cleaning cosmoline off - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

USMC-PRIDE · 03-16-2005, 08:56 AM

Does anyone have any tricks to clean cosmoline off?? Love the smell, hate cleaning it off. Thanks.

**wfrazee** · 03-16-2005, 08:59 AM

Gasoline.

But dont do it. If you really dont know what you are doing, its an easy way to get yourself killed, maimed, etc.

Basically, you put gasolene in a plastic barrel, carefuly put the cosmoline covered article in there one component at a time. Remove the cosmoline from the article and more on to the next article.

You then dispose of the cosmoline-contaminated gasoline.

mr0w1 · 03-16-2005, 09:23 AM

Umm...gasoline, no. My SOP is as follows; complete disassembly, small parts soak in mineral spirits, receiver/barrl assy hosed w/ carb cleaner and then wiped. Use mineral spirits and a small brush to get the rest of the cosmo from small places.

Of course, I guess my method is no less flamable than gasoline...

What do you have that's covered in cosmo?

BeardXXXd · 03-16-2005, 09:35 AM

i always use wd40 and and the wifes toothbrush..
get one of those $1 oil pans. spray down parts very liberally and let it sit in the wd40 for 10 mins.. then just brush all the parts.. then clean them up with paper towels and qtips..

as for the wood..
i bake the stock in the oven at 150-165 making it sweat out the cosmo..
every 15 mins, take it out and wipe it down..
usually takes me 8 cycles or 2 hrs depending on wood

as with all these older guns.. make sure u completely dissasemble the bolt.. i even cut the top off a beer can put all my bolt parts in there.. pour in boiling water.. pull out with needle nose and then spray with hot water using the kitchen sink sprayer

website
http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/index.asp

gonzo · 03-16-2005, 09:44 AM

Oven or (if you have sunlight this time of year) spray paint the inside of a box black, put glass on the top, and let the sun heat it up (some use a car and put a towel and the gun on the dash, but I can't take the smell!). Mineral spirits in between. The heat really, really loosens that stuff up. If you don't have wood, soaking it in gas, etc. is good, but I don't go beyond mineral spirits for wood. Just be sure to bake it all out, or it will ooze forever!

USMC-PRIDE · 03-16-2005, 09:44 AM

i have new XD40 all OD green that i am cleaning as we speak, but question was for friend who asked me for tips to clean CMP M1 Garand, I got mine from my grandfather so didn't have to fight thru all the Cosmoline.

Krackels · 03-16-2005, 09:53 AM

They say blue wonder gun cleaner can also remove cosmoline as well, but I wouldn't use it unless it was for a rather small amount of cosmoline. It would be much cheaper to use mineral spirits.

Krackels

10ring · 03-16-2005, 09:58 AM

I use carb or brake cleaner on large metal parts, mineral spirits on the spall parts in a tub,

black garbage bag filled with unscented kitty litter for the wood, followed up with lemon oil.

MrTuffPaws · 03-16-2005, 10:05 AM

Really hot water and simple green. Dunk everything in the mixture, let soak to melt the cosmo, then pour off the water. Dry parts with 99% rubbing alcohol to dry up the water in the cracks, and off you go.

Lranger65 · 03-16-2005, 11:03 AM

i second 10ring

I use carb or brake cleaner on large metal parts, mineral spirits on the spall parts in a tub,

black garbage bag filled with unscented kitty litter for the wood, left out in the sun, followed up with lemon oil.

i have heard of easy-off and a bathtub for the wood also......

check out http://www.sksboards.com/forum/ and do a search on cosmoline and you'll find a lot of info

03-16-2005, 08:56 AM	#1
USMC-PRIDE XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 389	cleaning cosmoline off Does anyone have any tricks to clean cosmoline off?? Love the smell, hate cleaning it off. Thanks. __________________ SEMPER FI No WMD\'s in Iraq? 1.77 metric tons of enriched uranium 1,500 gallons of chemical weapons agents 17 chemical warheads containing cyclosarin Over 1,000 radioactive materials in powdered form Roadside bombs with mustard and conventional sarin gas

03-16-2005, 08:59 AM	#2
wfrazee XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Brighton, CO Posts: 572	Gasoline. But dont do it. If you really dont know what you are doing, its an easy way to get yourself killed, maimed, etc. Basically, you put gasolene in a plastic barrel, carefuly put the cosmoline covered article in there one component at a time. Remove the cosmoline from the article and more on to the next article. You then dispose of the cosmoline-contaminated gasoline. __________________ WFRAZEE "When you take your gun with you, leave your middle finger home." - Unattributed

