How to Get oil out of the stock?

[Garand9015]

I recently bought another SKS but what is distinctive about this one is that some Yugoslav guy put about 1 gallon of cosmo, grease, and oil on the stock and it is stuck there. I have never really had a problem with a little oil because it bleeds out, but on this gun its like sticking your hand in S***. Wondering if anyone knows a good method to getting it out. Thanks

[SilentSoul]

I have heard HOT HOT water, OR putting it in the oven on semi warm, you don't want it to warm, might search around on here for some better directions.

[just_a_car]

Look at the Mosin Nagant forum. We have to deal with this with almost every rifle we buy.

For the stock, I'd suggest a nice hot day out on the deck in the sun and put some aluminum foil under it catch the cosmo.

Otherwise, there are lots of ways to make a safer oven than your home one, one of which involves a metal garbage can and a lightbulb. Plus, you won't have to explain to your wife/girlfriend what all that sludge is at the bottom of the oven.

Even though it doesn't really address the stock issue, here's the BoT article on cosmoline removal: Educational Zone #23 - Cosmoline Removal - Page 1

[Beer Forever]

Heat works well and there are a lot of solvents and solutions that work great, just head on down to the Ace and see what they have. I use this stuff called Oops, it comes in sprays and other forms. After I use that then I go over it with 2000-1000 grit sandpaper and then a varnish, linseed, or tung oil. There are ways, I guess it is just a labor of love. It took me 2 or 3 days of solid work to get my stocks the way I wanted them.

[Paper]

You're not going to believe this one, but stick it in the dishwasher on hot setting..
It'll not only pull all that oil out, but also raise any dents back up to flush..

I just picked up a Yugo that previous users had dented their names into the stock, along with typical handling dings.

I'm tearing the gun down and sticking the whole thing in the dishwasher tonight. Cosmo be damned..

I'll post before and after pics..

And yes, I'll be oiling the metal parts very well when I remove everything from the dishwasher.

Here's my Before photos..
As I'm posting this, my SKS is in the dishwasher, running away...

The stock's dinged, personallized, and full of oil.
The metal parts are loaded with Cosmo.. The trigger group was a mess, as was the magazine.
Luckily, my cat's hair was on a lot of it, too.




















Now to see what happens..

[just_a_car]

Actually, those look like engravings, not dents, but it's hard to tell.... if they're cut out, there's no way to get them to "come up".

Good luck on that, I've heard good results with the dishwasher.

[Paper]

Originally Posted by just_a_car

Actually, those look like engravings, not dents, but it's hard to tell.... if they're cut out, there's no way to get them to "come up".
Good luck on that, I've heard good results with the dishwasher.

Some of them are engraved..
I checked after the wash cycle and all the Cosmos gone off of the metal parts, and the stock's looking better.
The deep marks are still there, which I can more than live with.. I just hate shooting them when it's hot out and having to wipe the grease off my glasses after every 10 shots..

Should be all done in another 20 minutes.. I'll pull everything out. The metal parts will dry very quickly due to the heat, and I'll blast everything with a light lube after they sit for 10 minutes..

I'll let the stock dry overnight, and we'll see what we end up with tomorrow. If needed, I'll give it a few coats of TruOil to help seal it a bit.

The gun had very good condition metal, but the stock was kinda crappy (as you can see in the photos).. I was kicking around getting a plastic stock for it, but I figured I'd give this a shot first.. (That, and I'm cheap)

[just_a_car]

Can't wait to see the results, Paper!

[Paper]

Originally Posted by just_a_car

Can't wait to see the results, Paper!

Hee Hee ..
Makes 2 of us!!

I took the top rack out of my dishwasher to do this, and the barrel's just a bit longer than my dishwasher interior..

It's got my door propped open a bit, and it's making a mess on the floor..

Luckily my fiance lives 18 miles from me, and my house is on a slab, so all I'm actually doing is cleaning the floor in front of the dishwasher..

I hope I won't need another beer before this is all done..

[just_a_car]

Nah, you won't need another beer....

But that vodka's lookin' mighty good. I mean, what better to go with our Russian beauties (mosins included) than Russian vodka?!

[Paper]

After everything was all said and done, IT WORKED GREAT!!!

The stock is WAY better than it was, all the cosmoline is off all parts, and after the stock dries out tomorrow, I'll put the rifle back together.

I learned a couple things in process..

