Does my Helmet look OK to you?

[Jessie The Jeep]

Lynne bought loads of stuff at Ursel to do a Nurses outfit, but she was unsure about getting a steel helmet because of the weight. She tried one on, but said there was no way she could wear one for more than a few minutes. I told her she should buy it anyway as it had all the internals, and I had a cunning plan! Here's the one we bought.

 

Having been a model maker all my life, bar about the first four years, I figured I could make a lightweight fibreglass copy of the helmet using the original as a mould.

 

First stage was to coat the steel helmet with release wax, polished on and off with a cloth. After that, I brushed on two coats of PVA woodworking glue to form a barrier which would prevent the polyester resin from sticking to the steel. Once that was dry and hardened off, I was ready to start laying up the GRP.

 

Polyester car body filler was then mixed with resin to create a paste gel coat. This would be thick enough to be applied to the helmet on the curved surface without draining away under its own weight before it cured. Once it cured to the 'Green' stage, I started adding strips of fibreglass mat, with more resin to bond it to the gel coat.

 

When the resin had fully cured on the matted layer, the excess resin and mat was trimmed back to the edge of the steel helmet. With the trimming complete, it was time to prize the GRP off the steel. This was done with 12 x 1 inch strips of 1mm thick styrene, forced between the GRP and the steel. Gradually working around the helmet, forcing the strips in released the friction grip the resin had over the steel helmet, and after about 30 minutes, off popped my basic GRP shaped helmet.

 

I now had a smooth inside to the helmet, but a bit of a fragile edge. The inside edge of the GPR helmet was then reinforced with Carbon 'Tows', attached with more polyester resin. These can be seen in the picture below.

 

The outside of the helmet was of course still rough GRP, so all the high spots were sanded down and low areas filled with car body filler. This was then sanded to a smooth finish.

 

Once smooth, it was sprayed with filler primer to check the finish, and once happy, two layers of masking tape were layed around the rim, about 3/16 inch from the edge of the helmet. This left a ridge up against I would apply more body filler. This filler was then sanded down to the level of the masking tape, and once the tape was removed, I was left with the simulated rim of the helmet.

 

The helmet was sprayed again with grey primer, and the seam added to the rim with a sharp knife cutting into the filler.

 

With that done, the helmet was given a base coat of olive drab to see how it all looked.

 

Once the base coat was dry, a second wetter coat was added, and while wet, the helmet was sprinkled with fine ground cork to create the rough texture. Before the first wet coat dried, another coat of paint was added to seal the cork into the paint surface. With that dry, a light rub over with my hand removed any excess large cork chunks.

 

Then it was just a matter of hand painting the markings on the outside.

 

I bought some reproduction straps from Ebay, so all I need to do now is make the attachments before I can then fit them to the helmet!

 

End result, a pretty good copy, which weighs a fraction of the original, and I can probably still get my original purchase price back if I sell the steel one.

 

Steve

[abn deuce]

At first I would have said just use the helmet liner , but seeing what you created it's a very convincing steel/fiberglass replica . could be other's would be interested in getting one like that from you for the same reason.

[Mark]

Is that how Enigma makes his :dunno:

[snowtracdave]

:bow: :bow: :bow:

 

abn could be right - you could be onto a bit of a winner there if you have the time and inclination to produce more .

[Enigma]

Is that how Enigma makes his :dunno:

 

 

Mine are steel ones.

But I must say Steve did a good job.

A bit of aging on the markings and your set.

Well done!!

 

Is the steel one a front seam?

[Jessie The Jeep]

Steel is a rear seam. The GRP is a front seam. I'm yet to do the weathering as the paint hadn't had time to fully harden when the pic was taken.

 

Steve

 

 

[abn deuce]

I m not up on helmet details what does the location of the seam indicate ? ww2 and post war I m guessing . which is which :thankyou:

[Tony B]

Are you going to do British helmets as well?

[Jessie The Jeep]

I had no plans to produce any further helmets of any nationality. It was just a means to an end to achieve a realistic lightweight helmet for Lynne. I don't really have the time to go into production.

 

The technique isn't difficult if others want to have a go, but I suggest reading up on GRP work and trying a practice piece on a football for example, before having a go on a helmet.

