How do I clean...

[Kurgan]

...cosmoline from some (new) old greasegun magazines that have been sealed up for ages?

I'm sure WD40 would cut it but I don't want to go through can after can of that stuff to clean 10 stick mags. Would something water soluble such as Simple Green get the job done? Or should I just buy a gallon of kerosene dump it in a metal bucket and attack them with a scrub brush?

These are the times I wish I had a small benchtop parts washer..

[mkls0]

GAS

[enfield]

I'd try kerosene or Mean Green (from Wal-mart) first - less dangerous.

[45 acp]

Carb cleaner works great also

[mkls0]

Yes less dangerous But not as fast

[mkls0]

Hot water works to take longer

[Ken P]

GAS

ya...and then make sure you load them up real quick and use them so you dry them out...sarge does that all the time :rofl:

[mkls0]

GAS

ya...and then make sure you load them up real quick and use them so you dry them out...sarge does that all the time :rofl:

Only one time :shock:

[Kurgan]

:D Always good suggestions. Good, Bad and the Explosive!

[Toxie]

Ultrasonic parts cleaner.


God I love mine :p.

[karcent]

I have cleaned a lot of cosmoline using all of the typical chemicals, but the only method I use now is HOT water. The hotter the better. It melts the stuff away and all you need to do is hit it with a hairdryer or heat gun once you are finished and then oil it up to stop any rust from forming.
No chance of blowing up the house or garage or inhaling evil fumes and it will remove ALL traces of the gunk.

[mkls0]

Man take all the fun out of it :(

as for Ultrasonic parts cleaner I seen one on sale at Harbor freight tool
for $27 or $29

But Karcent is right the safest way is HOT HOT HOT water.

[Kimber45]

Hey Sarge,

How much gas doe it take to get the cosmoline out of a 120mm?

[mkls0]

Hey Sarge,

How much gas doe it take to get the cosmoline out of a 120mm?


All I can say it works GOOD and it's fast :D

[mkls0]

If you cant get them clean pm me and I will take them to my old shop and put them in a parts cleaner :D

[keyjockey]

All I can say it works GOOD and it's fast


I'll bet it's even faster if you're smoking a cigarette at the time. :smoke:

[mkls0]

All I can say it works GOOD and it's fast


I'll bet it's even faster if you're smoking a cigarette at the time. :smoke:


faster for the one :smoke: but a not for the one cleaning up :shock:

[Brian]

Simple Green and hot water. Rinse with hot water and they'll almost dry themselves.

[ANIMAL]

Simple green is PEOPLE. oh wait thats soilent green :lol:

[Kurgan]

I boiled some water and dunked a disassembled mag. The result was one smelly pot of water and a mag with greasy/gooey stuff. It wasn't boiling off.

I was going to dunk them in a gallon can of dunk-style carb cleaner but that stuff would probably remove the finish and leave me with bare metal.

I finally filled a scrap deep roasting pan with about a gallon of gas and threw all the mag bodies, followers, base plates and springs in there. After about 10 minutes 99% of the stuff had been dissolved or floated off so no need for brush work. They air dried in the driveway and the now disgusting gas is in the lawnmower...it eats anything!

[mkls0]

I boiled some water and dunked a disassembled mag. The result was one smelly pot of water and a mag with greasy/gooey stuff. It wasn't boiling off.

I was going to dunk them in a gallon can of dunk-style carb cleaner but that stuff would probably remove the finish and leave me with bare metal.

I finally filled a scrap deep roasting pan with about a gallon of gas and threw all the mag bodies, followers, base plates and springs in there. After about 10 minutes 99% of the stuff had been dissolved or floated off so no need for brush work. They air dried in the driveway and the now disgusting gas is in the lawnmower...it eats anything!


Been there done that :D :D :D see it works GOOD

[sprink]

Buy 'em from the sixties, they are in a "vapor" wrapper. No cosmoline on mine.

[gzigoris]

Fulton Armory suggests that you use the Heavy duty easy off oven cleaner to remove cosmoline from parts and lots of hot water.

Good luck. Thursday I am off to buy a little Greek Friend from CMP in Ohio so I will need to know how to get rid of that messy stuff if oven cleaner doesn't work 8)

[GMAN12]

Regulator old paint thinner for a $1.99/qt.

[Smokepole]

Gasoline in that roaster pan will work better if you heat it in the oven.
:P

I've used "Ed's Red" many times for that type of work.

[alex-vitek]

I've used "Ed's Red" many times for that type of work.
That is what I have used. "Ed's Red" for everything related to cleaning guns!!