ET68 M42 restoration

[tbk0000]

Hi,
I've posted the shell and liner separately in the helmets forum (lots of looks but few comments) so I thought I'd post here with some specific restoration/refurbishment questions.

Shell
The shell was originally painted black with some dodgy decals. I stripped the black paint and grey primer and found that there was 70-80% of what appears to be original paint underneath. Unfortunately, the shell had been sanded before priming and painting so the original paint is fairly thin.

Question: What can I use to protect the remaining paint and stabilise the sections of bare shell and old surface rust? Nothing, bees wax, vaseline, Micro-Crystalline Wax/Polish, WD40, something else?



Liner
At some stage someone has drowned what could be an original size 60 nine tongue liner in lots of vegetable or motor oil. It smells, is sticky (looks like it was soaked - liner band and all), has discoloured to black and is starting to deform - I understand that over-oiled leather is probably unrestoreable as the oil is likely to have killed the leather's ability to breath.

Question: What can I use to clean the excess oil, remove some of the smell, restore some of the colour and stabilise both the liner and the liner band? Soap paste and water, engine degreaser, spray and wipe, something else?



Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

Terry

[Glenn66]

I dunno about the liner but i'd leave the shell as is. If you must play with it, the micro-crystalline wax is a product I like (renaissance wax).

[tbk0000]

Hi, any other comments? Anyone had a shell or liner like this before? Thanks