Thank you very much for the time you took, i am in the process right now of gathering material, I just lack the actual parking chemicals

 

STICKY!!!

 

Great write up. thank You for taking the time to take the shots, and post it all. This is how we ALL expand the knowledge base.

I was VERY lucky many years back and knew an Army Armorer who had a parkerizing set up at his shop. I had a small array of M1 Carbines and all of mine had been well used.

Spent a day at his shop, took down all the guns, beadblasted as reqd, degreased and parkerized, oil soaked the parts, reassembled. When we were done my collection went from 6 beat up Carbines to six MINT Carbines. I also park'd a 1950's S&W M-10 four inch. Came out great.

Several years later I bought three Rem 870's from a local PD. Typical cop guns, beaten up....but shot very little. I bead blasted and parkerized, then dark grey GunCoated them. One of the guns belongs to a loocal guy and 20 years later it STILL looks good.

Parkerizing is not VOODOO. Nice to see a post that breaks it down to it's simple steps.

FN in MT

 

Thanks guys, I'm glad ya'll liked the write up. Parkerizing is something I wanted to get into since I have so many kits that I have built and needed refinishing. I've learned alot on this board so I wanted to give back a little knowledge to maybe help someone else out.

I also want to give credit to John Mcguire for helping me out. Some of you may know him. He's one of the top 1919A4 builders around. He built a couple 1919's for me and I was asking him about how he parkerizes them and told him I was interested in getting into it. He invited me to hang out with him one day while he parked a few builds and told me to bring a couple guns I wanted parked. He let me use his equipment and showed me how it was done and never charged me a dime. He's a hell of a nice guy and he even let me shoot a full auto CZ 24 he had just built.

So I wanna give credit to John for helping me have a better understanding of parkerizing and showing me just how easy it really is.

 

Nice write-up!

Did you plug the barrel with anything and if so how and with what?

Also, does the parkerizing reach areas that are covered up, like the barrel trunion, etc.?

Thank you.

 

Nice write-up!

Did you plug the barrel with anything and if so how and with what?

Also, does the parkerizing reach areas that are covered up, like the barrel trunion, etc.?

Thank you.

Thanks.

No I haven't had to plug any barrels yet. All the ones I've done so far have been chrome lined bores so the parkerizing or the black oxide doesn't stick to it. The only time you would have to plug the barrel and gas block is if the barrel is not chrome lined such as a yugo or an american made barrel.

If you want to plug the bore, Brownells sells assorted sizes of rubber barrel plugs that you can use.

 

Nice job.
I really like the plastic pre-treat dip tanks and filter method.
I can't recall will the 8" depth let you submerse completely a 1919 receiver in the solution?

Over the years of parking, the group that I work with have found that using pipe burners will prevented flock from floating in currents and maintain even heat throughout the solution. We started using a 2 and 3 cast iron propane camp burners. You will like the pipe burner when you get around to making one. I posted a thread here on how to make a pipe burner.
We also went through a couple welded stainless tanks from heavy use then began using a diffusor plate on the bottom of the tanks and they hold up much better now. Just keep an eye on the bottom of your tank and if needed depending on usage just pick up a mild steel plate to protect the stainless tanks bottom.
We use the silicon barrel plugs on chrome lined barrels to keep them shiny, the solution will just dull the chrome.

 

Nice job.
I really like the plastic pre-treat dip tanks and filter method.
I can't recall will the 8" depth let you submerse completely a 1919 receiver in the solution?

Over the years of parking, the group that I work with have found that using pipe burners will prevented flock from floating in currents and maintain even heat throughout the solution. We started using a 2 and 3 cast iron propane camp burners. You will like the pipe burner when you get around to making one. I posted a thread here on how to make a pipe burner.
We also went through a couple welded stainless tanks from heavy use then began using a diffusor plate on the bottom of the tanks and they hold up much better now. Just keep an eye on the bottom of your tank and if needed depending on usage just pick up a mild steel plate to protect the stainless tanks bottom.
We use the silicon barrel plugs on chrome lined barrels to keep them shiny, the solution will just dull the chrome.

Yeah 8" is deep enough for a 1919 receiver. I didn't park mine, John did after he built them.

When I get some time I'm gonna start the pipe burner. As far as a diffuser plate, I have 1/4"x4" stainless flatbar stitch welded along the bottom of the tank for use with the pipe burner. Since I'm using the stoves for now, I'm using 2 round 1/4" thick plates on top of the burners. You can see them in the first pic.

