DIY Parkerizing Part 1

[pirate56]

I got some pm's about the parkerizing on my krink build so I thought I would share my experience for those of you who want to parkerize your guns and get professional looking results.
The first 2 photos are of my AMD pistol that was a second attempt and didn't come out good. The second is my krink that came out as good as it gets.
I am using oow receivers and they are hard. I blasted the AMD with glass beads and they were not abrasive enough to remove the surface skin on the metal. I also did not use preblack and the manganese solution produced different colors on various parts.
I blasted the krink with 80 grit aluminum oxide, used a pre black solution before parking and got a nice jet black finish on the krink.

[pirate56]

If you plan on parking a build you need to prep some of the parts before assembling. grease and oil will ooze out in the park bath contaminating the solution and possibly messing up the part. So it is a good idea to degrease the trunion and trigger guard and center support if you are using a flat before assembly. This will also keep your cabinet and blast media clean. I use acetone to clean the parts by soaking them. If you have a completed receiver you can boil it in a solution of ZEP Orange degreaser and water, followed by boiling plain water.
You are now ready to blast.
There are various types of media to use. glass beads peen and do not cut so they are not the best choice. Also available is ground glass, I haven't tried this but is should cut better than beads.
The next option is blasting sand, this is sand that has been size graded for blasting, it is very abrasive, cheap, and will do a good job. the only draw back is it breaks down with use and needs to be changed more often than aluminum oxide which is the best, it runs about $40.00 for a 50lb bag and if you dont contaminate it it will last a long time, blasting sand is about $7.00 for 50 lb.
I got a blast cabinet from HF for $69.00 it is perfect for this aplication. I spent another $15.00 and installed a flourescent light to improve visibility.
When you blast your parts it is important to blast from several directions around the rivets and other parts to prevent shadows, these are areas that are not properly blasted and will not parkerize properly. take your time when blasting and when it looks done go over it one more time. after blasting use clean gloves or a wire to handle the parts. do not touch them with your bare hands from this point on.
Now you are ready for pre black

[pirate56]

This is the black oxide solution from Caswell Plating. You mix it with distilled water and use it cold. This bottle cost $22.00 and makes a little over a gallon. It will do lots of parts if you don't get it contaminated. I used a plastic wall paper tray from HD it cost about $2.00 and works like a champ.
You imerse your blasted parts in this solution for about 5 minutes. they will get nice and black. this process is followed by rinsing in boiling water. the rinse serves 2 purposes. it removes excess blacking chemicals and pre heats the parts for the park bath which is at 180 degrees. the temperature is important for good results.
The black oxide solution contains salacilic acid and phosphoric acid so be carefull with it.
Now you are ready to parkerize.

[pirate56]

You will need the following items to do the parkerizing. All can be gotten at lowes or HD.
Parkerizing solution from shooters solutions and water displacing oil. the bottle in the photo will make 2.5 gallons and will do a LOT of parts if you don't contaminate it with oil. I used distilled water to mix it as the water here has lots of chemicals in it.
The water displacing oil is used after the part comes out of the rinse from the park tank. a little goes a long wat.
You will need a measuring cup, thermometer and a stainless tank. I used a mud pan from lowes, it cots about $10.00. It is a little bigger than the ones at HD and works better. if the tank leaks seal it on the outside with silicone seal. both my tanks leaked slightly. For rinsing and degreasing parts you can get disposable aluminum roasting pans. they work great and are real cheap!
HF has the burners they are $10.00 ea and you will need 2 along with some propane bottles. you can also use a gas grill or camp stove if you have one. The temperatuer of the park bath is critical for proper chemical reaction so check the temp often.
Noew that you have the parts pre blacked and rinsed and preheated put them in the park tank, the solution will fizz and bubble, leave it in there for at least 5 minutes, or untill the fizzing subsides.
Remove the part and put it into the boiling rinse water for a few minutes. this will remove the park chemicals. remove it from the rinse, shake off the excess water and spray with the water displacing oil.
Wipe with a rag and if you did everything right you will have a professional lookin part. some black will rub of when removing the excess oil.