Easy methods to Parkerize Bike Elements ~ Driving Classic

When you’ve ever seemed carefully on the fasteners on an outdated Harley-Davidson, you will have seen that lots of them are darkish gray or black in shade.  This isn’t the results of age or weathering, however was purposely performed on the manufacturing facility to stop the corrosion of metal elements.  The method is called parkerizing and for the chemists on the market, it’s an electrochemical phosphate conversion course of utilizing both a zinc or manganese base.  Despite the fact that that will sound advanced, the precise course of is reasonable and simple to carry out at residence which just some provides.  Most of which you’ll decide up at your native Walmart.

Step one within the course of is to scrub the elements you wish to parkerize it is vitally essential that the floor is freed from grime and oil.  I used a two step course of beginning with blasting the elements with glass beads adopted by a wash down with lacquer thinner.  As soon as the elements had been cleaned, I put them within the oven at 200 levels to dry and heat up earlier than parkerizing.

Whereas the elements had been warming within the oven, I blended the parkerizing resolution with distilled water within the inventory pot.  Ensure you add the parkerizing resolution first after which pour within the distilled water second.  The instructions name for one gallon of distilled water per 14 oz of parkerizing resolution.  Because the parkerizing resolution got here in a 16 oz bottle, I discovered it simpler to combine your complete contents of the bottle with  146 oz of distilled water.

Subsequent warmth the answer to 195 levels utilizing the recent plate.  By the point the answer reaches 195 levels, your elements can have reached the same temperature within the oven.  Utilizing the chrome steel wire, droop the elements separately within the resolution. 

 The elements will start to bubble as quickly as they’re submersed and can proceed to take action till the method is accomplished.  I largely did small elements, so the method solely took a couple of minutes for every half.  When the effervescent is full, take away the half and rinse with distilled water.

Now you have got a couple of selections.  The primary is to impregnate the elements with oil by submersing them in an oil bathtub.  That is the commonest apply and what I did.  In order for you your elements to be actually darkish, you can too go proper from the distilled water rinse to a dip in a black oxide resolution.  Portray the elements is a 3rd possibility, however be sure to skip the oiling in the event you plan to go this route.

Here is the outcomes after simply being pulled out of the oil bathtub.  General I would say the elements usually are not fairly as darkish as what you’d count on from knowledgeable parkerizing job, however contemplating the entire course of took lower than an hour, I figured it was value a attempt.  Plus the parkerizing resolution is reuseable, so I can at all times give the elements one other dip in the event that they begin to rust.