Blackout treatment for SKS sling

[Bubba Yugga]

I'm doing a restoration on a BBQ butchered SKS, and have decided to go with a "blackout" motif.
I've successfully blued the bolt, bolt carrier, and bayonet, and the whole thing looks pretty good with a linseed oiled stock.
What I'd like to do is to fully black out the original sling.
Dying the canvas is easy enough, but the metal work is frustrating me.
It's some kind of white metal that blackens under gun blue, but goes bright white with the steel wool.
Does anyone have a good way to blacken the metal?

 

[gallen270]

Epoxied based paint or cerekoted type finish.

 

[Bubba Yugga]

I kinda like the idea of epoxy paint. I just wonder what would be a good prep to help adhesion.
Acid of some sort?
Or would my bluing attempts have helped that way?

 

[Hightrailtracker]

 

[Bubba Yugga]

What with all the controversy about puke bucket lately, you have any suggestions?
I'm a bit of a Luddite with that stuff, so advice on the simplest and easiest photo posting would be welcome.

 

[Butcherbill]

I kinda like the idea of epoxy paint. I just wonder what would be a good prep to help adhesion.
Acid of some sort?
Or would my bluing attempts have helped that way?

Degrease it with alcohol or lacquer thinner, give it a good scuff with sandpaper or wire wheel and prime and paint. Let paint cure and harder.

 

[Bubba Yugga]

Sounds good. I'll have to be pretty careful with the scotchbrite and sandpaper so not to wreck the webbing fibres.

 

[Steiner]

Or another option might be the black slings that come with the VZ58 rifles? It's nylon though.

 

[Bubba Yugga]

I already have a Magpul MS3 on another SKS with an Archangel stock, and have considered that.
However, I'd like to toy with sticking to the original hardware for this exercise.
So yeah, I guess I'm challenging myself here a bit.

 

[Bubba Yugga]

Oh yeah Steiner, as long as you are on this Stalin thing, consider this:
"Dark humour is like food, not everyone gets it."

 

[Butcherbill]

Sounds good. I'll have to be pretty careful with the scotchbrite and sandpaper so not to wreck the webbing fibres.

Wrap the webbing in a good painters tape, the blue 3m is really good. Then you won't get any paint on it as well.

 

[Bubba Yugga]

Well, I dyed the sling. Looks real nice.
Then I did something. I parked my engineer's brain and plugged in my farmer's noggin.
The little leather loop and all the metalwork got hit with a big fat Sharpie marker.
Actually looks pretty good!
And easy to touch up, what with a marker always in my range bag anyway...

 

[EL34/6L6]

I would have just picked up a black SKS/AK sling from site sponsor Col. Mustard...

https://colonelmustard.ca/products/vism-ak-sks-sling-black

 

[Bubba Yugga]

I would have just picked up a black SKS/AK sling from site sponsor Col. Mustard...

https://colonelmustard.ca/products/vism-ak-sks-sling-black

Chinese knockoff?
Nyet, rifle is fine.

 

[EL34/6L6]

Chinese knockoff?
Nyet, rifle is fine.

Yes, but don't fret. There is nothing you will do with that rifle in today's world that will warrant the durability of an overbuilt military issue sling. Plus, it sounds like you're more concerned with aesthetics than durability. You know, what with the sharpie and all...

 

[Bubba Yugga]

I could always wash off the Sharpie at a later date, and do something better.
I guess I just ran out of patience and said "here, it's done".
I'll just add this to my winter projects list and get some epoxy paint in the fall.

 

[rebelent]

Black Chinese sling ali express

 

[Bubba Yugga]

Anyways, the Sharpie approach is a total disaster.
Looks like absolute crap getting scraped away every where it's touched.
I'll have to get something more durable onto that metal, whatever the frig it is.

 

[Butcherbill]

That my friend will be rust paint, enamel of some sort. I'd try tremclad or rustoleum, oil based preferably.