 

Nighthawk if you use a diffuser plate between the tank & heat source you will stop 90% of that flock from forming.The more seasoned the solution becomes the less will form.
Also the Kroil is not necessary. Use running cold water to rinse the solution from your parts, blow them off with your compressor then use WD-40. ( water displacing formula #40 ) to get rid of any excess water.
Let the fresh parked parts sit for 24 hours then wipe off the WD40 & use your gun oil of choice. Also when your park solution cools store it in sealed plastic containers. I use 5 gallon yellow plastic diesel fuel cans sold at Home Depot. Your work looks really good.

 

Nighthawk if you use a diffuser plate between the tank & heat source you will stop 90% of that flock from forming.The more seasoned the solution becomes the less will form.
Also the Kroil is not necessary. Use running cold water to rinse the solution from your parts, blow them off with your compressor then use WD-40. ( water displacing formula #40 ) to get rid of any excess water.
Let the fresh parked parts sit for 24 hours then wipe off the WD40 & use your gun oil of choice. Also when your park solution cools store it in sealed plastic containers. I use 5 gallon yellow plastic diesel fuel cans sold at Home Depot. Your work looks really good.

I have 1/2" thick of diffuser plate under my tank. Its a 11ga tank with 1/4" stainless flatbar welded to the bottom then a 1/4" mild steal plate sitting on top of the burners so I think I'm covered. :wink:

I use kroil because its a better oil than wd40. Its a water displacing oil but it gets into all the crevises better. They don't call it "the oil that creeps" for nothing. :grin:

 

Looks good. Did the oxide step really darken up the manganese? I get the about the same shade you have in these pics from just using a locally mixed manganese solution then oil. It's a high concentrate though (my parts usually stop reacting in about 1 min) so this might make a difference.

 

Looks good. Did the oxide step really darken up the manganese? I get the about the same shade you have in these pics from just using a locally mixed manganese solution then oil. It's a high concentrate though (my parts usually stop reacting in about 1 min) so this might make a difference.

Yeah there is a difference. I parked a spade grip and bipod for a 1919 and its a gray color. The pics don't do it justice cause the flash washes it out and makes the black look lighter than what it is in person. I think the oxide is well worth it to get the color jet black.

 

Looks really good. I didn't know the Mag Phos wasn't totally black after applying oil finish. Good to know. I am getting ready to do my first park as well and thought I might add some questions to your thread. Below is my ebay special 3 burner setup I built some steel legs for. Makes for a great camping stove too Question, is my "stove top" have plenty of temp difussing cast iron?

If not do you think some mess steel like this might make for a good diffuser between burners and tank?

Is it really necessary to rinse in a stainless tank port post park? I thought I might set something up with an overflow tube in my garage sink keep the water cycling as it dilllutes the park solution (long with a little soft scrubbing of course. I do understand my sink would have to be very clean prior to putting anything in it.

Her is a shot of my park tank (6X6X40) purchased off of ebay. Came with drain plug too... nice

Great write up and thanks for the tips Oh ya, where did you get the barrel brakes? Really like that style over the AMD-65 one I have. Thanks/
Bill

 

Hi Bill, looks like you've got a nice setup started. To answer your questions, a diffuser plate is a solid plate between the fire and your stainless tank so the expanded metal wont work. Try and find some 3/8"x6" mild steel flatbar the length of your burner. Then just lay it across your stove and sit your tank on top of it and you should be fine.

Your wash tank doesn't have to be stainess, I was just using up a sheet of stainless I had. Your sink will be just as good.

The flash hider is from Nodak Spud. It was for the Tabuk clone rifles but I liked the way it looked so I bought a few of them.

Good luck on your parkerizing and post some pics when you're done so we can check it out.

 

Thanks so much for the info... much appreciated. Would you happen to have any pics of parked (only) parts and parked and black oxide parts together? Does black oxide compliment the protection of the mag phos park?
Thanks
Bill

 

1) 2-gallons Manganese parkerizing solution (Brownells.com)
2) 2-pints Black oxide concentrate (Caswellplating.com)

Nighthawk,

I spoke with the owner of the solutions company from where I buy my concentrated parks. My intention was to inquire about any products they offer that would get a darker color from their Mang Phos solution. His answer was "Just mix a heavier concentration and cook at a higher temp." Then he tried to sell me some dark oil product. When I inqiured about the black oxide technique, he laughed at me and said Mang is a caustic reaction while the BO is an acidic reaction. This guy not know his stuff or did I miss something? Did you do both together or one and then the other? Thanks.

