Sabrejet Posted February 13, 2015 Share #1 Posted February 13, 2015 A few months ago I posted a WW2 "Chaplain's jump-helmet". It featured a marked and battle-damaged shell of US origin, complete with airborne chinstraps. Its liner was complete with added male snaps but was actually of Belgian origin. It certainly looked the part except that it lacked its "A" straps. I happened to have a spare set in my bits-box so I decided to fit them to enhance the appearance of the helmet purely for display purposes. To this end, I acquired some appropriate rivets and triangular washers which are necessary for such a modification. WW2 "A" straps were sandwiched between the standard liner webbing cradle at two points on each side. In order to replicate this, the existing rivets and washers needed to be punched out to allow for the fitting of the new parts. During this process I discovered that the Belgian liner, although essentially identical to a late-war US production liner, had slightly different tolerances...nothing major, just a mm or two here and there which I made due allowances for. In order to set the rivets, a special punch is necessary. It's not terribly easy to use because there's not a lot of space within the confines of the liner in order to strike it firmly with a hammer. Fortunately, I had more than I needed, so I could afford to "lose" a few! With a little patience it worked out fine. With a net and chin-cup added it certainly looks the part ( IMHO) and displays well up on my shelf among the other lids....until such time as I find an original WW2 marked Chaplain's jump-lid!! (Dream on baby!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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ghost Posted February 13, 2015 Share #22 Posted February 13, 2015 Excellent job Ian! Thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m151mp Posted February 13, 2015 Share #23 Posted February 13, 2015 ian, there is a tool i own, from my days in the glass trade, that would probably work very well for setting rivets in this area. it was originally intended for use in setting the shoulder rivets that were used as pivot points on the wing windows in cars that were made many years ago. you might be able to find such a tool in the UK, and it might be worth the effort to make this work easier in future efforts. if you think it would be helpful, let me know and i'll send you a pic after i dig it out of the old stuff tool box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share #24 Posted February 13, 2015 ian, there is a tool i own, from my days in the glass trade, that would probably work very well for setting rivets in this area. it was originally intended for use in setting the shoulder rivets that were used as pivot points on the wing windows in cars that were made many years ago. you might be able to find such a tool in the UK, and it might be worth the effort to make this work easier in future efforts. if you think it would be helpful, let me know and i'll send you a pic after i dig it out of the old stuff tool box. Thanks Ron. I'll bear that in mind....though I don't plan to go into mass-production just yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share #25 Posted February 13, 2015 Excellent job Ian! Thanks for sharing You're welcome...and thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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