 

Steve

 

 

[Tony B]

Ah HA- got you there Steve! How do you get the football out afterwards. :-D :dunno:

[Jessie The Jeep]

Making the helmet was quite labour intensive, so I'm not sure anyone would pay the costs for me to make one!

 

Getting the GRP off the football follows the same technique as described above. So long as the GRP doesn't extend more than 50% around the ball, the ball won't be trapped in. You then use the thin plastic strips forced down between the GRP and the surface of the ball. The tougher the plastic used for these strips the better, but it must be thin, about 0.5mm is best. Work these in all the way around, and gradually the GRP will release as the touching surfaces are forced apart. Eventually the two items pop apart! Assuming you waxed the original item well!!!!!

 

Here's a site that explains some of the basics and terminology. I'm sure there are plenty of other 'How To' websites out there.

 

http://www.fibreglass.com/HOWTO/k-mould-frp.htm

 

Steve

 

[PeterMacD]

would a medic partially obscure his red cross badges with cam? Surely it defeats the object.

[Jessie The Jeep]

That was just how the helmet was bought. I won't be using the net on the GRP version.

 

Steve

[Joris]

Wow, nicely done!

[Tony B]

Making the helmet was quite labour intensive, so I'm not sure anyone would pay the costs for me to make one!

 

Getting the GRP off the football follows the same technique as described above. So long as the GRP doesn't extend more than 50% around the ball, the ball won't be trapped in. You then use the thin plastic strips forced down between the GRP and the surface of the ball. The tougher the plastic used for these strips the better, but it must be thin, about 0.5mm is best. Work these in all the way around, and gradually the GRP will release as the touching surfaces are forced apart. Eventually the two items pop apart! Assuming you waxed the original item well!!!!!

 

Here's a site that explains some of the basics and terminology. I'm sure there are plenty of other 'How To' websites out there.

 

http://www.fibreglass.com/HOWTO/k-mould-frp.htm

 

Steve

 

 

In my place :bow: :kissoncheek: I might well try on a Britsh lid, could do with some for show.

[Degsy]

I m not up on helmet details what does the location of the seam indicate ? ww2 and post war I m guessing . which is which :thankyou:

 

The rim was introduced in Dec'42 and the seam was at the front, after 1944 manufacturers were given permission to have the seam at the back but not many of this type found their way to the ETO.

[Snapper]

Steve,

 

You're too flipping clever by half.

 

MB

[Jessie The Jeep]

Steve,

 

You're too flipping clever by half.

 

MB

 

 

Thanks, See my signature!!!!

 

Actually, I'd be perfect if it wasn't for my modesty!!!!!!!!

[Snapper]

Are you sure this was an advisable name for this string? We'll be getting more spam than Monty Python at this rate. I was only saying the same thing to my Nigerian financial advisor the other day while we were investing in internet pharmaceuticals.

 

 

[Jessie The Jeep]

Are you sure this was an advisable name for this string?

 

It was carefully chosen, It was going to read 'do you want to feel the weight of my helmet'

 

Steve

[Snapper]

Carry On Jessie...

[whistlinwolf]

I won't be using the net on the GRP version.

 

Steve

 

 

I should hope not! Bin it now before the net Nazis catch you with it in your possesion.

Bad enough having a plastic helmet, never mind that net as well !! :oops:

I have one here for you. :-D

[Jessie The Jeep]

I won't bin it, I sleep in it to keep my locks nice at night!

[MAJ G. Miskovsky]

 

"I m not up on helmet details what does the location of the seam indicate ? ww2 and post war I m guessing . which is which "

 

 

The front seam denotes an earlier M1, the first rims were made from stainless steel, but the paint would wear off, this would cause a reflective surface. These rims then were replaced by manganese that would retain the paint better.

 

There has been much banter between US helmet collectors as to when the rear seam came into service, many agree that it did see service late war. I have seen a couple of veterans helmets from WWII that did have rear seams.

 

hope that helps

 

 

[whistlinwolf]

would a medic partially obscure his red cross badges with cam? Surely it defeats the object.

 

 

Sometimes it was prudent to cover up any markings as they were a target the same as anyone else when it came down to it.

We were as guilty as the Axis boys when it came to targeting them.

 

There was no US standard on medics helmets,personal choice on the helmet, some medics never had theirs marked up at all and others had from one to five crosses on them.

 

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US Mountain Div had 3 crosses on white squares on their helmets.