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| Article by
Jamie Mangrum |
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A Series of Articles on Cosmoline
Removal by Heat |
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Low and Constant
Heat: Cosmoline Removal: Part 1 by Tom Boucher |
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Low
and Constant Heat: Cosmoline Removal Part
2 - One Big Easy Bake Garbage Can by Jamie Mangrum |
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Low
and Constant Heat: Cosmoline Removal Part
2 - One Big Easy Bake Garbage Can: An Addendum by R. Ted Jeo |
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Low and Constant Heat: Cosmoline
Removal Part 2 - One Big Easy Bake Garbage Can: An
Addendum by John King |
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Over the years when asked what I think the best method
for seeping cosmoline out of a wooden rifle stock I
always say to leave it in the sun. In the warmer months
I will put a stock out in the back yard, directly in the
sun and then periodically wipe off the seeping
cosmoline. This takes several sessions and removes
enough to make me happy. If you live in a place where
you have warm summer day like weather year round then
stop reading now because you are set for life. All right, for the rest of us during
the non-summer type months we try all different kinds of
substitute methods with varying success. I was recently
reading
Low
and Constant Heat: Cosmoline Removal by Tom Boucher
and he speaks about a "cosmo coffin" with light bulbs
that melts cosmoline off of a stock. I have seen
several homemade models of this coffin on the internet.
Each looks to be a pretty custom job requiring some
woodworking skills. I am not a carpenter. I emailed Ted
Jeo and Mark Trope and we threw around ideas for how
we could build our own cosmoline ovens. I decided
to follow the premise that all of the materials had to
be ready made and easily assembled and
all of the parts had to cost less than $50 (the mil-surp
collector's credo). I had two designs in mind. The first
is based upon a $17, 30 gallon galvanized steel garbage
can. You can set it on its side in a stand and mount the
lights inside. Close it up and you are good to go. No
fear of it catching on fire. The other idea is based
upon how the sun works. If the heat is high enough and
constant it does not need to be an enclosed unit. You
could make a frame out of PVC pipe and connectors. Then
put tinfoil drip pans below to catch the cosmoline. I
opted to go with the garbage can approach.
Like an idiot on the day after Christmas I thought -
Hey! I have some time on my hands. I should go to
Home Depot and pick up all of my parts. I could not
even get into the parking lot! So, I went home and
planned out my shopping list a little and decided to
return the next day when most people had returned to
work. When you can park in a space that is only three
spaces away from the store you have picked a good day
and time to go to Home Depot. I walked around the
store almost two hours picking out my parts. |
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| QTY |
Item Description |
Price |
Extended Price |
| 1 |
30 Gallon Galvanized Steel Garbage Can |
$17.95 |
$17.95 |
| 2 |
#10-31x1 1/2 Slotted Head Screws and Bolts
(5 each in bag) |
$.98 |
$1.96 |
| 3 |
Porcelain Lamp Holder - Keyless |
$1.37 |
$4.11 |
| 1 |
25' Extension Cord |
$8.97 |
$8.97 |
| 1 |
Bag of Washers |
$.98 |
$.98 |
| 3 |
I/O Plastic Box |
$1.09 |
$3.27 |
| 1 |
Pkg Terminal Connectors |
$.99 |
$.99 |
| 1 |
Pkg Wire Connectors |
$.99 |
$.99 |
| 1 |
4 Pack 100 watt Bulbs |
$1.44 |
$1.44 |
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Subtotal |
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$40.66 |
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Tax |
7.75% |
$3.15 |
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Total |
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$43.81 |
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Figure 1 shows all of the parts
ready to be assembled. |
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I came up with a very simple improvised stand that has
an additional benefit. Basically I took a three foot
section of 1" x 2" and drilled two holes through the can
and the wood. I then bolted it together. At first I was
also going to put a similar stand/leg at the rear of the
can but found the can to be stable with one leg and
since it was elevated at the front the cosmoline would
flow to the bottom of the can. |
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Figure 3 shows one of
the three I/O boxes. I chose plastic I/O boxes
because they would work as an insulator between
the wiring on the back of the ceramic light
fixture and the metal of the can. I would have
to check once I started testing to make certain
they would hold up under sustained heat. I
punched out one of the tabs so I could slide the
wiring harness through. I also drilled two 10-32
holes in both the can and the box. In the boxes
I purchased there are guides for the nuts to
rest in This is where I drilled. |
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Please note a major screw up. I used the bottom
of the box as a drilling guide for also the
wiring harness hole. I drilled it on the wrong
side. I later drilled similar holes about two
inches to the left (in the picture) of the holes
I drilled by mistake. |
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Simple wiring
diagram for Easy Bake Garbage Can |
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I cut off the female receptacle
on the extension cord leaving the male plug
attached. I then cut off three lengths. The
first was about one and a half feet in length.
The next was about two and a half feet in length
and the third was about three feet in length.
