Creative ways to get cosmoline out of an SKS hardwood stock? **update**
- Thread starter .22LRGUY
- Start date
- Location
- Richmond, BC
Hey guys..got my first SKS five days ago and I've spent more time tinkering with it than I care to admit. Reminds me of being a kid and taking neat things apart just for the sake of doing it. Better than growing up with an XBox!
I got it torn down to the point where the barrel/action should come out of the stock without too much of a fight...but gave-up and put it all back together. Any tips welcome there. I suspect a little "elbow grease" and a firm talking-to will be the answer. lol
With respect to the stock~without a doubt...there is cosmoline in it and when I asked a buddy of mine how I ought to get rid of it, he said; "put it in the oven when your wife isn't looking". Apparently, sitting in the sun on a hot day will achieve the same thing...but hey, it's February and Southern Ontario decided it's time for winter to start. So....with those 2 options not possible, what are some other ideas? Can you (carefully) use a heat gun to warm it up a little? Looking for ideas...
Thanks!
7.62x39GUY
FreedomIsn'tFree
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Buffalo.
I strip it down to the stock and wrap paper towel around the stock, tape tight with masking tape, and inside all openings. After that I wrap it inside a black garbage bag and set it on the dash of my car, in the direct sun, with the windows up in the heat of the summer. Every couple hours unwrap and change the paper towel with new stuff, do this till the paper towel comes out clean.
My 'go to' method of degreasing milsurps. Double up the soap pods, hi-heat, pots and pans, air dry (if I forget to take the parts out as soon as finished washing)
I have heard of people doing this (the oven trick), I personally wouldn't try it, but you can build a hot box in the summer or lay it in the sun under glass. Putting them in the oven or any long baking heat can make the stocks brittle.
That's a great idea and cheaper than salts I bet.
- Location
- North of 53
Read this online somewhere. Get a metal garbage can and a halogen shop light (mine is 250w). Line the bottom of the can with paper towel, newspaper, whatever. Put the stock in the can and stick the shop light over the lip of the can. Same as the oven idea but Sunday dinner tastes better. Mine is actually downstairs right now going through it. First time I've tried it...We'll see. Mine's not wrapped up in paper towel so I imagine it'll need to be wiped off occasionally
Also, I put an old grate from a fire pit in the bottom of the can to keep the stock up off the bottom of the can. So it's not sitting in a puddle of cosmo.
2 hours later. Seems to be working well. There's a puddle at the bottom of the can and it's still oozing out. I didn't bother wiping it off with paper towel. I've got time. Might have to turn it upside down later as the stock sticks out of the can a bit and it's not getting the heat up top.
...sorry for the long winded description
Also, I put an old grate from a fire pit in the bottom of the can to keep the stock up off the bottom of the can. So it's not sitting in a puddle of cosmo.
2 hours later. Seems to be working well. There's a puddle at the bottom of the can and it's still oozing out. I didn't bother wiping it off with paper towel. I've got time. Might have to turn it upside down later as the stock sticks out of the can a bit and it's not getting the heat up top.
...sorry for the long winded description
Last edited:
bruce william
Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island.
friend of mine bought a cheap steam machine from i believe dollar store and it worked great
I just leaned my last one up on end, close to my wood stove (but not too close), paper towel on the floor. I wiped it down a couple of times to get the worst of it off. Just don't go shooting it wearing your Sunday best whites! It is good enough for me.
I have had good success with mineral spirits. I think it was called Varsol.
Melts the Cosmoline, but doesn't hurt the wood or the shellac.
First use a hairdryer and paper towel to get the majority of the Cosmo out. You can basically do that until you get sick of it. It'll keep weeping forever.
Then soak the stock in liberal amounts of mineral spirits. This will dissolve the grease and help get it out. Change the solvent and repeat. Once you've done this two or the times, wipe the stock down and then let it dry for about two days.
I did this and it didn't hurt the finish at all, but try it at your own risk. Maybe spot test your solvent on the stock before slathering it all over.
Melts the Cosmoline, but doesn't hurt the wood or the shellac.
First use a hairdryer and paper towel to get the majority of the Cosmo out. You can basically do that until you get sick of it. It'll keep weeping forever.
Then soak the stock in liberal amounts of mineral spirits. This will dissolve the grease and help get it out. Change the solvent and repeat. Once you've done this two or the times, wipe the stock down and then let it dry for about two days.
