Mineral spirits for cosmoline removal

[peppermintman]

Here in Riverside rhe Home Depot has it. Soak overnight use paint brush to scrub off cosmo. Dip parts in boiling water and compressed air to blow the water off dry. Parts will be squeaky clean. Oil well. I buy the selfless in the blue can

[Hinnerk]

I get all such solvents (and even once in a while Hoppes, CLP, Birchwood-Casey products, etc.) at the local household hazardous waste reuse facility .... for free.

[marksmandowntown]

I just use hot water and WD-40 with a roll of paper towels, a hefty bag and a toothbrush now. Mineral spirits is overkill for me.

[23's Dad]

SHHHHH!!!!

I get all such solvents (and even once in a while Hoppes, CLP, Birchwood-Casey products, etc.) at the local household hazardous waste reuse facility .... for free.

Don't tell anyone! It won't be there when we need it.

Actually I was going to suggest the same thing.

[WASR10]

Mineral Spirits works well, but its difficult to get right now. In my experience heat is the best cosmoline remover.

Small metal parts go in boiling water with a drop of dish soap for about 10-20 minutes, using a large pot kept just for that purpose.

Barrel and wood parts go in the oven for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. I line the oven with foil before hand and change out the racks with old ones.

If the stock doesn't fit in the oven, I wrap it in newspaper and a black trash bag and stick it on the dash board of the truck on a hot sunny day. Wipe it down every couple hours and in one to two days its done.

[onelonehorseman]

The stuff they sell in CA is no longer really mineral spirits. If you want the real stuff, you have to get it from another state.



Yes, but be very careful because you can burn the stock. The paper towels and trash bag method work really well this time of year.

If you are burning the stock, you are using too much heat. The cosmo will melt at a much lower temperature. 125F is enough to get it melting off. If you can fit the parts in an oven, just set them on a tin foil pan and leave them for a while. Use a thermometer to test the oven temp first. I have used this method to get the upper handguards freed on NOS AKM gas tubes that were packed with cosmo. Does not damage the finish on the wood at all.

[ZMBHunter]

A decent old hair dryer is more forgiving than a heat gun, albeit a bit slower. The boiling water deal is pretty good too, especially for metal parts (I prefer not to use it on the wood, but that's just me) If you are looking for true mineral spirits they have gone the way of the rebuild kit, and can no longer be sold/used/imported if manufactured after Jan. 1 2015...

[galaxius]

A decent old hair dryer is more forgiving than a heat gun, albeit a bit slower. The boiling water deal is pretty good too, especially for metal parts (I prefer not to use it on the wood, but that's just me) If you are looking for true mineral spirits they have gone the way of the rebuild kit, and can no longer be sold/used/imported if manufactured after Jan. 1 2015...

What the ****, were they being sold in high capacity jugs?

[DennisCA]

*How to clean up cosmoline.
Kerosene, diesel, gasoline, dry heat or hot water. Cussing helps too.

hot water = boiling hot water in this context

Amen on that! Esp the Cussing, it does really help!

(Just be by yourself when you do - spouses don't really appreciate that kind of stuff)

[stephewc]

Ughhh just bought a gallon of mineral spirits a few months ago... didn't realize they switched the formula.

[Cato]

Easy Off oven cleaner is my preferred way to remove cosmoline.

Just wipe off as much cosmoline as you can with a rag, then spray a good coating on the rifle. Let sit for a few hours, wipe down well and repeat.

Use the heavy duty stuff and make sure you use gloves and do this outside.

[EricClay]

Oven cleaner will strip off much of the finish as well as the cosmoline.

Cosmoline/grease is best removed with heat to drive it from the wood.. Wipe it up with a paper towel. when the stock stops turning glossy when heated you're done. Use a hair dryer or a heat gun on low.

Finish with a wipe down of the surface with mineral spirits or turpentine.

-Eric