Removing Cosmolene

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If it's dried up then use more cosmoline to help melt it.Every time I have bought an old new stock Desert Eagle from Israel, I have had to remove the Cosmline since IMI was a Militay industry.

oops forgot the most important part.after applying more cosmoline,put it in a black trash bag and place it in direct sunlight. Couple hrs should do it.
 
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An automotive parts washer makes short work of it, if you can get access to one. Strip it down and brush away as the solvent flows over each part.
 
Automotive style parts washer filled with kerosene. Soak overnight, brush while liquid flows over, rinse with water, blow dry with compressed air, OIL!!!
 
I found that methanol (wood alcohol) works well for the stocks.

A steamer will get the cosmoline melted. It works really well for spaces you can't get anything into.

Dry and oil afterwards, of course.
 
Boiling water will do the trick. Compressed air will help get it out after you melt it.
 
I agree with the auto parts washer, but if you do not have access to one you can use automotive "break cleaner" use this outside! As to the wood stocks, I have slathered them in a layer of the Orange hand cleaner and let stand over night. It seems to "pull" the **** right out of the wood. It mwy take several applications to get the desired affect. Whatcha working on? Kyle
 
Can't add much to what's been said. In my experience, scrape all you can away and then pressure wash (I used local car wash but weather was accommodating) then directly in parts washer if available or otherwise a bucket of diesel (kerosene works but costs more in my area) and start scrubbing. A hot summer sun can help in softening most caked cosmoline.
After that and depending on how oil soaked the wood, I've used oven cleaner, alcohol, acetone, de-greaser, dawn dish soap, etc. depending on what shape stock was in.
 
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I use a heat gun and melt it like an ice cube over some old cardboard....works VERY well and is quick!!
Randy
PS. Did you get all of the .380 I sent you loaded?
 
alaskavett said:
I agree with the auto parts washer, but if you do not have access to one you can use automotive "break cleaner" use this outside! As to the wood stocks, I have slathered them in a layer of the Orange hand cleaner and let stand over night. It seems to "pull" the **** right out of the wood. It mwy take several applications to get the desired affect. Whatcha working on? Kyle
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Hi, Kyle:
My three SMLE Rifles still have cosmolene. Never fired them (yet)
Jimmy
 
When We Were Kids.......

The old man had me & my brother clean 'em with gasoline. He said that's the way they did it in the army.



Ned
 
My M1 Garand was caked in it. Took everything metal and dumped into a washtub of boiling water. Had to disassemble the bolt to the bones to make sure all the water was out, but it was easy.

For the stock, the black garbage bag on your dashboard on a hot summer day will work, but I got my Garand around Thanksgiving. So I built a Cosmoline oven. Just a box made out of plywood and lined with aluminum foil. Hung 2 heat lamps inside the box and rotated the stock every hour or so. Just when you think there's no more in there, more comes out. And it took a full day. Like 16 hours.
 
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