I did this and it didn't hurt the finish at all, but try it at your own risk. Maybe spot test your solvent on the stock before slathering it all over.
Heat makes it go fast. The other trick is to use 111 tric, etc to draw out the oil before the cat litter sucks it up
GunsNotPuns
CGN frequent flyer
I can't tell if you two are trolling the OP or really believe this. I can't think of a catastrophically worse way of "cleaning" a firearm then using a dishwasher (M1 Garands excepted apparently). With the high heat and moisture if anything metal on that rifle fails to dry you'll have serious rust issues extraordinarily quickly. Not to mention that it can seriously mess up the wood if you have cracks in it.
I don't know why no one else mentioned this yet ^^ (including me). Think of your wife, think of the children, think of your hot water swollen stock!
- Location
- British Columbia
Easy Off oven cleaner and a scrubbing brush. Wash off with hot water and repeat. Careful there will be fumes.
OK guys~update! 
Got the barrel/action out of the stock with a 1/4" aluminum rod, and some gentle tapping with a small hammer from the underside. Easy. Definitely stuck to the point it wouldn't come out from just pulling...but that's resolved.
I decided that of all the methods recommended, I wanted to try some gentle heat. So, I put some rags in the box the rifle came in, put the stock on them, opened the lid about as high as the small space heater I have, then draped crappy old (destined-to-be-rags) t-shirts over the side of the heater, and blocking air from escaping along the open portion of the box on either side. Imagine draping a towel over...except positioned so that it didn't choke the flow of air to the heater. The heater is the type that has a fan, and small elements. I stayed in the shop while doing this in case anything happened with the heater.
Every 20 minutes, I'd throw on some disposable nitrile gloves, tear off a few pcs. of paper towel, remove the t-shirts...and lift-out the stock. Not surprisingly, it was shiny from oozing cosmoline. Once wiped-off, I'd flip the stock to the other side and set-up the heater/t-shirts the same way. I repeated that for about 2 hours until the stock wasn't really giving any more up. I suspect it still will over time...but i was amazed at how much came out. The barrel/action was pretty clean..but I thought I would let it spend 30 minutes in the heat box and see what happens. To my surprise, it wasn't too bad...except for where the bayonet connects to the barrel. There was a 2" diameter cosmoline/black grease stain on the rags in the box under that. The metal was actually almost too hot to hold, which leads me to believe this was a good alternative to the oven. As for that advice...I can't imagine ever putting one of these soaked stocks in an oven that will be used for food. I actually didn't find the smell offensive, but it did get a little overpowering in the shop.
Anyhow...about to wipe the metal down with a lightly oiled rag then reassemble. Thanks again for the advice guys!
Got the barrel/action out of the stock with a 1/4" aluminum rod, and some gentle tapping with a small hammer from the underside. Easy. Definitely stuck to the point it wouldn't come out from just pulling...but that's resolved.I decided that of all the methods recommended, I wanted to try some gentle heat. So, I put some rags in the box the rifle came in, put the stock on them, opened the lid about as high as the small space heater I have, then draped crappy old (destined-to-be-rags) t-shirts over the side of the heater, and blocking air from escaping along the open portion of the box on either side. Imagine draping a towel over...except positioned so that it didn't choke the flow of air to the heater. The heater is the type that has a fan, and small elements. I stayed in the shop while doing this in case anything happened with the heater.
Every 20 minutes, I'd throw on some disposable nitrile gloves, tear off a few pcs. of paper towel, remove the t-shirts...and lift-out the stock. Not surprisingly, it was shiny from oozing cosmoline. Once wiped-off, I'd flip the stock to the other side and set-up the heater/t-shirts the same way. I repeated that for about 2 hours until the stock wasn't really giving any more up. I suspect it still will over time...but i was amazed at how much came out. The barrel/action was pretty clean..but I thought I would let it spend 30 minutes in the heat box and see what happens. To my surprise, it wasn't too bad...except for where the bayonet connects to the barrel. There was a 2" diameter cosmoline/black grease stain on the rags in the box under that. The metal was actually almost too hot to hold, which leads me to believe this was a good alternative to the oven. As for that advice...I can't imagine ever putting one of these soaked stocks in an oven that will be used for food. I actually didn't find the smell offensive, but it did get a little overpowering in the shop.
Anyhow...about to wipe the metal down with a lightly oiled rag then reassemble. Thanks again for the advice guys!
