Heer Restored helmet, and a few tips

[volkssturm]

First I want to apologize for the topic posted before with a similar title; I just left the computer alone for a few hours and a funny person modified and posted it.

A few weeks ago after thinking a lot I decided to purchase a german m40 helmet of the smalest size; it had a post-war dark green painting and the sign of having decals (in a wrong position by the way); I been informing myself of how to take of that painting and decided to do it.

1st I tryed with a gel paint remover, but then I decided to use liquid thinner; personally I got better results with this one, but as I live in a corner of the world with few products to choose I don?t know the performance of the brands you use in europe or in the states. Just in case that all products behave the same way I?m going to post some advises about my 1st experiences with the gel paint remover.

1) Treatthe helmet carefully and use something soft (as all the rags at home are hard I used and old and sweet cotton t-shirt) when appliying the paint remover.

2) After use, seal it tight and avoid shaking it or moving constantly. (why? better answered at 3)

3) Just in case, use clothes. I was wearing just a short, sat down, placed that can upon my knees and as soon as I opened it, the cap blew up spraying that paint remover all over my body, parts of my neck and face , it burns and if you don?t wash it quickly it will leave a nice red mark.

As told before, I don?t know if the products that people use in other countries behave like this, but just in case I wanted to warn about it.

I don?t know if I?m guilty of a crime , but the sticky place in where the decals where the paint fade off completely, if somebody can tell me about that, please tell me, even if I made something wrong I want to avoid that happens again.

Also, all metal get rust with the time and a way of protecting it is by painting, I don?t know if it would be good to paint the parts where paint fade off or leave it how they are.

Now, the pics...

[volkssturm]

the other side and a close view of the place where paint fade off, you can see 2 different paints and then no paint

[volkssturm]

front view

[volkssturm]

rear

[volkssturm]

and down part.

Information: made by Quist, serial number 3173, I don?t remember the size number, but it is the smallest one, in this pic you can see it like a kind of brown or sand color; of course it will never be the same to look something in pictures than in real life.

Anything you think, critics, opinions, advises etc. you can tell me.

Cheers....

[Chris Pittman]

This appears to be a helmet that was post-war reworked by the Norwegians. The traces of decals that you saw were likely Norwegian decals. I think the best thing you could do now would be to remove all the paint, then repaint the helmet with a correct color.

Chris

and down part.

Information: made by Quist, serial number 3173, I don?t remember the size number, but it is the smallest one, in this pic you can see it like a kind of brown or sand color; of course it will never be the same to look something in pictures than in real life.

Anything you think, critics, opinions, advises etc. you can tell me.

Cheers....

[volkssturm]

Hi Chris, thanks for answering

I thought the norwegians used to paint them in yellow instead of sand or brown; and if that is the case of this helmet why should they remove the old paint? about corret colors, wich color would be that?

[Paul R]

Looks like there could be LW blue paint below the green!

[Chris Pittman]

Here is some information on Norwegian reworked German helmets:

http://www.nyc-techwriters.com/militaria/n...ian_helmets.htm

I have seen these in different colors ranging from a light green to a greenish brown. The reddish color of the liner and chinstrap also makes me think this is an original German helmet that saw service in Norway after the war. This is just what I am seeing on my monitor, perhaps I would have a different opinion if I saw your helmet in person.

Chris

[volkssturm]

below the green I saw a color like sand or brown, and under ir pure shiny aluminium color. would be possible that they removed all the paint just to repaint it? :(

[volkssturm]

Nice page; I would like to know more about those decals and the position they where applied. I was looking and saw this page too http://hem.bredband.net/runmat2/no_helm.ht...an_industrivern sorry I don?t have a foto of before, but the decals where a bit squared than the ones I saw; but also I saw a picture of a norwegian helmet with the decals in that position too, not by the side but a bit in front

[volkssturm]

here comes a picture of the inside, in another part inside the liner is can bareley seen a number 7 or a z but it didn?t came out in the picture