I just received my 1903 Springfield w/C stock from CMP. The entire gun is heavily coated with cosmoline. What's the best way to remove this stuff from the stock without being to harsh?

Thanks in advance,
Ben H

Try Easy-off oven cleaner and hot water....be careful!

Ben H:

I use lacquer thinner. Works like a champ.

I find it tough to beat acetone -- of course I'm always cleaning Mausers, not sure if the stuff on them is the same as the stuff on yours.

Careful with the Easy Off too, not only is it hard on skin and lungs (aerosol!), but it will COMPLETELY strip your stock, and may even change the color of the wood. I discovered this when the had the 'brain flash' of using it to clean the grease encrusted kitchen floor in my new house -- followed shortly thereafter by resanding (it also raises the grain) and refinishing.

Good luck,
Todd

two words
cirti-strip (on stock)

Get the kit.. it's a joy..
You brush it on, (WEAR GLOVES) leave it for 30 mins, WASH it off with a garden hose, (gloves again) wipe it down with the "striper stopper" {i always found an empty wallet did that, but that's another story)

For the metal, get it warm room temp, and just about any solvent (varsol is good) will pull it right down... hot water bath after, then oil it up.

can have it from "stored IN oil" to "ready to oil the stock" in 4 hours
jeffe

Last time I was faced with this I just used lawn mower gasoline and 1" paint brush. Obviously take some precautions with anything flamable. Any petroleum solvent will cut the stuff.

Odorless Mineral Spirits or Purple Power (from WallyMart or auto parts store)

GASOLINE IS NOT A SOLVENT.

Well, actually it IS a "solvent" but the problem with gasoline is that it's extremely voilatile and ignites from static electricity (Like wiping a stock with a synthetic rag).

Also, gasoline fumes drop and move along on the ground. If there's a pilot light or open element in the area, that will ignite the fumes.

Paint thinner (mineral spirits) is a good solvent for removing cosmoline.

To remove cosmoline from wood stocks -- once the goop and crud has been removed with solvent and rag, it's useful to heat the dry stock and wipe of the excess oil/cosmoline that bleeds out of it with a solvent dampened rag.

When shooting the Mausers, I set them on the black sheet metal canopy of the truck in the direct sun. Then wipe them down. Years of sun heating and they still bleed oils . . . that's just part of the military preservation of wood and metal.

With a 1903, I'd be interested in removing surface cosmoline without removing the original finish -- which is probably varnish.

Finish strippers for wood are extremely variable. Some work on plastic base finishes like Varathane. Some don't. Some are oil/petroleum based. Some are water based. Water base strippers are typically pretty caustic (Easy Off is caustic, basically lye in a can).

Some strippers will open grain, and some will not. With a 1903 stock, you don't want to remove the original finish or open the grain. I'd start with mineral spirits / paint thinner and see what you have once you get the surface cosmoline off the wood.

Paint thinner is the way to go for removing cosmoline from metal parts too. Soak them.

Whatever solvent you use, wear chemical resistent gloves. With solvents like Acetone and even mineral spirits, ensure adequate ventilation. Eye protection is pretty essential. A splash of any solvent, but especially the caustic ones can put you in the ER with a sight threatening injury.

GASOLINE IS A FUEL. IT'S NOT A "THINNER" OR "SOLVENT" . . . and any Emergency Room doctor or fireman/ EMT person will tell you horror stories about people using gasoline as a "cleaner."

[ 12-08-2002, 15:18: Message edited by: Genghis ]

A couple cans of brake-kleen have allways done a dandy job for me.Be shure to wipe down the parts with some break-free or light oil when finished

The problem with brake kleen is it can be real hard on the liver.

I know you folks are kind of uncivilized down there in Wyoming.

Up here in Kalispell, Montana, there is a laundramat with a sign outside that says,
"Guns steam cleaned and oiled $8.00"

Best money I ever spent cleaning up old milsurps.

