Thinking about buying a nice parkerizing setup

[siccmademuzak]

It's kind of expensive so im thinking I should probably start a parkerizing service to help pay for it. Would anybody be interested in getting parts/guns park'd I'm not a ffl but it doesn't take long and i should be able to do it while you wait. so just here gauging interest. Located in the pleasanton/livermore area

[metasys]

what would your pricing be?

[Chosen_1]

If you haven't bought a tank yet, I would recommend this:

http://stainlesssteelcreations.net/electric-heat-element-parkerizing-tank--40quot-x-6quot-x-64066.html

Get the water heater element for $15 from your local hardware store.

[siccmademuzak]

what would your pricing be?

depends on the work needed to be done, but it will be reasonable, the only reason I'm considering buying the rig is because I've been quoted 100+ per rifle, I've got 5-6 i want to do.

[siccmademuzak]

If you haven't bought a tank yet, I would recommend this:

http://stainlesssteelcreations.net/electric-heat-element-parkerizing-tank--40quot-x-6quot-x-64066.html

Get the water heater element for $15 from your local hardware store.

I seen those, they look like a good deal I'm just not sure how to wire up a wire heater element? any tips?

[Jayruta]

Do you have a blast cabinet setup?

[siccmademuzak]

Do you have a blast cabinet setup?

I'm looking at buying one of those as well. most likely a harbor freight special when i get a 20% coupon and some "spare" cash

[ar15barrels]

the only reason I'm considering buying the rig is because I've been quoted 100+ per rifle, I've got 5-6 i want to do.

Do you have a blast cabinet setup?

I'm looking at buying one of those as well. most likely a harbor freight special when i get a 20% coupon and some "spare" cash

Seriously, pay the $500 to have the work done.
A blasting booth good enough to actually use to do work for paying customers will run you $750+
The compressor to run that booth will likely be $1000 or more.

The harbor freight blast booth and a smaller "hobbyist" compressor turns a 10 minute blasting job into an hour blasting job as you wait for the air compressor to recharge.
That turns your 45 minute blast amd park job that you are planning to charge a "reasonable" $60 charge for into a 2 hour job.
Do you really want to work your *** off for $30 an hour before all your costs are accounted for?
Say you only spend $600 buying all the equipment.
Now let's say you are going to try and amortize that $600 over 20 jobs to pay it off.
So now subtract $30 from each job.
You are making $15/hr now.
Then, let's talk about power and consumables.
Let's say those 20 jobs cost you another $100 in chemical loss and energy.
Now you are down to $13/hr.

Now, consider that you have to store all the stuff, set it up and turn it off and put it all away after it cools down after every job.
Add an hour or more to each job for that.
Now you are making $8 an hour.

McDonalds is hiring for $8 an hour and you get to work in an ethnically diverse workplace!

[Gunsmith Dan]

$100 to Parkerize an entire rifle is cheap FYI ........

That is if they don't require you to disassemble and prep the gun.

Remember it is not just the Parkerizing Tank but you will also need a sand blasting setup (with a air compressor and air dryer unless you like to do alot of hand sanding), degreasing setup and oil tank plus a rack to hang parts while parkerizing and to let excess oil drain off after the oil tank (unless you want to use lots of shop towels) if you are going to be charging people to Parkerize. That also does not include the pickeling tank for those hard to coat alloys.

You can plan to spend $3000+ for a proper setup to give you high quality long lasting Parkerized finishes. So even if you had 10 rifles to Parkerize at $100 each still a better deal. Of course make sure you tell people to bring stripped firearms to parkerize otherwise if you have to do it they gonna be there for a long time.

One thing to do it for yourself it is a completely different animal when you are taking money from people for your work .... they always expect the quality to be better than what they can do themselves and they for sure not gonna pay someone and they end up doing 90% of the work.


YES YES I know there will be plenty of comments like this:

"You don't need all that just get a 5/8" garden hose from Lowes, these stainless steel pots at Walmart then goto Auto Zone to get this part # blah blah plus the el cheapo motor oil, then to Home Depot get these chemicals then mix them this way, but not that way and if they don't have those sub these chemicals. While at Home Depot get this gas burner or goto Craig's List to find a used propane tank and used Propane Portable Burner, and then to Harbor Freight get the cheap Portable Siphon Blaster, foot operated tire pump to provide the compressed air, gloves and mask plus while on your way back home stop by a Park or School and shovel a bunch of sand from the play ground into a few 5 gallon cans. "

Blah Blah Blah and Blah .............


If you calculated the time and effort for all that and the amount of tinkering to get everything to work correctly you finally fiqure out in the end up buying a professional setup in the long run really costs you less money, less time, less headaches and less Redos plus is safer to use.

[Jayruta]

My home park setup alone cost close to 2k alone just for my electric park tank, air compressor, and highly Upgraded harbor freight 40lbs blast cabinet. Park solution is 50$ and must be stored carefully to prevent it from going bad. I went ahead and did the whole 9 yard because I build a lot of rifles and wanted to park them all. Also I use the cabinet to restore old car parts as well for my other hobby, so it was a good investment for me.

[siccmademuzak]

yea i definitely understand the cost involved, I doubt ill spend 2k i know ill spend closer to 1k. I'm not looking to make a million bucks, I am looking to help others out in my position and get my park rig paid for. I got more then a few rifles and about 5 more builds with no parkerizing setup that's at a reasonable cost (under 100 bucks). I'm doing this because i like to know I built something and finished thats why i got into building my own guns instead of buying them. I've parked a few rifles at build parties and used harbor freight blasters, and been more then happy with the finished product. with that being said, I think its realistic to park 10 rifles get my materials equipment paid for and park my own stuff.