Who uses the dishwasher to clean up CMP etc. stocks?

I considered it but my wife wouldn't let me. I tried the oven method, though. And the "vehicle-dashboard-on-a-hot-day" method. And Windex. And Teak Refinisher. And I used my wife's steam vacuum... which is probably a similar process to the dishwasher. I figured that if it's not collectible, I might as well try them all. After I got it clean, I used pure tung oil mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits. I was going to put 3 or 4 coats on, but it looked good after the 2nd coat, so I quit.

My wife got mad when I rebuilt a motorcycle engine on our coffee table. So maybe I'll give this one a try.

My wife got mad when I rebuilt a motorcycle engine on our coffee table. So maybe I'll give this one a try.

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That's the spirit! What, she don't like grimy old Harley motors in the living room? Wimmin, no sense of humor....

Everything I have heard about working on stocks says to avoid water like the plaque. I'm no expert but the dishwasher seems one of the last places I would toss a stock I had interest in. Maybe it works, won't say I have experience with it, but it seems like a bad idea to me. Water does bad things to dead wood from what I read. I don't think I would push for that interaction to happen any faster than it possibly has to go. If you are happy though thats all that matters.

Putting it in the dishwasher or oven sounds like a great idea if you don't mind eating cosmoline for the next 6 months.

Is this a trap?

If it is I would never concider using the wifes dishwasher for washing gun parts.




Isnt that the way everybody cleans their Glocks?

Longday

I've used the DW method several times and have been satisfied with the stock when finished. However, I only use the DW to get rid of small dents and scrtches in the wood surface only. DO NOT-REPEAT DO NOT use the DW method for removing cosmo, mineral spirits, a brush, a large pan/buckey works fine. If you chose to use the DW to remove cosmo the scenario goes something like this.........works fine on the 1st rifle (whats not to like, right), gee that worked so well on the 1st rifle maybe I could use it on a couple more rifles, yep, they look as good as the 1st one. It becomes the standard way of removing cosmo for you. One day in the shower, you notice the water is no longer draining from the tub, neither is the sink, toilet, or anything else in the house. You call a plumber, who spends most of the day inspecting your pipes and then tells you it will be over $15,000.00 to clear your pipes and replace THE SEPTIC SYSTEM. :banghead::banghead::banghead: Cosmo in the pipes is not a good thing once it cools.

BTW- Don't put it in the DW with the dishes, don't use soap, and be sure to stop the DW before it reaches the dry cycle (dries the wood way too fast and may split it).

Hope this helps.

DO NOT-REPEAT DO NOT use the DW method for removing cosmo, mineral spirits, a brush, a large pan/buckey works fine.

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VERY IMPORTANT POINT! I'm glad you mentioned it!

You need to clean as much cosmoline and other gunk off the stock as possible before you put it in the dishwasher.

My wife nearly had a stroke the first time I used the dishwasher. She still isn't thrilled about it but lets me do it anyway. I run a short wash cycle (with soap) afterwards to make sure it's clean before we do any dishes. I haven't had any problems and I've done it with at least 10 stocks.

Here's a method I found on the CMP forum a few years ago for cosmoline soaked stocks.

Get a piece of round heating duct large enough to hold the stock. Seal one end and put stock in it with a bunch of kitty litter. Seal the other end and put it up on your roof for a week. It will get VERY hot and the kitty litter will absorb the cosmoline as it sweats out.

Again. you want to get as much cosmoline out of the stock as you can before putting it in the dishwasher.

I found the best method other than the dishwasher is a conair steamer. I used distilled water and went to work on an Inland M1 stock and it turned out really nice. I just steamed the stock over a 5 gallon bucket and the cosmo and oil dripped off into the bucket. Ended up giving the carbine to my Dad as a Christmas present.

This process is new to me - could someone explain the objective: not "making it look good" (duh!); but what does this process scientifically do? I imagine it would remove surface grime and grit; but how does it improve the dents and dings? I thought that was a product of sanding, not laundering...which would handle the grime, anyways.

I get leeching out the cosmoline, (which has a higher viscosity at higher temps) but this shouldn't be done in a dishwasher where you put stuff you eat off of anyways, right? So that's a separate objective?

you can steam out minor dents in stocks. Think about it this way. The woods cells are crushed when you get a dent in it, the steam effectively expands the cells part way to their original size. That is why it only works on smaller dents and wont expand large dents back to normal.

At least thats what I have always been told. Somebody else correct me if im wrong.

I would never do this.

I wash the dishes in my house, and if my dishwasher gets clogged with cosmo, it's back to hand washing AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

Incidentally, I found a plastic tub with mineral spirits works wonders to get cosmoline out.

Hmmm... this got me to thinking about cleaning the motorcycle engine in the washdisher...

Ed

Never used the dish washer to clean gun parts, but I have used it to remove sizing lubricant from deprimed brass that I didn't want to toss in the tumbler for obvious reasons. Just remember to use the drying cycle if you want to reload them that night.

I helped a friend rebuild 14 Rem 514Ts for a Boy Scout troop. The stocks went into the dish washer two at a time and the barrels and actions went into my park tank two at a time. All came out great.

Isnt that the way everybody cleans their Glocks?

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gotta love GlockTupperware!

hahaha no not really

Here's how I kept on the wifey's good side and cleaned my stock....I was TDY for 9 months in Alexandria several years back, stayed in one of those extended stay suites that had a tall dishwasher....didn't take too much reading and figuring and measuring...did a mighty fine on a fairly beater stock I had....then spent the next several weeks fine sanding and using BLO to get just the right finish!

http://xbradtc.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/grenade/


Scroll about a third of the way down the page and check out the video about the washing machine. This isn't really related to the thread but it's funny. Some strong language so censor if needed. Also, some interesting info.

I've dishwasher-treated three CMP Garand stocks (along with an SKS for good measure) with great result.

Dirt and dents popped out, and after a nice sanding and several coats of BLO, they looked wonderful.

Heed the advice to do as much de-cosmo'ing as possible before putting them in.

I cook some fish in the dishwasher. Barricuda, Bonita, etc. Spice them up, throw in some mayo, vegies, couple pieces of fruit. Wrap in 2x tin foil, poke holes with toothpicks, then run them on the lowest cycle. Mine makes lots of steam. The meat falls off the bone.