Parkerizing -without- bead blasting?

[Caimlas]

I've been researching and acquiring the necessary tools and supplies to parkerize a Star BM I acquired last summer (in very poor/pitted condition) for a while now. I've done most of metal prep (got rid of what was left of the bluing, and the dings and pitting), but now I'm wondering:

As every "parkerizing howto" I've read specifically states to bead blast the firearm/component you intend to park/blue. However, I am in a location where such a thing is not possible without buying the bead blasting equipment and materials myself. Is it possible to proceed without the bead blasting - ie, with some alternative, such as finely sanding all surfaces, rubbing with steel wool, etc.?

(Please don't tell me "just do the bead blasting" - I'm in a very rural area any there is nowhere around here that does it or has the equipment to do so. It would be a day's project to drive somewhere that does in and of itself.)

And, if it is possible, what are the likely repercussions to be? IE, uneven finish, blotched finish, improper adherence/bonding of the phosphate?

Any pointers/advice is appreciated.

 

[rcmodel]

No auto body shop?
No machine shop that does engine work?
No painters?
No sign makers?

Lots of places do sand-blasting for any number of reasons, and bead-blasting is just another form of sand-blasting with finer media.

A bag of white ashtray sand will do for the media for a nice park job.

Someone you know locally must have an air compressor.
Heres a sandblast gun for $15 bucks.
http://www.absolutehome.com/web/cat...rs-72223&cid=7DBE52A2D92BB0E0BB9404F4ED338181

rcmodel

 

[Texas Colt]

I was able to set up my own bead blasting setup with a used plastic 55 gallon drum ($15), a sand blasting gun from Lowes ($12), and a mail order bag of glass beads ($30).

Bead blasting definitely helps the adhesion of the parkerizing.

 

[Sunray]

Sent mine to an industrial metal finisher long ago. No blasting of anything was done. The finish is smooth and still there after about 30 years. The gas tube included.

 

[Caimlas]

OK, none of that really answers my question. I realize I could order stuff online or have it sent away, but I don't want to due to the huge hastle/mess (and no, there are none of that kind of business around here - seriously).

What, if any, detrimental affects will it realistically have upon the finished product? Does anyone know, or is it just "Internet knowledge" or other 2nd hand knowledge? What is it about sand blasting that makes it so superior to sanding?

 

[Dustinthewind]

Caimlas,

I don't know a lot about parkerizing but I do know quite a bit about automotive refinishing. Sandblasting performs two tasks: removing existing finish, 2. preps surface for new finish. Sand is a courser material than beads. Bead blasting on a car can be performed without damaging chrome or other moldings, sand on the other hand will destroy these. Beads leave a much finer tooth in the metal for the finish to adhere to. Sanding the metal will accomplish the same task of putting teeth into the metal, however you might not get the same texture sanding as you would with blasting. After the surface has been prepped wipe the parts down with wax & grease remover or lacquer thinner. Be sure to wear rubber gloves to protect your skin from the solvent and to protect the parts from natural oils on the skin. Do not touch parts with bare hands after cleaning. IMHO I think the only difference that you would see, sanding vs. blasting, would be in texture.

 

[Dustinthewind]

double post

 

[Caimlas]

Dustin, thanks. That's what I suspected, but I could not find anything to confirm my suspicion.

 

[jeepmor]

Yep, surfae finish look is the difference you get. You can't get a beadblast texture w/o bead blasting. I've never seen a sanded parkerized finish. You could be onto something good here for a unique finish look.

 

[Caimlas]

I kind of anticipated such a possibility and mad sure my sanding was all in a uniform direction, just in case it looks fugly.

Won't have the chance to do the actual parkerizing for a while yet, though.

 

[35 Whelen]

No-blast Parkerizing

So, you have a Star BM pitted and in poor condition. What do you have to lose by Park-ing it without blasting? Try it! Having said that, I just finished home-Parkerizing an Ishapore 2A. I did blast the large parts with aluminum oxide ($15 for a cheap blast gun, $20 for a bucket of aluminum oxide, alreadt had the compressor, don't need no fancy cabinet....used a heavy, clear plastic bag to catch most of the grit). I did NOT blast any of the smaller parts. Here's the results:


Here's a shot of the rifle. The magazine and receiver/barrel WERE blasted, the trigger guard, trigger, bolt, and cocking knob were not.

To me, there's not enough difference between the blasted and unblasted parts to matter. The only reason I blasted some of the parts was to get rid of the last vestiges of the slathered on black paint.

Good luck!
35W

 

[usp_fan]

Blasting is used to remove any original finish. Parkerizing is a phosphating process that relies on the exchange of molecules, not on adhesion (think chemical reaction vs. paint). You don't need to bead blast. It is recommended because it produces an even surface finish that is ready for the phosphating process. Remember to prep your park solution with some oil free steel wool if it hasn't been used before. Otherwise you will get flocking (little white flakes that make a mess) in your solution when you do the gun. Also make sure to keep your temperature in zone recommended by the park solution manufacturer. Proper surface prep and proper temp are the keys to a good park job.

 

[Jim K]

If you bead or sand blast, you can get a very nice matte finish with plain tank blue. As for bead blasting being necessary for Parkerizing, it is not. I think some of that advice is based on the idea that if you are Parkerizing, it must be on a badly rusted military relic where you have to bead blast to get out all the rust and dirt. It just gives a rough looking finish that some people like, but a regular polished surface will give a smooth gray that IMHO is more appealing.

Jim

 

[rbernie]

Could you not put the pistol parts in a vibratory tumbler with some coarse grit material?

 

[Riss]

Really depends on how much grab you want the finish to have when you are done parkerizing it. It can be polished, like a blueing job, but for something in poor condition it would be best to blast it to even out any lumps and bumps. Will give the parkerized finish a nice even color. You do not want any rust marks showing through the parkerizing and discoloring the finish. If you are going to parkerize it and need more pointers let me know. I don't have the time to go into it now. Or you can serach for other parkerizing posts in this forum.