 

If you want a Black Park use:
The Lauer's black dip pre-solution, really works well.
http://www.lauerweaponry.com/item-detai ... N=66089849
Member Jerod here has parked his Sig 226 slide using this solution and it's just as Black as my Sig 226 in KG GunKote AK Black.

If you want a Green park we have had luck using a Zinc park and baking in cosmoline over a few days in the oven. The park turns more Green in color like you see on parkerized stored mint Garands at the gun shows.

I found the old Pipe Burning Thread too.

 

If you want a Black Park use:
The Lauer's black dip pre-solution, really works well.
http://www.lauerweaponry.com/item-detai ... N=66089849
Member Jerod here has parked his Sig 226 slide using this solution and it's just as Black as my Sig 226 in KG GunKote AK Black.

If you want a Green park we have had luck using a Zinc park and baking in cosmoline over a few days in the oven. The park turns more Green in color like you see on parkerized stored mint Garands at the gun shows.

I found the old Pipe Burning Thread too.

I like the pre-dip stuff but it says no pre-heating necessary. But for parking you want the substrate (whatever your are parking) at park temps prior to dip, no? Any issues here?

Just asking... I am a newb and am learning here so I apprecaite the feedback and patience. Also, if anybody has any side by side use of Mang park with and without black oxide treament I'd like to see it. I have several theme's I'm working on. One is all black so the black oxide may be definitely in there. But I have a coupld of AMD-65's I'm playing with. As close to black is good enough for these... just looking for protection more than ahything else.
Thanks guys

 

1) 2-gallons Manganese parkerizing solution (Brownells.com)
2) 2-pints Black oxide concentrate (Caswellplating.com)

Nighthawk,

I spoke with the owner of the solutions company from where I buy my concentrated parks. My intention was to inquire about any products they offer that would get a darker color from their Mang Phos solution. His answer was "Just mix a heavier concentration and cook at a higher temp." Then he tried to sell me some dark oil product. When I inqiured about the black oxide technique, he laughed at me and said Mang is a caustic reaction while the BO is an acidic reaction. This guy not know his stuff or did I miss something? Did you do both together or one and then the other? Thanks.

Yes you first park, then wash in water, then dip in black oxide. You do not mix the 2 chemicals together.

 

If you want a Black Park use:
The Lauer's black dip pre-solution, really works well.
http://www.lauerweaponry.com/item-detai ... N=66089849
Member Jerod here has parked his Sig 226 slide using this solution and it's just as Black as my Sig 226 in KG GunKote AK Black.

If you want a Green park we have had luck using a Zinc park and baking in cosmoline over a few days in the oven. The park turns more Green in color like you see on parkerized stored mint Garands at the gun shows.

I found the old Pipe Burning Thread too.

Tangotag, thanks for adding this info. So far I've done 9 rifles and have about 12 more to go and have more than enough solution to finish them and then some so its not worth it to me to buy more solution but for someone else wanting a jet black finish this sounds like something worth trying.

 

Ok Bill, here are some comparison pics I took today. It was cold and dreary out so I didn't stay out there long and the sun wasn't out but I took a few to give you an idea of the difference.

The 1919A4 and Yugo RPK are manganese only. The Tabuk is manganese with black oxide.

In this pic the finish doesn't look smooth. Its small cotton fibers all over the receiver from when I wiped it down with a oil soaked rag. Its actually a very smooth, even finish.

 

Nighthawk
Nice pics, I love the 1919A4 & bipod.

Bill
For using the pre-dip blackening solution just pour in a plastic tub like Nighthawk has his degreasing solution in. It has a warning against using it in a stainless steel container. It is at room temp just dip before the parkerizing step. As far as I can tell it is an etching solution that results in a black finish no matter if you have Zinc or Manganese park. I think getting a MSDS sheet on it would explain more.

I read years back but I can't recall what chemical was used for the pre-dip before Lauer's came out with their jug. If I find it I will update the thread.

For another spin on parking. There was suspicions that the Romanians dipped their fresh parked AKs in a cold blue type mix to achieve the black darkening to their park.

 

Very nice pics... Thanks

 

Now that's a nice finish! How does is wear under the selector and on the rails/bolt carrier? Looks like I might be done with gunkote. :wink: This post deserves a sticky, ahem.

 

I have parkerized and Gunkoted many 100's of firearms over the years and only recently began using the black pre dip. If you use Black oxide or the pre dip the end color seems to look close to jet black . Nighthalk I must say your work is very detailed and nice ! Where did you find those plastic tanks ? I have been looking for some of those size for 5 plus years ! Nice work and please let me know ! Jerod