Dave Sample
Moderator
Wowee!
Seems like a lot of trouble to go to for an $80.00 gun. Have fun! And good luck.
Seems like a lot of trouble to go to for an $80.00 gun. Have fun! And good luck.
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Al Oxide blasting substitute?
- Thread starter briang2ad
- Start date
A couple of odds and ends to throw in:
Cntryboy's description of using rust inhibitor post-blasting for a delay in getting to the Parkerizing operation is a good idea. This is one of the few occasions when Water Displacing formula number 40 (WD-40) is actually good for something. It was developed as missile part rust preventive originally. It is thin, so it is removed relatively easily, and if there was any trace of water in the blast air, this will get it off the surface microscopically.
Any time after spraying with WD-40, drop the parts into ordinary mineral spirits to remove it. This not only removes WD-40, it evaporates off afterward. Kerosene is a more flammable alternative. A five minute dip in acetone after most of the mineral spirits or kerosene dries, will remove the last traces of it and WD-40. Acetone will also remove water by dissolving it. In college chemistry class I remember we used it to dry water out of cleaned glassware.
Do not go straight to the Parkerizing tank with acetone, MEK, alcohol or other volatile solvent still on the metal. Acids react with some of these. Instead, drop the parts in boiling distilled or de-ionized water. That not only removes solvent traces, but if any WD-40 got trapped in a crack or recess, the heat and expansion and bubbles will drive it out. If you see anything floating on the water surface, you know you didn't get it all off and need to repeat the acetone dip. You will also need to clean out the boiling vessel and put fresh water in for repeating the boil afteward.
The other purpose the boiling serves is that any microscopic trace of ferric oxide (red rust) that has formed because of condensation when the solvent evaporated will be converted to ferrous oxide (blue rust; this is the basis of the rust bluing process). The boiled part not only dries fast, but the heat in the presence of air (and really hot tap water does this too) forms a thin layer of the blue oxide that helps inhibit rust for a few hours if you can't get straight to the Parkerizing tank. The acid in the Parkerizing solution removes the ferrous oxide instantly, so it doesn't affect the Park-bath.
Nick
Cntryboy's description of using rust inhibitor post-blasting for a delay in getting to the Parkerizing operation is a good idea. This is one of the few occasions when Water Displacing formula number 40 (WD-40) is actually good for something. It was developed as missile part rust preventive originally. It is thin, so it is removed relatively easily, and if there was any trace of water in the blast air, this will get it off the surface microscopically.
Any time after spraying with WD-40, drop the parts into ordinary mineral spirits to remove it. This not only removes WD-40, it evaporates off afterward. Kerosene is a more flammable alternative. A five minute dip in acetone after most of the mineral spirits or kerosene dries, will remove the last traces of it and WD-40. Acetone will also remove water by dissolving it. In college chemistry class I remember we used it to dry water out of cleaned glassware.
Do not go straight to the Parkerizing tank with acetone, MEK, alcohol or other volatile solvent still on the metal. Acids react with some of these. Instead, drop the parts in boiling distilled or de-ionized water. That not only removes solvent traces, but if any WD-40 got trapped in a crack or recess, the heat and expansion and bubbles will drive it out. If you see anything floating on the water surface, you know you didn't get it all off and need to repeat the acetone dip. You will also need to clean out the boiling vessel and put fresh water in for repeating the boil afteward.
The other purpose the boiling serves is that any microscopic trace of ferric oxide (red rust) that has formed because of condensation when the solvent evaporated will be converted to ferrous oxide (blue rust; this is the basis of the rust bluing process). The boiled part not only dries fast, but the heat in the presence of air (and really hot tap water does this too) forms a thin layer of the blue oxide that helps inhibit rust for a few hours if you can't get straight to the Parkerizing tank. The acid in the Parkerizing solution removes the ferrous oxide instantly, so it doesn't affect the Park-bath.
Nick
I have bead blasted and parkerized two guns now. I stripped off or removed only the parts that I didn't want parkerized. Bead blasted the guns. Then put them is a solution of boiling water and rubbing alcolhol (80 water to 20 alc) for 30 minutes. Removed them from the boiling solution and washed and rinsed them thoroughly with liquid soap under hot running water.
Then put them in the parkerizing solution. Both of them came out with excellent parkerized finishes - imho.
Then put them in the parkerizing solution. Both of them came out with excellent parkerized finishes - imho.