Aging a Helmet

[son of desertrat]

Hello

Ive recently(in the summer) redone a 80's era steel pot and made it look like a WWII one. I striped the paint off repainted it and corked it. But Ive tried several times to "age" it but cant find a good way to do it. I buried it for several weeks it went through the rain and heat of a Texas Summer but when i dug it up. Still looked the same. Also tried just leavening it outside... nothing and i rubbed dirt on it still nothing! So what are some easy cheap ways of ageing it and making it look good?

Thanks

Keenan

[capa]

Mud? Or as a last resort a splattering of diluted brown paint.

[son of desertrat]

Ive tried md i coated it them placed it out side in a pile of dirt and it just stayed on them i removed it and still. I havent tried hte brown paint though. I may givee it a try but how to you make the paint deluted?

Keeann

[capa]

I would use latex paint-try the "oops shelf" at home depot or lowes (you know in the paint section where they sell the mistake paint for cheap). if they don't have brown, buy a couple of colors that are dark and mix. you can then literally water it down. to get the splatter effect, hit the edge of the paint brush on the edge of something. post pics after you are done and good luck!

[m1ashooter]

Look at the weathering techniques the model builders use. One is a wash technigue and another is dry brushing.

[ColBob506]

If you can't take the time and wash out of it and cook in it and use it as a thunder mug,I would say to take a kerosene lamp,light it and turn it up till it smokes heavy black and hang the helmet over it,let the flames and smoke lick up over it.

Sparrow

[BOLO]

I used a cheap surplus foreign helmet shell for a aging / weathering test

 

I repainted it with a dark charcoal automotive primer to make it look like a naval helmet, then I used a bamboo pot scrubber and hit the shell numerous times to simulate nicks & scratches from use, then I tossed it around on the dirt and rubbed the sharp edges on the dirt to wear some paint off the edges

 

then I filled a spray bottle with salt water taken from the Pacific Ocean and misted the inside and out and wrapped the shell in a plastic bag and left it in my garage for 3 days or longer and kept checking on the progress of the rust and sprayed more sea water on it and wrapped it back up until it had the desired effect then I rinshed it off thoroughly with fresh water mixed with some soap and used an old dish sponge to wipe off the shell to neutralize the rusting

 

then I misted it with fresh water and coated it with dry dirt and let it bake out in the sun and left it outside in the weather for a couple of months to age the paint some more

 

the rust spots where bare metal was showing turned a nice dark brown almost black the same as old rust / patina and had the look of a salty naval shipboard used helmet, the paint even had some traces of rust on the surface

[son of desertrat]

BOLO: I did what you said you did. Right now it has the salt water on it. The areas that are bare metal are starting to rust.

capa: i did look but didnt find any small things of brown paint and wasnt sure what colors to mix

 

EVERYONE: Ive came up with another problem how do i age the chin straps? Im not exactly sure how or what to do to them.

Keenan

[Dirteater101]

I cooked out of mine using a vintage white gas stove. Wash off the excess...

 

Aging the chinstrap, use coffee and greasy, oily fingerprints......

[son of desertrat]

I cooked out of mine using a vintage white gas stove. Wash off the excess...

 

Aging the chinstrap, use coffee and greasy, oily fingerprints......

 

Just saw your post sorry for delay reply. I dont have a white gas stove, so any other way? And you just rub coffee into the chin straps?

Keenan

[son of desertrat]

Didnt have any wet coffee so i used a wet/used tea for it. It looks good so far.

ONE MORE question! How do i age the chin strap clips?

Keenan

[Dirteater101]

I usually spill the bottom of the pot sludge (how I drink my coffee) onto the cotton straps. or just soak them in a cup of cold coffee.

 

Clips? the leather liner chinstrap clips? Or the late war replacement clips for the web chinstrap? I usually do not bother with those. Suppose a few swipes with a crocis (metal abrasive) cloth would do.

[son of desertrat]

I usually spill the bottom of the pot sludge (how I drink my coffee) onto the cotton straps. or just soak them in a cup of cold coffee.

 

Clips? the leather liner chinstrap clips? Or the late war replacement clips for the web chinstrap? I usually do not bother with those. Suppose a few swipes with a crocis (metal abrasive) cloth would do.

 

 

AH isee what oyu mean by the coffee. By the clips i mean the chin strap clips that are on the helmet. The brass parts at te end that connect both sides. Not sure how to do that

Keeann

[son of desertrat]

This is what it looks like so far.

