hey all, i got a buddy with an old blued steel pistol than he wants to have parkerized. parkerizing is easy but we'd have to have a guy in a local shop do the bead blasting. i was just curious, do i need to COMPELTELY take down the pistol, so there is absolutely nothing in the slide or frame, or can i simply remove the slide, take out the barrel and do the frame and slide like that? thanks!
bead blasting
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Ned to take it down completely, springs, pins, whatever parts there are, all out, at least for the Parkerizing, and I'd suggest for the bead-blasting as well. My first active duty assignment newarly 45 years ago now was to an Army Maintenance Plant in Germany. It had a small arms shop that did complete refurbishment and refinishing on small arms, and the lads who ran the Parkerizing line were pretty intent on getting all guns completely disassembled and degreased before they went into their tanks.
cool, thanks for the info. so as far as bead blasting, we should only have the guy do the slide and frame, right? nothing else should be blasted? (well aside from the hammer, safety, etc). i have parkerized a slide before a friend, super easy, but he didn't have me do the smaller parts, shouldn't the hammer and all that junk also be bead blasted and parkerized? appreciate the help
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Depends on what you want to do in terms of appearance, and probably what gun you are working on. US-spec arms with exposed hammers normally Parked them by the time I was in, and most other parts as well. NOT springs. Need to be careful bead-blasting (depending to a degree on the media selected for the degree of care required) surfaces that engage others (sears, hammer notches, things like that). Common sense and thought will pretty well tell you what you need to blast, and what you don't.
yeah hes actually doing it on a star model b. im guessing its probably safest to remove everything, have him do the external parts such as the slide, frame, hammer, safety, slide stop, etc, and then just reassemble it. but i don't know, maybe im wrong
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Yes, needs to be fully and completely dismantled. You will be amazed, if you don't, at how many places air driven bead can get into that you didn't point it at.
I do a large ammount of plastic bead blast @ work (paint removal on Aluminum mostly), and a little glass bead (corrosion removal on Al. & Steel).
I do a large ammount of plastic bead blast @ work (paint removal on Aluminum mostly), and a little glass bead (corrosion removal on Al. & Steel).
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Also, you need to either not park the barrel at all or plug the bore. You DO NOT allow parking solution inside the bore.
Don't bead blast the springs, and keep the bead blast away from the frame and slide rails and areas like the hammer notches and the sear and disconnecter, etc. Bead blasting can alter the size and fit of critical areas.
Don't bead blast the springs, and keep the bead blast away from the frame and slide rails and areas like the hammer notches and the sear and disconnecter, etc. Bead blasting can alter the size and fit of critical areas.
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Ditto on what the experts are telling you. Both bead blasting and parkerizing eat up the metal, and park isn't real hard and only prevents rust if you keep it greased.
well, for one i live in colorado where these is very little humidity. and the park finish at least looks nice and keeps it from having minor problems. my SA 1911 is parkerized and hasn't gotten a single mark on it in 2 years. my buddy just wants a quick and easy fix to make it look nice. right now the blued steel is all messed up.
i hate to keep beating a dead horse here, but i am going to take it in in a week and want to be sure i don't damage my friends firearm. is the consensus that i should remove absolutely everything, take in the external parts such as the slide, frame, hammer, safety, etc, and then should i plug all the holes with rolled up paper or tape to ensure it doesn't mess up how things fit together afterwards? also, the inside of these parts needs to be blasted as well, correct?
again, sorry for the noob questions, i just want to be sure i get it right the first time around
again, sorry for the noob questions, i just want to be sure i get it right the first time around
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Any surface that you want the parkerizing to take on must be finish free,oil, grease and dirt free, (usually bead blasted), then rinsed in fresh water by your professional before immediately putting them into the tank.
I have parkerized alot of complete weapons, internal fit and tolerances are usually not affected, however no springs, barrel bores or firing pins.
So I would tell you to disasemble completely, take what you want parked, but forego plugging or masking anything other than tight cork or wood plugs if parking a barrel.
Oh, if you can, stick around and watch, once dipped the process for individual parts takes only a few minutes, your man will pull them, wash them in fresh water, hand or blow dry then oil them down.
In fact we can park and assemble a 1919 in a few hours......drinking beer,LOL!!
im actually only going to have the professional bead blast it cause he will do it for $20, but i have another friend who is going to parkerize it with a home kit, hes done it on a few before and said its very easy. i am mostly just concerned with the bead blasting, making sure i get the right stuff blasted without damaging it in any way
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