wtf cosmoline removal on an sks

Like a few have said, the oven is an easy way to get rid of it if you don’t mind your house smelling like cosmo for a day....

Strip it completely and put all the parts in the oven (Stock included). I put it at 125 degrees. Make sure to put some tin foil at the bottom because it will be dripping out fast, especially from the stock.

Every two hours I’d take the parts out and wipe them clean. Took about 6 hours to get the majority of it off. After it was all done I put CLP on all moving parts and it’s been working flawlessly ever since.

:cheers:
 
I don't know if i have been exceptionally lucky with the amount of cosmoline, or maybe i have a lower expectation of "clean", but i haven't had much in the way of problems removing it. I get a roll of shop clothes and qtips and just wipe away as much as i can. Anything i can't wipe away i give a little squirt with G96 and let it set for a bit, then wipe it again.
 
I put all the metal parts down to the stripped bolt in mineral spirits and let soak overnight. Worked Pretty well. For the wood the wife refused to let me use the oven so I made a tray from tinfoil through some rags on it an put it on the dash of the car.. Every hour go wipe down the sweat and rotate... 'only works in summer' this worked fairly well but the first couple times at the range it still boiled out some cosmo after a couple hundred rounds... But then you need to clean it anyway.
 
I have yet to pick up an SKS, it is however next on my wish list. My plan, a 4" PCV pipe a little longer than the rifle without the stock, and a 4" cap. Remove stock from rifle, insert into pcv pipe, and fill with solvent, ie: mineral spirits, kerosene, varsol. Let it soak overnight. Then toothbrush, rags and a full disassembly. I personally will just use my automotive parts washer for everything but the barrel and stock after a 24 hr soak.

For the stock, black garbage bag and hang it out in the sun for a few days. Once the bulk of it is removed, a hairdryer and more rags.

Again, I have yet to actually aquire a SKS and clean rid it of cosmo, but Im confident my plan will work.
 
Birchwood Casey gun degreaser has always worked for me, on the metal parts at least. Wipe off excess cosmo, put parts in large Rubbermaid tub and hose off thoroughly with BC degreaser. Wipe down and oil liberally afterwards, it leaves the steel pretty dry.
 
Strip it down untill all you have are parts and the stock. Put the parts in a container and dump some paint thinner in and let them soak. Take the parts out and let them dry. Then clean and lubricate as usual. The stock you can slow bake in the oven at a low temp to sweat the cosmo out.
 
I soaked all the metal parts in mineral spirits overnight. Extreamly dry the next day cosmo was gone. Just lightly oil after using.
 
I did ultrasonic cleaning in hot water and simple green, got rid of most of it on most pieces.

(How do you guys remove the wood on the gas tube assembly? punch the pin out? I put the whole thing in the ultrasonic cleaner including wood, but it removed all finish on the wood so I gave it a bit of wd40.
What oïl do you use on the wood anyway? pure linseed oïl?

I still have the barrel and receiver assembly to clean, will try pouring boiling water on it. (doesnt fit in my us cleaner...)
Did a whole can of brake cleaner, but still not perfect.

And then the stock. Might try the oven for the stock.
 
Kryogen said:
I did ultrasonic cleaning in hot water and simple green, got rid of most of it on most pieces.

(How do you guys remove the wood on the gas tube assembly? punch the pin out? I put the whole thing in the ultrasonic cleaner including wood, but it removed all finish on the wood so I gave it a bit of wd40.
What oïl do you use on the wood anyway? pure linseed oïl?

I still have the barrel and receiver assembly to clean, will try pouring boiling water on it. (doesnt fit in my us cleaner...)
Did a whole can of brake cleaner, but still not perfect.

And then the stock. Might try the oven for the stock.
Click to expand...
The factory finish on the wood is shellac, not oil. Do not use a plain oil that does not have "driers" in it. So if you want to use linseed oil, use boiled linseed oil. I'm a fan of tung oil, but I use polymerized tung oil so it'll dry faster.

The metal is easy to clean with kerosene. Wipe first with paper towels and then with kerosene soaked towels. Then I use WD-40 after the kerosene or brake cleaner would be fine too. Then your favourite gun cleaner/protectant for metal parts. It's easy.

For the stock, keep the oven heat as low as possible to avoid damaging the finish. Or else strip it and redo the finish as you see fit. Look at my recent thread for one idea on refinishing an SKS stock. btw, boiled linseed oil alone will make a very light coloured finish on the wood if that's what you like. Otherwise you'll want to do something else.
 
Canadiankeeper said:
Shoot it till its all gone :)
Click to expand...

This is my procedure now, I don't bother with trying to get it all off the rifle :) I just make sure the barrel is clean and the gas system is clear then load her up and with gloves on shoot until hot or until 100 surplus steel casings are on the deck...

After I shoot corrosive ammo, I always use the boiling hot water method to clean anyway so it gets done after the gun fires and runs and after I have had my fun :)
 
"...soak the parts, and wipe it down with Varsol..." Yep. Varsol is your friend. Water does nothing. Take off the stock and drop the whole thing in a tub of it for 24 hours. Wipe off the cosmoline. Even though it's not actually cosmoline. It's rust preventative grease.
Do not put the rifle in the dishwasher or oven unless you want to buy new one is those. Rust preventative grease is toxic and will ruin either.
 
I did the oven with papwe tower trick for 3 days, still sweating.
then I just did the paint stripper for 1 hour, twice
and now dishwasher, twice.
 
Paper towels and q-tips gets it clean enough to shoot then just go to the range with your "play" clothes on warm it up with a few hundred round and then give her a good wipe down.
 
After 2 dishwasher cycles, back into the oven and it's sweating even more cosmoline... (but we are getting there)
Will bake the crap out of that piece of wood until it's totally clean, then will sand smooth, and linseed oil it.

Never buying another milsurp, I can't stand the cosmoline mess, that's my OCD.
 
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