When in the Army, we used gasoline - outdoors, of course!!

Like they say at the drag races: Gasoline is for cleaning, alcohol is for drinking, and Nitro is for racing. No one in their right mind would take gasoline into their house for any reason. Just plain stupid. But it does happen. I would suggest any way you remove cosmoline, do it outside.

For heaven's sake, carefully scrape off the cosmoline and save it: not only is it a super rust preventer, it also is a dandy component for home-brewed cast bullet lubes.

Paladin

P.S.: Yes, mineral spirits do a good job in getting the most of it off; an old washrag sodden with cheap rubbing alcohol usually finishes the job nicely.

I work with boiler and turbine parts which are stored in cosmolene.
The solvent for cosmolene is mineral spirits, thats what we remove it with and mix it with to apply.

After buying six garands and three 03's from the CMP, I think I have a little experience stripping cosmolene. First, all cosmolene isn't "cosmolene". If you have ever seen a new can of cosmolene, it has the consistency of shoe polish and must be heated to get it to a liquid state. For the authentic G.I. issue cosmolene I have found nothing better than stuff known as "Tri-clean". It is a chlorinated solvent, and must be used outside, but it just melts the stuff off. Brownell's sells a version of this stuff as a degreaser. I can't recall the specific name.
The absolute worst case of goo that I experienced was from an italian Garand parts kit. Acetone, kerosene, denatured alcohol, nothing touched it until I tried the Brownell's degreaser.

Now as far as the last batch of CMP 03's goes, the crap they have smeared all over these is Greek axle grease. 50 year old Greek Axle grease! I have found that denatured alcohol works, although slowly, and I used brake cleaner for the "fine" cleaning. Does a great job. as far as the stock goes, this grease is really soaked in. I mixed a paste of the Brownell's degreaser and whiting and smeared it over the stock and let it dry. It draws most of the grease out in one shot. bad stocks may require a repeat application.

I don't like or recommend the easy-off method of stock stripping, as I have found that it can soften the wood.

Hope this helps,

good luck.

Another vote for Purple Power. Spray on, set for a couple of hours, rinse with Windex, but heavily coated stocks will take as many as 6 applications, but this stuff won't hurt any metal that has to be left on. The stock will completely bleach out but the color returns when you apply a good tung oil. After the stock is bleached out, buff with 4/0 steel wool. If any color comes back, PP it again until buffing with steel wool only smooths the wood but does not bring out any color. Never use sandpaper, God forbid. Then add the finish and your eyes will pop out. This does a very good job of restoring the stock to as it was when it left the factory without ruining it like refinishing it does.

[ 12-18-2002, 21:38: Message edited by: Big Bore ]

Big Bore; Just as an aside, Windex contains ammonia and ammonia will darken any wood containing tannic acid (e.g. oak, walnut). If your stripper changes the color of the wood you may be able to restore its looks with an application of strong ammonia. Also can put inside a pastic bag "tent" with a bowl of ammonia and let the fumes slowly darken the wood over a few days. Stop before you get the depth of color you want because the ammonia will continue to work for awhile after it is removed. I've always started out with gasoline and follow-up with brake cleaner (outdoors on a breezy day!). Here in Arizona I do my final stock degreasing just by setting it out in the sun for a few hours and periodically wiping away the grease that oozes out.

I agree with PA Frank. The Tric works great. However any trichloroethylene or other similar products are also fairly toxic to the liver as is brake cleaner. If you use the stuff use rubber gloves and do it in a very well ventilated area. Outside is best. It can be adsorbed either by inhalation or through contact with the skin. This would be a bad thing.

Frank I told my brother in law I thought the stuff on the 03's looked like axel grease. Now I know for sure.

[ 12-20-2002, 04:37: Message edited by: Mike Smith ]

I usually use a large oven at work set at about 175 degrees and check it often. At home I use a hairdryer, paper towels and lots of WD-40. Works good for me. I hope this helps.