M40 Luftwaffe relic: should i use acid?

[Wayne J]

Hi chaps its that age old question..i got 2 relics today both Uncleaned this is totally caked in mud inside and out so i gave it a quick wash in warm soapy water and the adler appeared and much of the blue paint..this can only be seen when wet..i plan to give it a few more washes then the next step do i use acid..the helmet is rock solid no holes at all and again it much better In hand..here is the helmet in question chap's...
regards
Wayne

[Sir Payne]

That is a beautiful helmet, I can faintly see the Swastika, and it looks like it retains its coloring pretty well. How recently was it dug up?

[helmetone]

Is it really worth using acid in an attempt to remove the rust? I'd leave it as a relic helmet, especially with some swastika peaking through, makes for a nice relic. Buy a nicer Lufty helmet to sit next to this one and they will be a nice compliment to one another, IMO.

[SteveR]

Yes a 10% oxalic acid bath would do wonders for it.

[KradSpam]

Nice relic there mate, I would personally leave it as it is. It's probably a good candidate though.

[VolksJager]

On the fence with cleaning or leaving. I would go as far as I could with soapy water first but I clean might do it good.

Jason

[Noobkilla73]

Not as an insult, but is that a dent on top?

[davejb]

Not as an insult, but is that a dent on top?

Yes, its a relic helmet , they get much worse than this on occassions

[Noobkilla73]

I know, I've seen some that look like they got stomped on by an elephant. Nice helmet.

[davejb]

Although I dont advocate the use of Oxalic acid for cleaning because of the dangers it represents, i think some form of deep cleaning may produce some good results on this one, i dont know if the process the guys use in RRPG, ie White vinegar, would help, nor what effect it would have on the decal but its certainly a lot safer