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Composite helmet mould - identification required

Article about: Guys - I picked this up recently and I'm trying to understand what helmet it was for (it may have been a liner part rather than a helmet) Ade

  1. #1

    Default Composite helmet mould - identification required

    Guys - I picked this up recently and I'm trying to understand what helmet it was for (it may have been a liner part rather than a helmet)


    AdeComposite helmet mould - identification requiredComposite helmet mould - identification requiredComposite helmet mould - identification required

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    This is a genuinely extraordinary thing. It is fascinating in its simplicity. I've long had the suspicion - verging on belief - that virtually any damned fool could set up a composite-making plant in their shed with minimal equipment and easily-available materials. Compared to the extraordinary weight of heavy industry and manpower required to produce steel helmets in The Olden Days it is a wonderment.

    I can't offer any information whatsoever about this, so I will be delighted - and frankly surprised - if anyone else can. But you get nowhere by not asking.

  3. #3

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    As an experimental it could be that very few lids were
    made from the mould, never used or completed,
    and then destroyed. Oddly, it looks like a
    bicycle safety helmet.

    Another strange thing is the labeling, as if the
    two parts have been on public display
    somewhere.........
    Regards,


    Steve.

  4. #4
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    Quote by Greg Pickersgill View Post
    This is a genuinely extraordinary thing. It is fascinating in its simplicity. I've long had the suspicion - verging on belief - that virtually any damned fool could set up a composite-making plant in their shed with minimal equipment and easily-available materials. Compared to the extraordinary weight of heavy industry and manpower required to produce steel helmets in The Olden Days it is a wonderment..
    Greg, don’t get offended but composites aren’t field of interest, however I do deal with a lot of manufacturing processes and materials, I’ve been digging around on your Corlon question in my spare time and got a bit side tracked into how composite helmets are made and there seems to be very little out there. What I have come to understand is that it is fairly basic, the Kevlar sheets are layered over a pattern with the bonding resin, pressed in to shape and then trimmed and you have a basic composite shell, there are a number of YouTube videos of people making Kevlar racing helmets, in essence these are no different.

    Based on that the mold shown, would be exactly what you would expect to find, especially for an experimental helmet. The real design is in the weave of the Kevlar and the type of resin, and in the complete helmet, the liner has had more design focus to limit shock. The best image I could find of a part built shell is below. I have no idea if this is a military grade or some sort of homemade militia job but it’s not wild stretch to see this being done on a similar mold. The amount of variation points to is being a cheap process to adapt.

    Composite helmet mould - identification required

    The next question is how that is scaled to production levels with repeatable results, I don’t think it’s rocket science to do that, when somebody is waving a big check in front of, you would soon find a more efficient way of doing it.
    In truth I haven’t really taken a hard look at composite helmets (I only own an Israeli M76), but it looks like the earlier helmets suffered from a delamination or damage on the edge where they were trimmed, hence the rubber bumper, the new designs have a thicker rim formed on the shell which I think would be done by ‘turning’ the Kevlar under. I would like to see a cross section in close detail (I think I’m going to have to buy one and commit the cardinal sin).

    Great website by the way.
    Steve.

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    Firstlt, thanks all for commenting. This one came from a container which was being cleared..it contained pipes and linkages etc and what was thought to be "just British Army camo stuff" (I hope THAT wasn't experimental too like PECOC trials etc!).

    I think it was probably for a small production run of whatever helmet or helmet part it was for. I'm hoping that we've got enough Compo collectors to recognise something....anything ...about it and educate me.....

  6. #6

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    Quote by Tinhat View Post
    ...I do deal with a lot of manufacturing processes and materials, I’ve been digging around on your Corlon question in my spare time and got a bit side tracked into how composite helmets are made and there seems to be very little out there. What I have come to understand is that it is fairly basic, the Kevlar sheets are layered over a pattern with the bonding resin, pressed in to shape and then trimmed and you have a basic composite shell, there are a number of YouTube videos of people making Kevlar racing helmets, in essence these are no different.
    That's an excellent informed opinion, Steve, and very much reinforces what I have been thinking. I've seen some Youtube videos, and some on manufacturers' websites, and the process really does appear to be simple and straighforward - there's one video of a little production shop somewhere in Asia where there are a cheerful bunch of characters with a couple of pressing machines at one end and a stack of compos at the other, essentially, with another couple of characters doing a bit of drilling and bolting for the liners and straps. You're right - the real technology is in the materials, not the method of manufacture. Its kind of exciting, really. Sort of DIY. Almost feel I could do it myself. If I had a shed.

    Iy would certainly be interesting to cut a couple of helmets open. Especially if you had the knowledge to understand what you're seeing. Its possible to see the actual 'interior' in a sense on some of the sheaper products like the South Korean Corlon where the edges are not entirely sealed or rimmed, but to me it just looks like a slab of plastic, with any layering hard to make out. The only actual bisected helmet I have seen in a UK Mk6, which is essentially nylon layers -shown at Composite Helmet, Ballistic helmets, Military helmets UNITED KINGDOM, UK HELMETS, BRITISH helmet, Kevlar helmet . Can't say it was enormously revelatory about how its actually made. But very interesting nevertheless.

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    i wonder if this could be the helmet /scalp protector the mould produced Helmet, Scalp Protective, olive, 44,99 €

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    Sorry....'not sure I understand.....do you know what this is?

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    hi composite ,do forgive me for the late reply ,ive been having some trouble with email notifications so dont think im ignoring you ,going from the mould profile i hazard a guess it was perhaps an early design mould for the helmet i linked in my last post i realise now the link picture has expired and im having trouble to find a new picture to show you and if it was i can fully understand how it came into your possession as i dont think this style was very popular ,do you intend on trying out the mould ,it would be good to see the results ,perhaps with an alternative to aramid fibres though im really not too sure what the skull guard helmet is made of ,perhaps ballistic nylon, i reckon greg will know for sure ,regards james

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    ..crossed my mind to try to make my own....thought about using very soft clay? plastecine? dough? plaster of paris? and even "jelly" (blackcurrant if you must know ;-) ) I wouldnt get the depth right but I'd have a shape...but would I get the bloody thing OUT?...and I'd be a tad P'd if I couldn't........

    The shape around the edge of the male part gives an idea as to the shape and it didn't descend down the neck - so its either a high-cut style skull-cap type affair or a liner part...but if it was a liner part I think that would've been marked on the label somewhere

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