I have a nice set of AK furniture with trench art that I want to put on an AK. The problem is it is covered in cosmoline. I’ve dealt with cosmoline removal before but its always been metal parts - mags, etc…
Any thoughts on how to remove the cosmoline without harming the finish of the furniture? I want to keep it as is as much as possible. I’ve seen a couple things online including baking it in the sun, putting it in the oven at low temp (wife says that’s not happening - lol). I’ve seen recommendations of a couple chemicals including mineral spirits and simple green.
Anyone have any experience with getting the wood clean of this stuff?
I did a Mosin years ago that was thickly coated from end to end. I did it in the summer so the heat helped me out a lot. I used mineral spirits and it worked great for me. All the metal parts with some non marring brushes worked fantastic. I was skeptical on using mineral spirits on the wood so I never submerged it. I used rags that were coated and wiped it down on the outside of the wood while being more aggressive on the inside. It came out clean for me.
I am not a woodsmith in the slightest bit so take what I say with a grain of salt. I play with fire and hate splinters.
I’ve never had to remove that much, every rifle I bought had 99.98% of it removed. BUT - I have read a method endorsed by at least two firearms-Magazine guys, and a Dealer who I used to know; that used a large metal container of plain water over an open fire - get it near-boiling, and dunk the entire rifle in.
Not a drop it in and forget it - but like in, let it cook for 30-40 seconds, and pull it out. Lather, rinse, repeat - until sufficiently clean, allowing drip/cooling cycles.
Then, immediately disassemble and dry and oil everything with an appropriate oil. Furniture gets it too - Tung oil, or Boiled Linseed oil, or the like.
I’ve never tried it, never actually seen it, only read and been told about this method. But two different Editors and a guy who bought and sold hundreds of these things liked their individual variations on it, and these guys know more than me.
As with anything, don’t just take the word of some guy on the internet - look it up. It’s just a method I’ve heard about. Except the Boiled Linseed Oil - I have used that on every single Milsurp rifle stock I’ve owned.
Hair dryer to warm it up and wipe it away. Like above maybe little soaked mineral spirits with warm dryer to make it easier. Been a long time since I had one that way, think it was old SKS.
Not for just cleaning but if you are stripping wood to refinish that is soaked in oil, easy off oven cleaner will remove old stinky oil and finish off the wood and make it look dry and new ready for new boiled linseed oil. I WOULD NOT DO IT if you want to save original finish!
Always test your wood with a qtip soaked somewhere you don’t see like under butt plate or inside to make sure no reaction that darkens the wood.
A guy I knew used oven cleaner on a Mosin stock, then used a clothes iron to steam out all the dents, and sanded it glossy-smooth, then used Mineral oil. The stock came out this light tan, almost “blonde” color. It looked really good, but we still ribbed him about how Wrong a Soviet Mosin looked, being that perfect.
Used this method of multiple short drops in hot water and that did the job. Worked great, took forever but it worked. Thanks for the tip. It’s amazing how much cosmoline was on the hand guards, neverending it seemed, just weeping out of the wood.
Gave the wood a couple coatings of BLO and we are good to go.
Just so you know that even soaking wood in mineral Spirits will not harm the wood in anyway. Mineral Spirits will evaporate out of the wood and it will not raise the grain. Since Mineral Spirits a solvent it will remove any finish that is on the wood if it is left on long enough. I always use Mineral Spirits to get cosmoline off. All cosmoline really is is petroleum jelly that is less refined than what you will find in a Vaseline jar.
Being a firearm collector I am hesitant to put any type of collectable firearm in water. Mineral Spirits is what I use. If it is hot outside then you can put it out in the sun. The heat from the sun will draw out most cosmoline out of the pores of the wood. You can also put your firearm in a black plastic trashbag and put it in the sun. The black plastic bag will increase the heat on the inside of the bag. If I do this I wrap the firearm in papertowels or old rags to soak up the cosmoline as it comes out of the wood and metal.
If you have any proof marks or maker marks on wood then water can raise the grain and make the markings a lot harder to see. If the marks aren’t that deep then water can make it so that you can’t see the markings anymore.