03-16-2005, 09:23 AM	#3
mr0w1 XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,536	Umm...gasoline, no. My SOP is as follows; complete disassembly, small parts soak in mineral spirits, receiver/barrl assy hosed w/ carb cleaner and then wiped. Use mineral spirits and a small brush to get the rest of the cosmo from small places. Of course, I guess my method is no less flamable than gasoline... What do you have that's covered in cosmo? __________________ guns.freaksho.net - My awesome gun website! More guns than ever! (Last updated: July 24, 2006)

03-16-2005, 09:35 AM	#4
BeardXXXd XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Westmorland Posts: 724	i always use wd40 and and the wifes toothbrush.. get one of those $1 oil pans. spray down parts very liberally and let it sit in the wd40 for 10 mins.. then just brush all the parts.. then clean them up with paper towels and qtips.. as for the wood.. i bake the stock in the oven at 150-165 making it sweat out the cosmo.. every 15 mins, take it out and wipe it down.. usually takes me 8 cycles or 2 hrs depending on wood as with all these older guns.. make sure u completely dissasemble the bolt.. i even cut the top off a beer can put all my bolt parts in there.. pour in boiling water.. pull out with needle nose and then spray with hot water using the kitchen sink sprayer website http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/index.asp __________________ My Website Ballistic Chart a sense of epic grandeur!

03-16-2005, 09:44 AM	#6
USMC-PRIDE XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 389	i have new XD40 all OD green that i am cleaning as we speak, but question was for friend who asked me for tips to clean CMP M1 Garand, I got mine from my grandfather so didn't have to fight thru all the Cosmoline. __________________ SEMPER FI No WMD\'s in Iraq? 1.77 metric tons of enriched uranium 1,500 gallons of chemical weapons agents 17 chemical warheads containing cyclosarin Over 1,000 radioactive materials in powdered form Roadside bombs with mustard and conventional sarin gas

03-16-2005, 09:44 AM	#5
gonzo XDTalk Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Greenfield, IN Posts: 56	Oven or (if you have sunlight this time of year) spray paint the inside of a box black, put glass on the top, and let the sun heat it up (some use a car and put a towel and the gun on the dash, but I can't take the smell!). Mineral spirits in between. The heat really, really loosens that stuff up. If you don't have wood, soaking it in gas, etc. is good, but I don't go beyond mineral spirits for wood. Just be sure to bake it all out, or it will ooze forever!

03-16-2005, 09:53 AM	#7
Krackels XDTalk 15K Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 19,562 Blog Entries: 5	They say blue wonder gun cleaner can also remove cosmoline as well, but I wouldn't use it unless it was for a rather small amount of cosmoline. It would be much cheaper to use mineral spirits. Krackels __________________ "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." --Benjamin Franklin PA Roll Call

03-16-2005, 09:58 AM	#8
10ring XDTalk Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ohh, Ohio Posts: 91	I use carb or brake cleaner on large metal parts, mineral spirits on the spall parts in a tub, black garbage bag filled with unscented kitty litter for the wood, followed up with lemon oil. __________________ \"The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.\" Thomas Jefferson

03-16-2005, 10:05 AM	#9
MrTuffPaws XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: NorCal Posts: 759	Really hot water and simple green. Dunk everything in the mixture, let soak to melt the cosmo, then pour off the water. Dry parts with 99% rubbing alcohol to dry up the water in the cracks, and off you go.

03-16-2005, 11:03 AM	#10
Lranger65 XDTalk Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF NJ Posts: 52	i second 10ring I use carb or brake cleaner on large metal parts, mineral spirits on the spall parts in a tub, black garbage bag filled with unscented kitty litter for the wood, left out in the sun, followed up with lemon oil. i have heard of easy-off and a bathtub for the wood also...... check out http://www.sksboards.com/forum/ and do a search on cosmoline and you'll find a lot of info __________________ THE LIMITS OF TYRANTS ARE PRESCRIBED BY THE ENDURANCE OF THOSE WHOM THEY SUPPRESS - FREDERICK DOUGLASS Springfield XD9 4\" S&W 19 .357 S&W 27 .357 Colt 1911 .45ACP Ruger 22/45 .22LR Mossberg 500 12GA Ruger 10/22 .22LR Remington Nylon 77 .22LR

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