Home Parkerizing Job

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butch50

New member
Just for grins :) I parkerized my Star BM 9mm today. It was blued and looked OK, but not great. Using glass beads I blasted it clean, then using Shooters Solutions I parkerized it, on the kitchen stove.

Came out Beautiful :D That Shooters Solutions is some good stuff. Easy to use and great finish.
 
no not bluing stitch

Parkerizing is a method of placing either a manganese or phospate coating to the metal. Bluing uses an acid to color the metal where as parkerizing actually adds to the metal a layer of built up manganese or phospahate. If you actually mic the material prior to parkerizing, you will find that the material is slightly larger when done. This is why you shouldn't let the park solution enter the barrel when parkerizing. You need to rough the surface to allow the manganese or phosphate to attach to the metal. You use an oil when finshed to seal the metal and this surface will resist rust or other chemicals better than the blued surfaces.
 
Cold Blue OVER Park

What happens if you put cold blue on top of parkerization - I've heard it gets black, but I would guess not - anyone know? Thanks.
 
I have no idea what bluing would do to parkerizing. There are so many different kinds and types of bluing, and of parkerizing, that there probably too many variables to give a simple answer anyway.

Those are great photos Perry - nice job! I need to get a camera. Maybe when I am complete with my Star BM I will take a photo and post it. I am about to work on the grips next. I put on some mesquite grips that I had bead blasted to remove the soft wood - it leaves a rough texture but in a natural pattern as there are ridges of harder wood left "raised". But I didn't seal the wood and it got grimy real fast.

I am going to clean and blast those grips again, but this time seal it. And I have some hardwood grips that I am going to attempt to checker myself. If I don't screw up the checkering it should look real nice too, but I am kind of partial to the blasted wood.

Anyone else out there that has bead blasted wood grips? They certainly provide as firm a grip as checkering does, and look pretty cool too.
 
Bluing over park

For me it turns out more of a light black or very dark grey. I blue over park and like the results. It is a very low gloss blue which I like to use on hunting guns.
 
What got you started on bluing a parkerized finish? Was it curiosity or is there an advantage to it?

I will experiment with about anything, just have to have the inspiration....
 
Honestly, covering up a mistake

I let my parking solution get to cold when the gas ran out and I was on the phone. Some of it looked good, but there was some spots on it that didn't. I asked a buddy of mine and he said it would look ok if I tried it. I used a cold blue, Oxpho blue gel, and rubbed it own and let it sit. Wiped it off and like the effect. I like the color on certain guns. if someone wants a frosted look to the blue, I suggest it and let them see some guns that I have done like it. I think it gives a better rust resistance than the normal blued finish does and it wears better as well.
 
Oh man, I have to try that now. :D

I have a little .32 cal pocket pistol that I am going to work on next, I have enough bluing gel left to do it, so I will parkerize it and then do the blue. Did you do it immediately after rinsing and drying the parkerized finish?
 
I've been looking at the Oxpho-blue. Brownells has a good writeup on using 3 cold blue formulas.

I too am toying with blue over park.....if I ever get my parking done right :mad: I might have to "cave" and get a blast cabinet...but then I'd have to get a cpmpressor...then I'd have to explain those charges on the card :o
 
Most of the refinished CZ52's have bluing over parkerizing. It doesn't look bad, but I chose one with standard grey park.
 
some help

I parked the gun and sealed the finish with oil. After letting it sit for a couple of days, I then degreased it and then used the Oxpho Blue gel on it. I use cotton balls to swab it on. Little tip for you, swab it on and let it sit there, don't wipe it all around. If it looks like it is drying, swab some more on. I let it sit for 2 minutes making sure to keep it wet. Then wipe it almost completely clean and burnish the part with an oil free piece of steel wool. You can buy steel wool and soak it in laquer thinner and then light it on fire to burn all the oil off, or you can look at woodcraft.com and buy their version of oil free synthetic wool. I use this on steel as well as wood just like steel wool. I apply three coats most of the time following the same directions. After the last coat, I apply breakfree clp aand let it sit for a few days. Then just wipe the oil off and look at the results. If you like what you have, apply a light touch of oil and you're done. If not, just follow the same directions making sure to degrease the part each time before you start.

Shorts, I would check with a local gunsmith. He shouldn't charge too much to simply blast the gun for you if you have it broken down and ready for him to do without other labor. I will take in a gun from someone every now and then that only want me to blast it for them and will run it through when I have a couple more to do. Beats having to spend the $300-400 dollars for the compressor and blasting caibnet if you don't really need them.
 
I got a used blasting cabinet off of ebay for less than $100 shipping included. Had to watch and wait awhile but it was worth it. I had the compressor already - shoot everyone needs a compressor anyway.

Blasting is a lot of fun. Of course you can use it for blating other things than guns - kinves for instance. :)

I have lots of shiny tools now......


I have added a photo of the 9mm after parkerizing and after bead blasting the mesquite wood grips. Not a good photo unfortunately - looks like I need to get photo help
 

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Looks like I need to invest in a camera - the one I borrowed didn't cut it.

Does anyone have a suggestion for an inexpensive digital camera that takes sharp pictures up close? Did I mention inexpensive? :confused:
 
butch50, to take some good close up pics, find the "macro" setting on the camera. Then instead of holding the camera close to the object, hold it at normal range and use the zoom to get in close.

I just got a new camera and this thins is cool - makes taking pictures fool proof. I'm the fool :D It's color-coded when you zoom when using the macro feature, so it gives you the green light for optimum focusand best picture. If it is out of focus, it juves you a red light So, basically your pictures come out great.
 
I need to buy a camera of my own anyway - time to join the 20th century :) as I am about 100 years behind and a technophobe to some extent.
 

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