Parkerizing at home

[rxdealer71]

Anyone ever parkerize at home on the BBQ using a steel tank? If the barreled action is too long to fit in the tank, can you alternate sides to complete the park job? I understand that once the bubbling stops there is not much bare metal left to react with, but they say you have to water rinse afterwards. Any Ideas?

Lastly, how do you deal with those non-chrome lined barrels during the parkerizing? Can you plug them or just shoot them afterwards to clean the phosphate out of the lans/grooves?

[Gowking]

Plug the holes. Some have not done so and reported that they didn't think it had any negative affect but I would to be safe. you can find silicone plugs at places like McMaster Carr or rubber plugs at a hardware store.

-G

[rxdealer71]

Good to know, I found high temp silicone plugs at lauer weaponry, including the Manganese phos solution and tanks. It just might work. Still concerned about long barreled actions and the half & half dunking.

[CSACANNONEER]

At my first BP we used a flower vase and kept pouring heated solution into it. Then, after one side was done, we had to flip the barrelled actions over and do it to the other half. It was getto but, it worked.

[rxdealer71]

What ever works, glad to hear it came out right. I might just go for it.

[CSACANNONEER]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=160887

see post 353

If you are want to park it all at once, feel free to attend my AK BP on the 24th&25th of this month. We will have a real Parking tank or two and, I already boght 3 gals of parking solution. Let me know if you can make it and I'll add you to the list so, you'll get the inside info.

[Rule .308]

Good to know, I found high temp silicone plugs at lauer weaponry, including the Manganese phos solution and tanks. It just might work. Still concerned about long barreled actions and the half & half dunking.

It is definitely not the prefered way to do it. At best there will be a line where the finish meets on the gun. If you have no other way to do it I would try to make that line appear somewhere inconspicuous on the gun, somewhere that it can be covered or at a pre-existing joint like where the barrel meets the receiver, something like that. One thing that I have consider in such instances would be to get a piece of 4" PVC pipe, cap one end, put your barreled action in there, fill it with boiling water to pre heat it, pour the water off, and then fill it with park solution heated to about 200 degrees, have some spare solution on hand to add to it when it starts to cool below about 170. I have never tried it but I always thought it might be a viable solution. Remember, on the small parts you can always park them in the microwave. I do this all of the time. So long as your parts are submerged, you can microwave them with no ill effects. I heat my solution in a plastic container to about 200 degrees, toss in my freshly bead blasted parts and nuke it some more. Keep the stuff covered so it does not cool as rapidly, stir it occassionally, nuke it some more when it cools down to 170 or so and I will typically pull it after it has soaked for about 20 minutes or so. After about 10 minutes of soaking it will be pretty tough to see if the parts are still fizzing because of the amount of flocking in the solution, especially when you move/stir things around a bit to make sure that everything is getting parked properly.

I typically rubber plug my bores even though they say it has no ill effects and on many of you gas guns it is a moot point because you really cannot get a good seal on the gas hole in the barrel and the solution will seep in through there.

[SJgunguy24]

If the park job is going to be the base for a spray on coating. I found Kphos from gun kote to work great. It's a good way to get a base parkerizing job
without dealing with tanks or the fumes.
I just sprayed it with a cheapo 10$ air brush from Kragen's. You shoot it
on and let the soultion dry completly. After it's dry you can spray whatever
the final finish will be right on that.

[rxdealer71]

I bought that dura-phos and tried it out. From what I can tell it's a mild acidic solution that etches the surface, I dont think it phosphates. But so far none of the places I coated have rusted either. Not sure about it. At best the "white" is a grey tinge after 5 minutes of coating and a cold rinse.

Thanks for the invite CSACANNONEER, I'll let you know. Nathan over at PRK Arms suggested I ask Jeff for a price on a parker job. I want to do several things so we'll see.

Kphos, I'll check it out too.

Thanks to everyone for the replies,

[SJgunguy24]

I bought that dura-phos and tried it out. From what I can tell it's a mild acidic solution that etches the surface, I dont think it phosphates. But so far none of the places I coated have rusted either. Not sure about it. At best the "white" is a grey tinge after 5 minutes of coating and a cold rinse.

Thanks for the invite CSACANNONEER, I'll let you know. Nathan over at PRK Arms suggested I ask Jeff for a price on a parker job. I want to do several things so we'll see.

Kphos, I'll check it out too.

Thanks to everyone for the replies,

Thats what parkerizing does, it etches the surface so the oil has something to stick to. The kphos is only if your shooting a spray on finish as a final coat.
It's way easier then making up a park tank for 1 or 2 guns.

[CSACANNONEER]

I bought that dura-phos and tried it out. From what I can tell it's a mild acidic solution that etches the surface, I dont think it phosphates. But so far none of the places I coated have rusted either. Not sure about it. At best the "white" is a grey tinge after 5 minutes of coating and a cold rinse.

Thanks for the invite CSACANNONEER, I'll let you know. Nathan over at PRK Arms suggested I ask Jeff for a price on a parker job. I want to do several things so we'll see.

Kphos, I'll check it out too.

Thanks to everyone for the replies,

If you're in the Fresno area, having PRK do it would be cheaper for you than the gas to drive to Santa Clarita.

[rxdealer71]

Thats the plan, park and then paint...I want this rifle to last a few generations if you know what I mean.

I read parkerizing bonds the exposed metal atoms in steel to manganese and therefore prevents oxidation that causes rust as well as etches the surface for a top coat.

I have another duracoated rifle, and after about one month, a hammer wouldn't remove the paint or scar it on contact. It's tough stuff, at about $30 for the finish, not bad.

[SJgunguy24]

Thats the plan, park and then paint...I want this rifle to last a few generations if you know what I mean.

I read parkerizing bonds the exposed metal atoms in steel to manganese and therefore prevents oxidation that causes rust as well as etches the surface for a top coat.

I have another duracoated rifle, and after about one month, a hammer wouldn't remove the paint or scar it on contact. It's tough stuff, at about $30 for the finish, not bad.

Even if you parkerize the metal, it's the oil that keeps the rust from setting in.
A park job just provides a good base for the paint or oil to stick to. Hell I think you can use navel jelly to park before painting.

[coop44]

if you want to send it out try Texas Armament, prices were always good, fast turnaround. They have been doing it for many years.

[saki302]

I'd suggest a hot plate rather than a BBQ grill for parkerizing. I've done a lot of small parts with a stainless pan and hot plate.

Thing is, you don't want it too hot so you need a heating element with some control.

Don't dump your park solution too- it works for years if you save it!!

-Dave