Nortonscustom
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2008
- Messages
- 375
A friend brought in a barrel to have me turn down and flute. Didn't take any pictures of the machine work because it wasn't anything of much interest. But thought I'd share my home brew parkerizing method that I've had great luck with over the years.
Here's the barrel after being sand blasted. Next give it a good cleaning with steel wool and mineral spirits. Final cleaning step is to spray it down with brake cleaner. Then plugged the bore, chamber and gas port with high temp plugs.
I start with 2 cheap D-cell batteries from the dollar store. You want the "heavy duty" non-alkaline type. Un-crimp the top with a needle nose pliers. Pull out the carbon rod in the center and throw it away, then scoop out the manganese. I crush it in a mortar and pestle. You don't have to but it mixes into the park solution faster it you do.
My park tank it just two stainless steel drywall (mud) tubs welded together. The solution is 1 gal of distilled water and about a quart Klean Phosporic Prep&Etch which I bought at Home Depot. Mixed in manganese and brought it up to 160*F on the hot plate.
I use a steel wool pad to see if the park solution is ready by stirring it in the solution. If it starts to bubble quickly it is ready. Hooked 2 stainless steel wires across the tank for the barrel to rest on and put the barrel in. If you get a good stream of bubbles coming off the part you know its clean enough and taking a good park.
Have a tub with clean water next to the park tank. After about 5 minutes I pull the barrel out and rinse it off in the tub to have a look at the color. Just never let it dry of while checking it. Put it back in the park for an another 5-7 minutes.
Bent a couple ss tig rods to use for handling the barrel while parking.
Once happy with the color I wash it off real good in cold water and immediately soak it in oil. Let it soak overnight.
And there you have it. One freshly parkerized rifle barrel ready to go back together. The whole parking process took about an hour and cost under $20. As you can see the results are a nice deep black. The solution can be saved and reused again for the next project.
Here's the barrel after being sand blasted. Next give it a good cleaning with steel wool and mineral spirits. Final cleaning step is to spray it down with brake cleaner. Then plugged the bore, chamber and gas port with high temp plugs.
I start with 2 cheap D-cell batteries from the dollar store. You want the "heavy duty" non-alkaline type. Un-crimp the top with a needle nose pliers. Pull out the carbon rod in the center and throw it away, then scoop out the manganese. I crush it in a mortar and pestle. You don't have to but it mixes into the park solution faster it you do.
My park tank it just two stainless steel drywall (mud) tubs welded together. The solution is 1 gal of distilled water and about a quart Klean Phosporic Prep&Etch which I bought at Home Depot. Mixed in manganese and brought it up to 160*F on the hot plate.
I use a steel wool pad to see if the park solution is ready by stirring it in the solution. If it starts to bubble quickly it is ready. Hooked 2 stainless steel wires across the tank for the barrel to rest on and put the barrel in. If you get a good stream of bubbles coming off the part you know its clean enough and taking a good park.
Have a tub with clean water next to the park tank. After about 5 minutes I pull the barrel out and rinse it off in the tub to have a look at the color. Just never let it dry of while checking it. Put it back in the park for an another 5-7 minutes.
Bent a couple ss tig rods to use for handling the barrel while parking.
Once happy with the color I wash it off real good in cold water and immediately soak it in oil. Let it soak overnight.
And there you have it. One freshly parkerized rifle barrel ready to go back together. The whole parking process took about an hour and cost under $20. As you can see the results are a nice deep black. The solution can be saved and reused again for the next project.
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