Homebrew parkerizing- does it work?

[weezil_boi]

I had this very convincing link passed onto me by Joe_Sun. It details how to do a home park job WITHOUT the $100 worth of solution. So tell me.. has anyone personally experienced the results of this type of homebrew park solution... ( dist H20 + jasco prep primer + powdered managanese Dioxide)?

I think the jasco is just an acid to act as a catalyst for the manganese... true? Is that basically all the brownell's stuff is... acid and manganese?

Warning: I WILL try this at home

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=29&sid=2f7255a79d391dfeab095767a37e9bfa

Also... the link says to use Rem oil right after the park to stop flash rust... I have also heard to try WD-40. does anyone here know if:

A. The type of oil used right after the park will affect/ influence the color?
B. Would simple motor oil work? used motor oil?
C. Where is the cheapest place in the sacramento area to get gallons of Kroil or high sulpher content cutting oil?



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[jumbopanda]

$100 worth of solution? I bought a gallon of Lauer concentrated parkerizing solution for about $30, which is mixed with four gallons of water. I don't know why you would bother with the homebrew stuff.

[Josh]

I had this very convincing link passed onto me by Joe_Sun. It details how to do a home park job WITHOUT the $100 worth of solution. So tell me.. has anyone personally experienced the results of this type of homebrew park solution... ( dist H20 + jasco prep primer + powdered managanese Dioxide)?

I think the jasco is just an acid to act as a catalyst for the manganese... true? Is that basically all the brownell's stuff is... acid and manganese?

Warning: I WILL try this at home

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=29&sid=2f7255a79d391dfeab095767a37e9bfa

Also... the link says to use Rem oil right after the park to stop flash rust... I have also heard to try WD-40. does anyone here know if:

A. The type of oil used right after the park will affect/ influence the color?
B. Would simple motor oil work? used motor oil?
C. Where is the cheapest place in the sacramento area to get gallons of Kroil or high sulpher content cutting oil?



.

Yes it does work, i parked my m14 with that home brew formula.

I used hot water and then wd40 to keep the rust off. Any oil will work, the idea is to keep the oxygen away from the steel.

Oil does affect color, but with my experience and the wd40 it still turned out a very nice dark color. It took a day for the color to normalize.

The hardest part to find for me was the manganese, i broke apart a bunch of used D cells for that.

Its easier to just buy the solution for the $20-30

Its very easy to parkerize steel, the key as with all finishes is prep work. Make sure ALL the oil is removed from the parts prior and that the surfaces are clean.

[30Cal]

I've done it. Results were highly variable. $30 spent on solution would be worth the time saved IMHO.

Ditto the comments on prep-work.

[FEDUPWBS]

Prep is everything. Home brew is inconsistant at best, but I have achieved good results. Id advise the Lauer products as well. Good luck!

[Sydwaiz]

The most expensive part is large stainless tank if doing long parts such as barrels or barreled actions and the blast cabinet. The solution is cheap and lasts quite a while if you keep it clean. I use WD-40 with no problems. It displaces the water that you might have missed. Color is primarily dependant on steel hardness. The harder the steel the darker the color. I started with shootersolution and then used Brownells.

[joe_sun]

Well it seems Lauer is a lot cheaper than Brownells

http://www.lauerweaponry.com/index.cfm?Category=335&Subcat=Manganese%20Phosphate%20Solution

$30.00 is right

Wezil.. Give me a call.

[Sydwaiz]

Brownells might be double in price but also makes double the solution. I can make over 9 gal of solution with 1 gal from Brownells so price is basically a wash.

[weezil_boi]

Damn... looks like my cheapness will have to wait for another day. I guess it sthe Lauer... I thinkI only need 4 or 5 gallons. How does the solution store / age? If I left it in a plastic Gasoline can ( 5 gals) would it be OK a couple months from now after a day of use?

[jumbopanda]

Yes, you can store it for quite a while.

[joe_sun]

Brownells might be double in price but also makes double the solution. I can make over 9 gal of solution with 1 gal from Brownells so price is basically a wash.

You're right.. and with my dealer discount at Brownells it was 40.00 a gallon for the mag park. I added in some classic rust blue and a carding brush and with shipping it would have been less than $70.00 had I not done the requisite NRA donation.

Thanks for the heads up on that!

[tunder]

weezil_boi-

Here's another instructional with good results.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu52.htm

MidwayUSA has the Lauer zinc phosphate Parkerizing Solution for $26 a gallon which makes 5 gallons of solution.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=122455

Have fun.

[saki302]

The secret is in a good bead or sandblast before park.
If you buy an electric hot plate, it should be strong enough to heat a 1-3 gallon stainless tray. (2-3 gals takes awhiel to heat up, but no more than 30-40 minutes).

That's what I used to park motorcycle parts and random small gun parts (long barrels/actions will not fit).

The Shooter's solution heavy-duty manganese works great, and still works great after years! (store remainder in a 5 gallon bucket for future use).

[dwtt]

I've done this and it works for small parts but wouldn't want to do it again for large parts. I used a stainless fish poaching pot with lid, the big oval pot you find in the stores, which I bought off ebay for $10. Instead of Mn, I used zinc from a penny with the copper filed off for a gray finish. I found that the finish is very dependent on prep, and any area not completely cleaned will appear a different shade of gray than the rest of the part. This is OK for small parts where there's little variation across the part, but when I parked a NDS AK receiver, one end had some oil residue from my hands handling it and it showed as a lighter shade of gray.
Anyway, if you can control the temperature, have a large enough container to contain the solution, part, and the foaming that results, and can thoroughly clean the parts right before dropping them into the tank, you'll get good results. If not, you should go with the commercial solution.
Like others have said, the purpose of the oil after parkerizing is to prevent oxidation of the surface, which will happen really quickly, so once you pull the part out of the tank, rinse off the residual acid with cold water, and immediately coat it with WD-40 or oil. I used motor oil and it worked Ok.

[NeoWeird]

For you guys that have done home park jobs, wether home brew or pre-made solution, does it give off a heavy odor? I have always wanted to try it but never got around to doing it. I might just try with my Remington after I finish fabbing some parts for it. Is it something you can do in your home, or is it an out door type of activity (drippy mess aside)?