First, as soon as the dishwasher's done, pull the parts out, shake the water off, and start oiling.. In just a few minutes the areas where there was any remote amount of bare metal found a touch of light rust. Easily removed with oil, but it's there.. Don't let your metal parts sit in the dishwasher for any period of time..

Second, the stock turned out better than I would have guessed. The spots on the stock are WAY better than they were, and I could easily sand the stock down to smooth and work it over..
Since the markings kinda add a bit of history to the gun, I'm just going to give it a few coats of TruOil after it dries and let it go from there..

So, here's the pics..















The wood's oil free, the metal parts are cosmo free, and I'm a happy camper!!

[just_a_car]

Outstanding, Paper! I'm very glad to hear you're keeping the markings. They really do lend a bit of history to the stock and whenever I look at anything like that, I feel a link to the past and it feels like just by seeing it, I'm keeping the memory of that soldier alive, even if he isn't.

As to the surface rust, I've found that it happens with residue-free spray solvents (electric cleaner, fuel injector cleaner, brake cleaner, etc...) and once all the oils are sprayed off and the solvent dries, within minutes a very light red color starts to form. Always keep oil handy if you're completely removing the oil from the metal on your gun!

[Kismet]

Hey Paper...

Looks WAY better.







Kis

[Idaho Dave]

Paper that really looks good I can see me trying that at some point. couple of questions did the dishwasher look okay and clean when done? Did you use soap/what kind? Just want to know to prep the wife prior to trying it.

[ArkansasHunter]

With out looking it up on the internet, can someone tell me what cosmolene is and how its made maybe.

[Paper]

Originally Posted by Idaho Dave

Paper that really looks good I can see me trying that at some point. couple of questions did the dishwasher look okay and clean when done? Did you use soap/what kind? Just want to know to prep the wife prior to trying it.

I just used regular dishwashing detergent and removed the top rack before doing this for extra room.

As far as the inside, it looked no different than before I did it. No funky smells, goo, or anything that shows that I had a gun in there...

I learned this trick from a guy on Surplus Rifle.com who did this AND has a clean freak wife. If I remember correctly, the first time he did it, he didn't tell her and it turned out fine.. Now she has no problem with it because there wasn't any issues..

My hunch is that Cosmo melts at a lower temp than bacon grease..

Cosmoline
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cosmoline is the trade name for a generic class of rust preventatives, conforming to MIL-C-11796C Class 3, that are a yellowish, light-amber, or greenish colored ointment-like mass; have a slight fluorescence; and have a petroleum-like odor and taste. Cosmoline is similar to petroleum jelly in properties, appearance, and thickness. It is the purified residue obtained from the distillation of petroleum oils.

Chemically, cosmoline is a homogeneous mixture of oily and waxy long-chain, non-polar hydrocarbons. It can range in color from white to yellow, and can differ in viscosity and shear strength. Cosmoline melts at 113–125 °F (45–52 °C) and has a flashpoint of 365 °F (185 °C).

Its most common use is in the storage and preservation of firearms. Previously, cosmoline was used to preserve other items. Objects the size of entire vehicles could be preserved for future use with cosmoline.

During World War II, US gun crews serving the huge coastal artillery batteries were known as "Cosmoliners" because they were tasked with the near constant application of cosmoline to the guns.

[Audie Jr.]

Man, That really cleaned it. I've held the stock over an electric range plate and that works well, but it takes time and lots of rags.

[Paper]

Originally Posted by Audie Jr.

Man, That really cleaned it. I've held the stock over an electric range plate and that works well, but it takes time and lots of rags.

I read about a guy who made an oven out of a metal trash can and some heat lamps.. Seemed to work very well..

I left my stock and gas tube (other pc of wood) outside to dry today. They looked pretty dry this morning, but I figured I'd get most of it out by sitting in the sun today..

Tonight I'll lightly sand everything to take the high spots off.. I'll give it a quick coat of stain to darken it up a bit and then a few coats of TruOil this week.. Should be done and ready to shoot shortly..

[ArkansasHunter]

paper thanks for the great read...now i finaly know.

[just_a_car]

Well, I did one of my new Mosin Nagant 91/59s last night in the garage the hard way.

Mineral Spirits and a toothbrush.

Took 3 hours of loving work.

Came out lookin' really nice and the stock isn't sticky anymore, but still has that beautiful 'glisten' to the grain. I like leaving some cosmo in to keep the wood looking pretty.