that when I try to wipe off the cosmoline from the stock, some of it gets rubbed back in.


Brock: The metal pieces aren't the problem. I am working on the wood. I have taken out the back plate and scrubbed it down with soap and a brush.

Side note: Just to help you guys understand what I'm dealing with, when I removed the back plate the wood underneath looked like it had been soaked. I ran through 2 paper towels wiping off cosmoline, and I'm not even halfway done.

twisted @ Bold

... but I'm not sure if they still work though.
3nodding

You could make your own oven. I saw this on Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Cardboard or wood frame with no top. Or was it a partial window at the top? Anyway, cover the insides with tin foil and make a top out of some sort of Acrylic. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to put Polystyrene underneath the tinfoil.

Just leave it outside and it get's pretty hot inside that thing. Even in Minnesota summers I'd bet. Where are you from again?

Also, you may want to attach some sort of wooden handles and buy some hot pads. You don't want to go to the hospital and explain wtf happened.  

[Freak_090]

OberFeldwebel

twisted @ Bold

... but I'm not sure if they still work though.
3nodding

You could make your own oven. I saw this on Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Cardboard or wood frame with no top. Or was it a partial window at the top? Anyway, cover the insides with tin foil and make a top out of some sort of Acrylic. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to put Polystyrene underneath the tinfoil.

Just leave it outside and it get's pretty hot inside that thing. Even in Minnesota summers I'd bet. Where are you from again?

Also, you may want to attach some sort of wooden handles and buy some hot pads. You don't want to go to the hospital and explain wtf happened.

gonk That's horrible!
Do you know why it's sucks to be a black jew? You get put in the back of the oven! [/badjoke]
Yeah... every day since I started this project it has rained.

Edit: Brock, your saying to use the alcohol on the wood parts, correct?  

[OberFeldwebel]

Freak_090

OberFeldwebel

twisted @ Bold

... but I'm not sure if they still work though.
3nodding

You could make your own oven. I saw this on Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Cardboard or wood frame with no top. Or was it a partial window at the top? Anyway, cover the insides with tin foil and make a top out of some sort of Acrylic. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to put Polystyrene underneath the tinfoil.

Just leave it outside and it get's pretty hot inside that thing. Even in Minnesota summers I'd bet. Where are you from again?

Also, you may want to attach some sort of wooden handles and buy some hot pads. You don't want to go to the hospital and explain wtf happened.

gonk That's horrible!
Do you know why it's sucks to be a black jew? You get put in the back of the oven! [/badjoke]
Yeah... every day since I started this project it has rained.

Edit: Brock, your saying to use the alcohol on the wood parts, correct?

Yeah I know it was horrible. But not quite as bad as your joke though. lol

Ah that sucks. But you could be taking the time to go out and get the materials for your home made oven and building it. neutral

You know, instead of wasting a s**t ton of electricity by using the hairdryer.  

[Freak_090]

OberFeldwebel

Yeah I know it was horrible. But not quite as bad as your joke though. lol

Ah that sucks. But you could be taking the time to go out and get the materials for your home made oven and building it. neutral

You know, instead of wasting a s**t ton of electricity by using the hairdryer.

sweatdrop Sorry, I had to say it.

It just cleared up today. I'm going to use the box it came in which, for some reason, has "K 98" satmped on it.  

[OberFeldwebel]

Freak_090

OberFeldwebel

Yeah I know it was horrible. But not quite as bad as your joke though. lol

Ah that sucks. But you could be taking the time to go out and get the materials for your home made oven and building it. neutral

You know, instead of wasting a s**t ton of electricity by using the hairdryer.

sweatdrop Sorry, I had to say it.

It just cleared up today. I'm going to use the box it came in which, for some reason, has "K 98" satmped on it.

Lol import noobs.
lol

All of my boxes were properly marked, consider me blessed. neutral

Wait, you're going to try what I suggested with a cardboard box? ... Hmm, I have no idea if that will or wont work.  

[Freak_090]

OberFeldwebel

Freak_090

OberFeldwebel

Yeah I know it was horrible. But not quite as bad as your joke though. lol

Ah that sucks. But you could be taking the time to go out and get the materials for your home made oven and building it. neutral

You know, instead of wasting a s**t ton of electricity by using the hairdryer.

sweatdrop Sorry, I had to say it.

It just cleared up today. I'm going to use the box it came in which, for some reason, has "K 98" satmped on it.

Lol import noobs.
lol

All of my boxes were properly marked, consider me blessed. neutral

Wait, you're going to try what I suggested with a cardboard box? ... Hmm, I have no idea if that will or wont work.

Well, the box was STAMPED with "K 98" but the other end had " '44 M91/30" scribbled on it in sharpie. Of course, upon noting the fact that it was made in 1944 I now realise why my stock is such a PoS.

Yeah, kind of like a solar hotdog oven.  

[Fresnel]

If you do go the hairdryer route, consider a heat gun. Same concept, much hotter. You could probably rent one from an Ace Rental Center, if you have one in the area.