wwii axis reenactment forum

Hi guys,

This is my first post here, even jointed for years. I am always have a passion to overhaul a relic helmet, but need a strong relic shell and must in my size, finally won a relic M40 size 64 (my size is 66) shell from Riga Latvia from ebay for only $41 with $37 postage.
Spent a week to remove the rust by vinegar, as never try electrolysis or citric acid before.
Removed the loose rust by wire brush and soak in baking soda to naturalized the acid, filled the dents by auto filler and putty when dried and polish to smooth by sand paper.
Repeat this process many time after spray a matt color coat to detect the defects.
Took around three weeks to reached the perfect smooth, then spray the final color coat. Tamiya spray AS24 Luftwaffe Dark Green.
Applied the decals from John Brantley of Military Helmet Decals, and sealed by Mr. Hobby Mr. Super Clear Flat.
Split pins, liner and chin strip are from Czech.
So here it is, but never again, my finger tips got infection and took three months to heal.

Hell of a job , well done - thanks for posting !

impressive makeover. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks guys, there was a 66 shell available lately but not again I think.

Nicely restored to factory finish, how did you get the infection by the way, from the vinegar ?
maybe next time get the rust off with shot blasting, it might be safer
Peiper

Best way I've found to remove rust is a molasses bath (black treacle for UK folk)

It's a widely used common/traditional method that costs next to nothing in terms of outlay and even less in terms of elbow grease & sheets of sandpaper.

I'm about to do a similar project, but almost a reverse of the OP, as I'm rebuilding a Hungarian helmet shell back to WW2 Finnish specification.
All the kosher Finnish helmets being destroyed on the other thread has had my toes curling! (Though I can see the logic/savings behind such conversions)

That's new to me.

Will try molasses bath next time, and just searched and found some YouTube clips to adopting this method and works well.

What affected my fingers was actually my patient, I was lack of patient to wait for the rust removing in the vinegar bath, checking it every few hours, and remove the loose piece by wire brush.

Thank again.

how far would you be able to get with a 400ml spray can? Would it only do several coats of one helmet?

redsun wrote:how far would you be able to get with a 400ml spray can? Would it only do several coats of one helmet?

I sprayed 4 helmets (each with 3-4 layers) with 300 ml. 400 ml will be surely enough for 2 helmets.

I've got a helmet that I need to co a tidy up job with but the inside is painted black and the outside painted dunkelgelb. I noticed you painted the same colour inside and out. Should I paint mine all the same colour inside and out or do it black inside and grey outside?