Gunsmithing any tips on de-greasing an AK for cerakote?

[komishe]

On my fifth gas-out right now, fingers x-ed.
Initial Acetone soak was an hour with a gentle agitation every 15 minutes. Half hour gas-outs at 250 degrees.
20-30 minute soaks with 30 minute purges for all following attempts(soak #3 was an all nighter)

This is my 2nd AK. The only difference I noted from the longer soaks was cosmoline wasn't puking from every orifice like a leaky tube of toothpaste.

The fourth purge came out almost clean, so I'm sitting here hoping...........wishing I had known a quicker way before I started this exercise in patience.

I thought I saw a thread or two about this before the format change.

I plan on doing 1 more in the not so near future, so any tips to speed it up, if there are any, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KTDLS7]

Find a local machine shop, as in "engine builder". They have vats of heated de-greaser for pre-machining and post-machining cleaning. This process also strips any and all paint. When done, do the acetone bath for final cleaning to remove any residue.

General Caution: The only caution would be any caustic affect on a chrome-lined bore.

 

[JimT]

Most likely to have around the house would probably be mineral spirits. It did a good job of cleaning off cosmoline on my lathe and mill. A chip brush and a pan to scrub the AK in should cut down on the soak time. Solvent if you have it would work also. AKs can take a while. Lots of places for the oils to get in to. AK mags too. Just found one that has to go back in the acetone tank.

I think I left an AK-74 in the tank for a week.

 

[Wannashootit]

Brake cleaner...
I dissolve cosmo off the milsurps, and use it to prep metal before spraying.

 

[RockKrawler]

Brake cleaner...
I dissolve cosmo off the milsurps, and use it to prep metal before spraying.

This, i buy 5 gal pails of brake cleaner from the local O'Rielly Auto Parts store for a decent price.
They do have larger quantities avail ,but my lack of space prohibits that much.
RK

 

[steveptr]

Kerosene works well.

 

[SuburbanHick]

Take it to a local auto motive machine shop and have it hot tanked....it will be like $30....but it will be spotless....

 

[komishe]

Thanks guys, the hot tank sounds pretty handy. It only took six acetone baths
I've been doing car parts for my gearhead buddy, so I have access to use one.

Happy Days

 

[cal50]

I have baked out parts to get rid of trapped oil / grease. I just hang the parts in the oven for a couple hours at 300'ish and it does a good job of getting trapped oil that like to bleed from seams or areas hard to degrease. Once removed and allowed to cool off I blast and degrease as usual. A hot tank of 111 Triclor is hard to find now.

 

[Redcreek1]

Soak in brake cleaner or equivlent overnight. Your pre-bake needs to be at 350 for about 90 min. Re-soak for two hours then bake again at 350.

Have coated several hundred AK's of all verities, some are worse than others and require more cycles.

 

[komishe]

Thanks again, Ernie

The AK that I plan to do happens to be my own. I'm going to do a pattern inspired by a pair of Bravo18's you Cerakoted, that I saw in a magazine a while back.
I've nearly got the pattern exactly how I want it to look. I'd say one or two more practice trials and it's off to the races.

 

[stockdoc]

put parts in a bag with easy off oven cleaner and let sit for about a half hour. comes out spotless.