 

(I dont want an rants about haveing the insignia painted on it. I have it marked on the inside "NOT WWII" its not a WWII helmet either its a lates 70's-80's pot)

[M1Marksman]

I know the original poster of this thread was innocent enough to ask how to make a helmet look like it had been during wartime (nothing against Keenan), but doesn't all the advice help unscrupulous sellers like ezgreen fool the general public? I'm just leery of letting info out that will help them in the long run. Just my .02

[Dirteater101]

It dose not look to bad, the shell looks good, but yep, your right the straps look very new. Put the thing on with the straps in the "traveling" position(chinstrap clipped behind the shell) get your hands greasy and oily and take it off and put it on a few times... it helps with the aged look. I did that unintentionally and it looks very well worn..

 

Well unless someone is attempting to see if we are forging ww2 pots, usually the fresh smell of gun oil and white gas is a dead give away... Been years since I "cooked" mine, and the #$%^%$ still smells if you get close enough to it!

[Bugme]

I know the original poster of this thread was innocent enough to ask how to make a helmet look like it had been during wartime (nothing against Keenan), but doesn't all the advice help unscrupulous sellers like ezgreen fool the general public? I'm just leery of letting info out that will help them in the long run. Just my .02

 

Helmet fakers have already gone past these tricks in that they are very basic. However, I am concerned that we are doing nothing more than encouraging someone to take it to the next step and to try to make some easy green(pun intended) by becoming a faker. This is not what this forum was intended to be. It was meant for the historical discussions of legitimate items.

[son of desertrat]

For the record im not going to sell this. Im makeing it for personal use.

 

With the chinstraps would like soaking them in salt water work? Or would it be best to just try diffrent coffee mixtures?(like wet/dry cold hot etc)

THanks

Keeann

[Dirteater101]

Nothing looks worse than a combat troop with a bright, shiny, obviously repro. helmet..

 

Like most of the advice I give on firearms, it has the potential for "less than reputable" actions. As with most of the people on this forum, it will be for personal use and if sold it will be sold as a repro. However it is a good feeling turning down a $300 offer for my "original NCO jump pot" Almost broke his heart when I said it was a repro and was not for sale.....

 

 

As far as what to stain the chinstraps, wet is best. And do not forget the weapons oil fingerprints!!

 

As far as the markings, those will be the first to fade or attract crud... The well worn original para helmets I have seen always have very cruddy markings..I am not sure how much of that was "in service" grime or from 60+ years of age.. I really have to post pictures of my "late war" pot... It looks pretty rough...

[Robswashashore]

This is what it looks like so far.

 

(I dont want an rants about haveing the insignia painted on it. I have it marked on the inside "NOT WWII" its not a WWII helmet either its a lates 70's-80's pot)

 

 

Wow, Keenan, I think it looks gorgeous! :thumbsup:

 

Nice job!

[BOLO]

For the record im not going to sell this. Im makeing it for personal use.

 

With the chinstraps would like soaking them in salt water work? Or would it be best to just try diffrent coffee mixtures?(like wet/dry cold hot etc)

THanks

Keeann

 

spray salt water on the metal ardware on your chin straps and wrap a clear plastic sandwich bag over it with a rubber band and leave it for several days

 

another way to age brass is to bury the parts in some sand and pour some of your urine over it and after a few days it should oxidize and turn dark and also some green vertigris , this makes the brass look old like a dark patina from age.

 

you can leave the parts on the straps and just use a small container / cup and fill with sand bury the metal parts and pour a little urine over it every few days, also make sure you cut some drain holes on the bottom of the cup so the excess liquid can drain and also make sure to do this outdoors.

 

I know it sounds funny but this is a common trick Civil War guys do to age brass buttons or insignia

[son of desertrat]

Well I havent been working on it latly and i just did the other day. I got he chin straps aged and everything. THen i got bored and found out about the Late/post vietnam "low dome" helmets and that hte WWII liners wont fit in them properly. WEll turns out this is one of those. I think before i do another progect i should do a little reserch on the items...

Keenan :thumbdown:

[son of desertrat]

I also wanted to thank all of the peopel that helped me with this project.

Keenan

[ccmax]

The helmet is great just as it is. When I did a little bit of reenacting I wanted my stuff to look like it had been worn in the field, not like it was 70 years old and full of patina.

[1944]

I Tought that this forum is for only Original Military War Items to be talked about on descussions..

 

NOT for the intended to be able to Educate these Helmet Fakers and con-artists + Gansters trying to Screw

Honest Hard Working People for there Money that sell as Original Military which is not as described !

Not on about aging a Helmet thats how these guys are being Educated in Today world because its a Mine Field for them and there laughing...

 

not being funny but im sure these fakers can access this topic if they really wanted to its just my openion on the matter thats all no offence.