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RESTORING A M1 HELMET UPDATE


BILL THE PATCH
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The color looks good. What paint did you use? You have the right idea on the cork. This is not to be critical, but the pieces you used are too big. When I cork my helmets I used fine grain model railroad ballast. It is just fine ground up cork. I then take some sand paper to in to flatten some of the Sharp edges and knock off loose pieces before I apply a final coat of paint.

 

 

 

I used an original helmet as a guide.

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BILL THE PATCH
The color looks good. What paint did you use? You have the right idea on the cork. This is not to be critical, but the pieces you used are too big. When I cork my helmets I used fine grain model railroad ballast. It is just fine ground up cork. I then take some sand paper to in to flatten some of the Sharp edges and knock off loose pieces before I apply a final coat of paint.

 

 

 

I used an original helmet as a guide.

I USE CORK BOUGHT RIGHT FROM J MURRAY INC, THEY SPECIALIZE IN RESTORING WW2 HELMETS. I DID NOT USE SAND PAPER AS OF YET CAN YOU SHOOT ME A PIC OF A WW2 ORIGINAL PAINT JOB WITH CLOSEUP'S. THAT WOULD BE A GREAT HELP.

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Hey Bill,

Do what I did, go to Wal-Mart, in housewares get a cheese gratter that has the small holes,then right around there

close by should be a small plastic package with 6,I think called, wine bottle corks,then hunt up the salt shakers and grab one of those. Then go over to hardware and get a can of the Krylon Camo green. All of this together might

cost you $20 bucks. When you get it home start gratting the corks over a piece of newspaper. You'll be surprised

just how much cork will be produced from just one of those corks. Put the cork in the shaker, spray the helmet

and start sprinkling the cork. By going this route you won't have to worry about using up all your J Murray cork

and you can really start putting it on thick. You'll need it on thick account some will come off when you do the

sanding. I used a fine grit, I can't remember just how fine and I don't have any left that I can go and check. Others

might have some ideas but this worked for me.

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Bill...the cork needs to be in with rather than on the paint, if that makes sense? I used the correct OD paint and cork supplied by a British company. The paint is brush-applied, not sprayed. Because it's a thick-ish liquid, the cork is mixed in with it before painting. Then, a second coat of just paint is added over the paint-cork mixture which seals it in. Finally, it's oven-baked for about 15 mins to harden/cure it. It's not as easy to achieve the correct effect as it seems, as you've no doubt found!?

 

Ian :thumbsup:

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BILL THE PATCH

i did use a old spice plastic bottle, ( not the smelly stuff) i bought a correct od green paint striaght from murray. i think i should sand the paint a little without taking to much off is that right?. when i get home i will apply some more cork. then sand a little then bake until done ( 15 mins) right? still would like to see a pic of a unissued ww2 helmet with closeups if anyone can help with that. i would like a refrence pic to go by. thnaks for all the postive comments and replies

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I've got a couple of mint WW2 M1s which I'd be happy to photograph for you..unless another forum-er gets in first!

 

Ian ;)

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i did use a old spice plastic bottle, ( not the smelly stuff) i bought a correct od green paint striaght from murray. i think i should sand the paint a little without taking to much off is that right?. when i get home i will apply some more cork. then sand a little then bake until done ( 15 mins) right? still would like to see a pic of a unissued ww2 helmet with closeups if anyone can help with that. i would like a refrence pic to go by. thnaks for all the postive comments and replies

 

 

What do you mean by bake?

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BILL THE PATCH
What do you mean by bake?

one response to this post was to bake in over for 15 min to cure faster. that's the first time i ever heard that.

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Here you go Bill. This is a close up of an unissued WW2 M1...should give you an idea of the grain and distribution of the cork.

 

 

 

post-8022-1286827355.jpg

 

 

Ian :thumbsup:

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What do you mean by bake?

 

 

The recommended method of the company from whom I obtained the cork/paint was that, on completion of the paint job, the shell should be baked in a low oven for about 15 minutes. This serves to harden/cure the paint and produces a more resiliant finish. It works.

 

Sabrejet

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The recommended method of the company from whom I obtained the cork/paint was that, on completion of the paint job, the shell should be baked in a low oven for about 15 minutes. This serves to harden/cure the paint and produces a more resiliant finish. It works.

 

Sabrejet

 

 

When you say low, what is the suggested temp?

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I'm don't mean to rain on any parades but I would get some opinions before putting a helmet in the family oven.

I've read in other threads about possible flame ups and also leaving a paint smell in the oven. I think somewhere

on At The Fronts website it's discussed and if not there it's around somewhere because I remember reading it and

they were discussing that a regular oven is not made for attaining the heat that needs to be applied to a steel helmet.

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It probably has to do with the way that it was applied. If I spray painted a helmet, I probably wouldn't want to put it in the oven. But in a brush on application, I would assume there would be less of an issue with combustion or paint smell.

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