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Oops I broke it...


LTGSANCHEZ
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Despite our best efforts to preserve history (and our collections) we've probably all at one time or another contributed to the wear and tear of the elements. Feel free to show/share your own oops stories here. Below are two of my pieces, which I've accidently lowered the value of...

 

First: A nice pair of double buckle boots, which I attempted to put on a mannequin and, well the sticthing on one buckle didn't hold so well, you'll see...

 

oops001.jpg

 

Second: My own first hand account of why they adopted the swivel bales...

 

oops002.jpg

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Nothin a little 100 mph tape, 550 cord, and some super glue cant fix ;)

 

J/K it is a bummer you did that but it happens to everyone at some time or another.

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I am ashamed to show my 'oops'... I tore a jump boot next to the seam trying to get it off a mannequins foot. 5inch tear, and nothing I can do about it. I still have these boots, but I try to keep them out of my sight, because I cringe when I look at them.

 

Having girlfriends also helps to create 'oopses'. Gf dropped an LT M1 wich caused a shallow dent and a scuff mark + a hole in a mint unissued HBT jacket. That got caught between the arm and torso and that took a bite in the fabric.

 

Gravity once helped to tip over a mannequin, wich was dressed with a helmet. The helmet dropped right at the point where the chinstrap turns over the brim. I cut it in half clean.

 

Thats about it. I hope it stays that way...sigh...

 

By the way Sanchez, I can repair that buckle on your boot without you ever knowing it was repaired.

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I might get to fixing the boot someday for a project with a little help from the wife. Anyone have any thoughts on repairing the fixed bail? Welding involved I would assume?

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luckily my only oops was snapping the stabilizing pin on the back of an AAF cadet cap badge. not sure how I did it, but somehow I did...

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I might get to fixing the boot someday for a project with a little help from the wife. Anyone have any thoughts on repairing the fixed bail? Welding involved I would assume?

 

could use solder for display purposes as long as you don't plan to use the thing

 

they make a clay-like substance that heats up when exposed to, I believe, water, and hardens. I used it to patch a small hole in the muffler of my 89 Jeep Cherokee a few years ago. Worked well, but I can't remember what it's called, like a clay welder...

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I've got two of these nightmares. The first was a fixed bail helmet also, it was bent a little and I was going to bring it back to it's pre-bent position. The outcome looked strikingly similar to your picture. Of course men don't cry, we just stare in disbelief while we beat the helmet against our forehead!

 

The other case occurred when an over anxious mid-teenage son of a good friend of mine grabbed what he considered a really cool original PTO marked medic helmet with fragile Hawley liner and threw it on is head. This action caused an equal and opposite reaction to the liner. It ripped out one of the corroded nape strap snaps. His dad is also a collector and his response to his son made my urge to inflict harm upon him unnecessary. Now, when visitors come and look at the collection, there is a: "hands stay in the pockets" order given.

 

As for the broken bail, if your just keeping it as a display I have found(previously mentioned experience) that a product called "JB Weld" works for reattachment. It's a two part epoxy that works quite well and is nearly as strong as welding. Most hardware stores carry it. Obviously this won't be as good as welding it but, there is no destruction to the outer paint such as you would experience by spot welding it back on. After the "JB Weld" cures you can touch it up with a little OD and it's back on it's display shelf. However, putting any heavy stress on it would be out of the question. Your other option, contrary to what some guys on this forum would agree with, would be to send it to one of the helmet reproduction guys. They have the equipment and the know-how to fix it.

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My worst US militaria "oops" have been that random moth nip..... "Wait a second, that moth nip wasn't there when I bought the uniform!!!" Ouch! pinch.gif

 

Another was a nice general officer's white uniform that was BADLY yellowed. I soaked it in oxy clean to get it white (which it did) but once it dried, the wool shrunk and the lining stayed the same size.........ouch!

 

Dave

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Well if everyone breaks their fixed bail mine is sky rocketting in value! Man that sucks about the helmets fellows! I am lucky enough to have picked up my fixed bail in super shape for 50 bucks!

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Nice subject:)

I had two maybe not too big Oops Situation but...

 

One time I changed my lenses in goggle from clear on green and after 3 days one glass was broken:( I dont know Why.. all time goggle had been is case...

 

And second time I decied to put off my A14 oxygen mask from helmet... I did'nt use any screwdriver and pull strap away... "Bung" and snap was broken:((( for luck this part is easy to replace:) Since this time Im carefull with any type of stuff:)

post-369-1196011775.jpg

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a product called "JB Weld" works for reattachment. It's a two part epoxy that works quite well and is nearly as strong as welding. Most hardware stores carry it. Obviously this won't be as good as welding it but, there is no destruction to the outer paint such as you would experience by spot welding it back on. After the "JB Weld" cures you can touch it up with a little OD and it's back on it's display shelf. However, putting any heavy stress on it would be out of the question.

 

If you do a good job of cleaning the spots where the metal attaches, JB Weld can hold about as good as an original connection and remember it was heavy stress on the original weld that broke in the first place. I just broke a bail two days ago so I'll be getting JB Weld next trip to the hardware store.

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Lets talk uniforms for a minute....

 

When living in Hawaii, I bid on and won a Vietnam era 18th MP felt armband. It had a wonderful in country made patch on it, black felt shoulder high back ground and felt white letters. When I received it in the mail it was whole and complete. Being a less than skilled conservator of historic goods, I stuffed it back into its padded envelope and left it on my desk.

 

About 2 months later, I decided to pull it out and look at it again. The damn thing was ALIVE! I had larvae of all kind just wiggling all over the place and having a good time. I immediately took it out to a sun exposed concrete pad in the back yard and used every method I could think of to rid the little beasts. But it was too late... my formerly pristine armband now looked like a shotgun had hit it. (Hey, maybe I could have sold it as combat damaged! LOL!) I sold it to another collector for the value of the 18th MP patch... it still displayed OK in a frame, but not when you opened it up. That is about the time I decided to stop collecting wool items in Hawaii.

 

Another great OOPS occured over there as well. I had won a very nice Jungle Fatigue jacket with all kinds of nice unit patches and qualification badges. It was poplin and heavily starched. It was also kind of musty, and that is a bad thing to allow in a tropical climate. So I popped it into our industrial strength GE family washing machine and ran it on perma press. Did I mention that it was heavily starched? This was the day that I learned what "ripstop" or the lack of it meant. When I pulled it out, the garment had ripped right down the center of the back, at least a good 10 inches.

 

Fortunately the front was undamaged. I carefully pulled the garment back together and applied gray iron on patches on the inside. It saved it from further destruction.

 

I later developed techniques for removing the starch from fatigues (it may look nice, but for long time preservation, it breaks down the fibers of the clothing item) and published these in the AAMUC Footlocker. That was, of course, after having a good long cry after nearly destroying a really nice historical item. LOL! Live and Learn!

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