First time parkerizing video and result

[MosinVirus]

Hello all,

I just posted a video of my parkerizing attempt. The result is pretty good in my opinion, but posting the video link here so that those of you with a lot more experience (to my 1 time) can let me know if I should have done something differently.

Thank you.

[bruce381]

great job you did great.

I would next time get more solution for a deeper bath, you know that I'm sure.

But very good job, I have worried about setting on the bottom but it seems like the bubbles coming up tend to swril around and sort of re apply the park solution even where the part touch.

I do M1 carbines and you are right that different heat treats and alloy will vary the parking color is normal.

For my work I use glass beads (forgot grit) but this is very easy on light markings where sand can be ruff and wash away some light mfg marks.

[MosinVirus]

great job you did great.

I would next time get more solution for a deeper bath, you know that I'm sure.

But very good job, I have worried about setting on the bottom but it seems like the bubbles coming up tend to swril around and sort of re apply the park solution even where the part touch.

I do M1 carbines and you are right that different heat treats and alloy will vary the parking color is normal.

For my work I use glass beads (forgot grit) but this is very easy on light markings where sand can be ruff and wash away some light mfg marks.

Thank you.

Yes, having a higher level of the solution would have made it a lot easier and I wouldn't have worried about things touching the bottom.

So, I know that once some water/solution evaporates you can add water to bring it back up, and apparently it doesn't affect the solution mix, but that you should add water to bring the solution back up to original level in the tank. Would it be possible to add more water that the original level? At what point are you diluting it too much and need to add more manganese solution?

And it is good to know that glads bead surface can also park. I always thought it had to be cut surface rather than peened.

Can you possibly show an example of glass bead surface parked? Does it appear the same due to the crust like structure it forms?

[bruce381]

I do not add any more water though I save to old solution and add fresh mix as needed, just let the "flock" settle out.

I do not have a pic but sand looks sparkley and the glass beads looks very smooth matte non gloss look.

Both work but for carbine restoring you do not want to have a "blasted" look or lose any sharp mfg marks.

[bruce381]

oh yeah I keep the parts wet with oil for a few days helps the park to soak it up then use them.

[MosinVirus]

oh yeah I keep the parts wet with oil for a few days helps the park to soak it up then use them.

Thank you, I keep it super wet. Just wiped off externally for pictures and video, then wetted it back up.

[foxtrotuniformlima]

Thanks for posting this - I am now inspired.

[MosinVirus]

I do not add any more water though I save to old solution and add fresh mix as needed, just let the "flock" settle out.

I do not have a pic but sand looks sparkley and the glass beads looks very smooth matte non gloss look.

Both work but for carbine restoring you do not want to have a "blasted" look or lose any sharp mfg marks.

By the way, I did decant the solution back into a water bottle I had the water in. I used a bit of surgical tubing to carefully syphon off the clear liquid without touching the stuff on the bottom.

When you say you add a fresh mix, so you add the same proportion of solution to water? As in 1 to 4, or do you add just the manganese solution, and either way, do you season the added mix first?

I think I just don't understand how to keep the volume up as it evaporates without changing or diluting the solution. Too much over time.

Thanks for posting this - I am now inspired.

My pleasure.

[bruce381]

since i lose some when I decant the flock out I use that solution first and if I need more I "top off" with a fresh 1-4 mix.

The fresh mix added to the old stuff seems to work well with NO seasoning at all.

I continue this decant save and top for years and still get great Mil spec looking park color.

[kcstott]

Mosin

You will find out Parkerising is very user friendly and very forgiving.
I've been doing park for what five year no or going on. It's an easy. I ran the same solution for three years doing over 200 firearms with no issues. I just topped it off with distilled water. but plain old tap water will work as well so long as the mineral content is not to bad. I still recommend distilled water though. I don't add fresh solution as it will increase your acid concentration to the point where you're not parking any more but acid etching.
To much free acid is a bad thing.

Now if you wanted to you could look up how to measure the free acid in your mix. It requires a expensive pH meter and some Lye and lab quality water. you use the lye as your base in a very specific concentration and add your mix until you reach a given pH then you calculate your free acid concentration off that.
It's a little more involved then that but thats the basic process.

That said I've been winging my mix for five years I've only used two batches and need to make up a third. I'm running a 4 foot tank hold about 5.5-6 gallons and i've yet to see a solution fail to park a properly prepared part that was carbon steel.

I decant as well I have a large funnel and catch the flock in a coffee filter.

[jakeair777]

Hello all,

I just posted a video of my parkerizing attempt. The result is pretty good in my opinion, but posting the video link here so that those of you with a lot more experience (to my 1 time) can let me know if I should have done something differently.

Thank you.

@mosinvirus. didnt know you were on calguns! love your videos, always easy and detailed instructions.

[bruce381]

Mosin

You will find out Parkerising is very user friendly and very forgiving.
I've been doing park for what five year no or going on. It's an easy. I ran the same solution for three years doing over 200 firearms with no issues. I just topped it off with distilled water. but plain old tap water will work as well so long as the mineral content is not to bad. I still recommend distilled water though. I don't add fresh solution as it will increase your acid concentration to the point where you're not parking any more but acid etching.
To much free acid is a bad thing.

Now if you wanted to you could look up how to measure the free acid in your mix. It requires a expensive pH meter and some Lye and lab quality water. you use the lye as your base in a very specific concentration and add your mix until you reach a given pH then you calculate your free acid concentration off that.
It's a little more involved then that but thats the basic process.

That said I've been winging my mix for five years I've only used two batches and need to make up a third. I'm running a 4 foot tank hold about 5.5-6 gallons and i've yet to see a solution fail to park a properly prepared part that was carbon steel.

I decant as well I have a large funnel and catch the flock in a coffee filter.

Thats a good reminder I use soft water but not distilled seems to be fine.

Topping off I use a diluted solution now that I think about it it is twice the water more like a 1-8 mix.

I always figured that the Zinc my case and phosphate are being depleted as they react with the metal that you have to put something back, all loss in not just water evaporation but yes if parts are clean very forgiving process.

When I first started (before I had a blast cabinet) I acid cleaned parts (but residual acid was too much) and the park would rub off as black smut.
As mentioned above I think this was just a acid etch.

After getting a chepo harbor fright blast cabinet was then perfect but the sand was to Sharp and removed light mfg marks going to glass bead is now perfect.

So cool I do shop tools now when tank is hot

[bruce381]

here is a link Henkel that makes Mag and Zinc Park and explainse the testing to keep acid in range (it deplets as it is used)

https://tds.us.henkel.com/NA/UT/HNAUTTDS.nsf/web/AAB331CB68F14B39852571ED0059972F/$File/PARCO%C2%AE%20LUBRITE%202-EN.pdf

[MosinVirus]

Thank you all. I will be reading up on that, but it is good to know that I can just top off with distilled water.

[hermosabeach]

I watched another video where they had engraved / scratched marks on the park pan.

The first engraving / scratch line was the park solution level

The top engraving / scratch was the water line.

As the water evaporated off and the level dropped, they could add water back to the top line.

Same pan/ tray is used each time
Same volume of park to water got added