HELMET RESTORED

[BILL THE PATCH]

THIS IS RESTRIPPED AND REPAINTED AGAIN WITH CORK. I FOLLOWED ADVICE FROM FORUM MEMBERS. I THINK I GOT IT, I'M NOT OVERJOYED WITH IT BUT I THINK I'M GETTING BETTER. WELL I'LL LET YOU GUYS DECIDE. IT'S NOT AS EASY AS YOU MIGHT THINK.

[BILL THE PATCH]

[BILL THE PATCH]

[BILL THE PATCH]

[BILL THE PATCH]

I STILL THINK MY CORK IS TO LARGE, I SPOKE TO THE MAN WHO I GET IT FROM AND SAYS THAT'S WHAT HE'S GOT AND NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS. I THINK I NEED TO GET THE CORK SMALLER WHAT DO YOU THINK?

[ww2_1943]

 

 

 

 

Here are some good pics of the first helmet I did. The biggest problem is the brush strokes are visible

[ww2_1943]

Here is a quick run down on how I painted my helmet. I bought this helmet from At The Front many years ago. The paint was chipping and the texture was done with sand instead of cork. I striped it down to bare metal using Citra-strip and a scraper. It worked rather well and can be done indoors with little ventilation.

 

1. Bought “fine model railroad cork ballast” from a local hobby shop.

2. I mixed some ballast with Rustoleum metal primer.

3. I applied the primer/cork mixture with a medium sized paint brush. I let it dry overnight.

4. I knocked off some lose pieces and sprayed with At The Front helmet paint and let dry overnight.

5. I hit the cork lightly with some fine sandpaper and knocked off any lose pieces. I then hit the helmet with some more ATF paint.

 

I have two front seam “S” helmets that I want to strip and paint. They have post war paint and no cork. This time I won’t use primer, as it wasn’t used originally. I may just have some OD paint mixed to the ATF paint color and mix my cork with that. I would use greater care not to leave brush marks. A stipple technique is needed working on small areas. I would then do steps 4-5 as before.

The other way I am considering doing this is hitting the helmet in sections with the ATF paint and using a shaker or sifter to apply the cork then complete steps 4-5.

[m1ashooter]

Looks great.

[jon prince]

The best results I've been able to get is by mixing the texture into the paint and then applying it to the clean, dry, unprimed helmet using a stippling motion on a small area at a time, moving any excess cork/paint around as you apply it. As long as you don't overwork an area and the paint isn't too thick then you can get a good even covering and no obvious brush-strokes. The same goes for applying paint by itself for a smooth finish, stippling seems to give better results than brushing, though I do tend to get bored about halfway up a helmet :ermm: I put the shell on a foam display head and work from the rim of the helmet around and up until I reach the top, then you just need to resist tinkering/touching up whilst it's still wet and let it dry. And as with any painting, time spent on good preparation is rarely time wasted :thumbsup:

[Chunky Monkey]

by means no expert but I like it Bill!

[knight39]

whats the best way to replace the chin strap? just machine sew or pull and reweld the bales

[knight39]

 

 

Here are some good pics of the first helmet I did. The biggest problem is the brush strokes are visible

 

Hit it with 2-3 coats of od from a spray gun or can after u cork it. should get rid of ur brush strokes

[shevy]

I found that the cork needs to be very fine almost like a dust. I have pictures of a helmet that I did under the Reenacting Groups & Repo Gear forum. My post is "M-1 Helmet Re-Cork" It took me several tries to get the technique down