This left a power cord with a very long length
of about eighteen feet. That is good if you are
using this out doors or in the garage. You have
your own built in extension cord. |
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Next I stripped back around
three inches of insulation on both ends of the
three lengths of extension cord and the one bare end of
the power cord. I then stripped back the three
wires on each and exposed a little over a
quarter inch and then twisted the bare wire
ends. |
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Per the drawing above (figure
4) I twisted
one end of each of the lengths of cord and the
exposed end of the power cord. I twisted the
wires of like color insulation and then capped
them off with a wire connector. This means I
took four green wires and twisted them together
followed by four black wires twisted together
and then four white wires twisted together (as
shown in figure 7). |
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I placed a very stout tie strap
as shown in figure 8 to prevent the wires
from being accidentally pulled a part. |
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On each of the remaining
exposed ends of the three lengths of cord I
installed crimp on terminal connectors. This
will make a clean installation on the back of
the ceramic light fixtures. |
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It is easier to screw in the
retaining screws outside of the can. Install
them and then install the ceramic lamp fixture.
Tighten the screws just short of holding the
fixture in place and then remove the fixture.
Repeat this for all three I/O boxes and
fixtures. |
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Screw in the six 10-32 screws
into the can. |
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Set the I/O boxes over the screws. Place the nuts onto
the screws and tighten all six down securing the I/O
boxes inside the can. |
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Next pull the cord through the
hole in the can and I/O box. I did not install a
grommet in each hole. I filed down any sharp
edges of the holes and am counting on the thick
insulation of the extension cord to function as
a grommet protecting the insulated wires inside.
Like I did you can install tie straps on the
cord on inside of the hole and the outside of
the hole this will hold the cord in place
securely and not allow it to move back and forth
against the sharp edges drilled in the side of
the can. Both tie straps should be flush against
the sides of the can. |
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Per the drawing above (figure
4) I
attached the green wire to the green screw in
the I/O box. Next I attached the black wire to
the brass screw on the back of the lamp fixture
followed by attaching the white wire to the
silver screw. The lamp fixture comes with wiring
instructions and if you use a color coded
extension cord like I did everything should work
out. Since you are working with electricity
please take great care and note if you do build
a Easy Bake Garbage Can you do so at your own
risk. |
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I then installed the ceramic
fixture on the I/O box and tightened down the
screws. Note that you should not tighten down
the screws too tightly as it will crack or break
the ceramic easily. |
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Figure 16 shows the
three fixtures installed. |
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Figure 17 shows my first run through light up
test as being successful.
This next step really ticked off my wife when she
found out what I had done. In my excitement as to the
successful creation and testing of my device I emailed
pictures to my wife. When she saw the rack I promptly
received a phone call. You see I did not want to
go back to Home Depot and found the pictured rack in our
garage and not knowing what it was used for proceeded to
use it. I found out from my wife at rather high volumes
that is was actually a component of the clothes dryer
that facilitated drying tennis shoes. |
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She was none too happy at the
prospect of having tennis shoes smell like
cosmoline. It is really too bad because it
worked perfect for my purpose. I now have to
find a replacement as I was told never to use it
again after I completely cleaned it and returned
it to where I found it. Since I do not want to
endure such high volume discussions again I will
try to find something else that does not already
have a primary use in some other appliance in
the house. I was told to not even think about
looking in the oven. |
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I found
a cosmoline/oil soaked Yugo m48 Mauser hand guard sitting
in my garage on a shelf. I placed it in the contraption and went to work on
something on the computer for about 15 minutes. Wow! It really worked! Just look at
the puddle of cosmoline sitting in the bottom of the
can. Prior to going into the oven the hand guard did not have caked on cosmoline
but was
tacky to the touch. I am sure you know what I mean if
you have purchased a cosmoline laden Yugoslavian SKS or
Mauser of late. Even after you clean it off, when you go
shooting or are in the sun for any length of time the
stock starts seeping oil. I never realized how much
cosmoline there really was still trapped in the wood.
I periodically tested how the plastic I/O as well as
the insulation on the cord inside the can were holding
up in the heat and could not find any problems.
Now the only negative thing I can say about this
setup is that it has the capacity to hold a stock length
of only 25 inches. To put that in perspective a typical
98 style Mauser stock is around 34 inches in length.
What this means is you will have to have some stock
hanging out and then have to rotate inserted sides.
Here
are some of the positives aspects of the contraption:
- Your wife does not kill you because you have
used the oven in the kitchen. A minor ancillary side
effect is that your food does not have a strange taste
similar to melting cosmoline.
- You can seep cosmoline out of stocks on rainy or
snowy days without any sun light.
- If you don't buy anymore rifles and no longer
have a need you can always clean it up and either
give it to a young daughter or granddaughter and
tell her she will have an Easy Bake Oven that
surpasses any that her friends may own.
- You could use the garbage can oven to cure
finishes at lower heats.
Now for some more serious stuff, here are some safety
tips for using your own Easy Bake Garbage Can:
- Use it in a well ventilated area.
- Closely monitor the unit at all times.
- Periodically stop and clean the melted
cosmoline in the bottom of the can. Cosmoline is
flammable.
- Keep a fire extinguisher handy - just in case.
- Periodically check the temperature and make
certain it is not too hot. You really should not go
above 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Adobe PDF
Downloadable Version of Article |
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Site Disclaimer |
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| Article by
Jamie Mangrum |
