A helmet database and a request for help

[Danmark]

OK, here is a snapshot of the spreadsheet ( early stages, it will get fleshed out more ) with the info from my helmets - just to show the info I'm seeking.

I have not included half of the ones on my wall o' helmets because they are TOO RELIC ...... in other words, really rusty stuff is going to mess the results so bullet holes / cracks / etc.. are fine but "holey relics" or "crusty demons" are not. What's a relic and whats a shell I hear you ask? ...... good point and it's fine line that only you can judge. I guess a shell is NOT dug but has paint and the stamps can be seen whereas relics are (usually ) dug and stamping is obscured.

( Already I can see a 300gm difference in two Quist ones of mine. They felt a little but I never thought THAT much until I weighed them )

Cheers, Dan

[KradSpam]

You have two Quist M42's? Any chance of some pics? The one you are unsure of size will be a 64 also, they (Q) only made M42's in a 64. The lot numbers on those two are strange though, the only Q M42's I've seen have DN5xx numbers.

From the weight perspective you might get more useful results if you only used bare shells mate, the variance in other bits of kit would be too great and irrelevant I think. Maybe do the liner manufacturer / shell manufacturer comparisons in another table.

[Danmark]

You have two Quist M42's? Any chance of some pics? The one you are unsure of size will be a 64 also, they (Q) only made M42's in a 64. The lot numbers on those two are strange though, the only Q M42's I've seen have DN5xx numbers.

From the weight perspective you might get more useful results if you only used bare shells mate, the variance in other bits of kit would be too great and irrelevant I think. Maybe do the liner manufacturer / shell manufacturer comparisons in another table.

Bugger ...... that's what happens when you copy / paste and rush stuff. No, the only M42s I have are the Hkp, Ckl and EF. The T1245 helmet IS a Quist but an M40 and the other one is hard to read but it isn't a Q - the vent dimples are not the classic large Quist type. Off to a good start aren't I?

Good point on the shells, mine are half complete & half shells and I have several liners to weigh as well as a couple of chinstraps. If anyone thinking laterally has similar ( loose chinstraps & liner assemblies that will help too. Also good Idea on the separate table for liners vs manufacturers ( although I think I read on GHW that the thought is that the manufacturers used any liners they could get....?
Cheers, Dan - still waiting for the flood of data to arrive

[Glenn66]

This is not so easy, the wife's kitchen scales only go to 1/2kg and the bathroom scales start at 10kg. Also one of my relics has a partial liner and one has wire.

[Danmark]

Only 500 grams??? you guys don't bake cakes, that for sure bathroom scales are no good, not sensitive enough .....
Partial liners are OK - just say so and same with wire ( that can be calculated )
Thanks for trying!
Dan

[Glenn66]

I just rechecked those kitchen scales, there was a fullstop after the 'max' weight of 5kg, not a '.5kg' so i'm good to go.

So...

M35...ET...64...n/a...HL...DD Heer...1.204
M40...ET...62...1042...HLCC...DD Police...1.291
M40...Q...64...n/a...HL...SD Heer/wire...1.237

I have 3 more lids in storage that i'll dig out when time permits.

[Danmark]

Thankyou Glenn, you are "first cab off the rank".
Does the n/a mean the outside is non-relic but the inside is rusted so as to make the lot number stamping illegible?

A couple of other areas I want to research include ( these can only be done on my helmets though ) is to determine hardness and material. I have access to a Brinell tester that can determine the hardness of the steel - this is non-invasive - and a Bruker spectral analyzer that I can use on a sacrificial helmet. This ionizes a metal sample and determines it's chemical makeup. ( I have a rusted and crunched M42 that can be used for this purpose ) This equipment we have at our disposal in our lab and why not put them to use on ww2 helmets rather than just boring bolts and wire??

Cheers, Dan
This way ( hopefully ) I could see what grade of carbon steel was being used at a 'snapshot in time'

[Glenn66]

Does the n/a mean the outside is non-relic but the inside is rusted so as to make the lot number stamping illegible?

Yes to an extent, the lot number is either lost to rust or hidden under paint.

[AMTG]

Mate I'll do my lot tommorow!

[Pablo]

Here is my contribution. I couldn't get the thickness because my caliper is flat and does not get around the rolled edge. Just wondering if there are any other techniques to get the thickness w/o having to buy some calipers?

May I suggest using a C-clamp. Measure the entire length of the screw protruding from the end with a ruler. Screw the clamp down until the ends touch the helmet (w/o damaging). Then measure the length of the screw again and the difference will be the thickness of your helmet. I got a difference of 1 mm for my M40 relic. The method may not be accurate enough for your purposes (only 1 significant figure).

On the other hand maybe it would be just as easy to go out and splurge on some cheap calipers.


Pablo


M40....SE64.....8204.......HLCC.......SDLuft...... ..1.40
M35....NS64....D249.......HLCC.......ND (but Heer decal is apparent under reissue paint).....1.2
M35....SE62....3663.......HLCC........double decal Luft.......0.92
M40....NS66....DN32......HLCC.......SD Heer........1.43
M40....Q64......DN321....HLCC.......ND ..............1.46
M35....ET62....????........HLC.........ND......... ......1.16
M42....ckl.......4239........HLC.........ND....... .......1.36
M40.....Q?......???..........R............ND...... .........1.02