New gras soaked in Cosmoline, need advice for gentle cleaning

[beachdog77]

Alright. So the new Gras came in and it appears to have been dipped in comsoline while assembled. Any tips for gently cleaning it off with out running the risk of damaging the finish beneath? I know its French polish beneath the cosmoline so i can't use alcohol based cleaners because it will wreck the original finish. soapy water and lemon juice? open to any and all ideas.
Will post photos when finished.
Thanks.

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[AFJon]

Wrap in a towel (not your wife's good one's), place in a black trash bag on the dash of your car on a warm day with the windows up. Sun does most of the work for you...towel is a write off.

[browningautorifle]

What's wrong with boiling water? Will it take of the finish you're talking about? What polish...?

[Daan Kemp]

Boiling water.

French polish? Isn't that for furniture? Doubt if it was used for military rifles.

[Patrick Chadwick]

" I know its French polish beneath the cosmoline, so i can't use alcohol based cleaners because it will wreck the original finish."

French polish + Cosmoline = NOT original finish.

So-called "French polish" is actually shellac varnish. Looks great on primarily decorative pieces, such as furniture, that are not handled by grubby, sweaty hands. Lousy for greasy tools subject to frequent, often rough handling - which is what military rifles are.

If the buttstock looks as if it is varnished and the metal parts covered in something that looks like Cosmoline (which was surely not around when the Gras rifles were made) then you can be sure that it is NOT an original finish.

So you are NOT destroying any originality by getting rid of all the crud, using methods that have been described many times by various contributors to these forums - including, of course, myself.

[Sunray]

"...French polish..." Is is a traditional wood finishing technique. Usually multiple layers of alcohol thinned shellac. I'd be thinking hot water too, but I wouldn't be surprised if the cosmoline has already destroyed it. Just a guess though.

[beachdog77]

Sorry to be so late to reply. I had a serious Family issues i had to handle unfortunately.

I used hot water and garage towel to clean the grease off the stock. No the cosmoline did not destroy the varnish, it is in tact and looks very nice. The cosmoline seems to have been added very recently.
I have two gras, my friend has two more and a chassepot. All of them are coated in a seedlac varnish. I will have to do some digging and get the specifics of where i read it but i did read that the french used seedlac varnish and then a thin coat of linseed oil applied over it during the 19th century to finish their weapons. They stopped with the Lebel to my understanding. So the finish on the Gras it is not exactly French polish that you would find on a violin or piano but its similar and derived from the same source.

[Merle]

Wrap in a towel (not your wife's good one's), place in a black trash bag on the dash of your car on a warm day with the windows up. Sun does most of the work for you...towel is a write off.

I'd suggest hanging in a tree, etc, and letting the goop run out - you really don't want that mess all over your dash.