How to paint Stahlhelm camo?

[Finnlander]

Hello guys. You gave some good tips and answers overall. The zimmerit part is true. It would've been way too unpractical. But for tanks it was very nice camouflage.
Well the area I airsoft is an abandoned saw surrounded by a few brick buildings and the ground is sand. The building area is surrounded by medium-dark green forest. The area differs alot, and there's obviously no way I could have a perfect camo for every place, so I think I'll just go with dark green shades. I started wondering if I'd even need to paint the helmet, because I got Plane Tree 3/4 helmet cover plus some postwar olive green helmet net. What do you think of that combo? I think it gives the helmet quite rough surface and because of cloth, it reflects light VERY little even as wet. The net also gives the opportunity to make it more matching for lighter green forest by adding some leaves and such to it.

If I decide to paint it, then I'll do as told: show the surface a little bit sandpaper just enough to make it matt and then start spraying some dark shades and drop little sawdust/dirt combination on it and one last paint layer on top of them.

[Finnlander]

Hey guys. I decided to do as told and tried what would become of my idea and here's the result. I got matte brush paint ready for it and will post a pic later about the final result. Just trying to figure out what way to paint it. I think it's pretty good colour for Eastern-Front, especially when it gets brown brush strokes all over it. The green paint reflects light alot, which is a bad thing, but im trying to figure out how to make it less shiny, any tips? Maybe put mud over it for a couple days and then scrub it off ?

As you can see from the pictures, the paint is actually my house paint and about the same colour as the wall, a little brighter. I put three layers of paint and the sawdust came between the 2nd and 3rd layers. What do you think? Did I put too much sawdust, or is it just a matter of taste? After all, the ww2 camos were individual too.

Anyways, more pics to come, propably later this day.

-Jere

[big ned]

Without wishing to be overly offensive, this is turning into an unmitigated disaster, that is rubbish. You really might like to consider starting again this time taking on board what paint, methods and suchlike has been suggested to you throughout this thread rather than going with your own 'unique' style.

Good luck, Ned.

[seandm]

Hi Finnlander! I am afraid I have to agree to an extent with Ned. The paint is way off the mark the texture actually looks ok I have seen some originals with heavy wood chip texture. Painting helmets as I well know is very much trial & error process and there is always room for improvement! I would maybe consider doing this one again but its your helmet! Here is a pic of an M42 I finished yesterday with textured finish. Cheers! Sean.

[kirederf7]

Yeah that color is pretty horrible :/

[DrPMC]

I don't think you'll ever be happy with this gloss finish or colour and additional coats of correct paint will probably be a waste of paint, time and money. I'd put this one down as experience and start again. I'm sure we've all done something similar because of too much enthusiasm or too little patience.

Immersion in caustic soda solution (drain cleaner) is a good way of removing unwanted paint without damaging the helmet (ie by using power tools, sand paper or wire brushes). Leave it to soak a while in a bucket and then use a stiff brush. Points of caution: 1. caustic needs to be used with respect: read the instructions and wear gloves and eye protection etc. 2. be careful with aluminium parts (ie liner bands) - they will probably be OK for a short time but will eventually dissolve. After a relatively short time aluminium parts will lose their oxidised dark surface and look light and clean. I'm sure its obvious that any liner or chip strap must be removed.

[Finnlander]

Thanks for being critics guys, I appreciate it. Just tell it straight without hesitations.

The ''Armour Paint'' used for my house's roof is indeed glossy (the roof has faded already to matte). I painted the brown on it too, if I will repaint this, it was good practise atleast.

Is the colour really so bad? I put it on a ditch and watched it: Perfect shade of green for Finlands (Northern Eastern-Front) nature. I will use it as a football for a few years (just kidding) and see if it gets more matte. But seriously I will give the surface some wet dirt for a few days and see what happens. If nothing special, I will try to use somekind of matte coat on it. The brown itself is nicely matte.

Well atleast it was fun to do this '


-Jere

[seandm]

Hi Finnlander! The gloss paint is just too much you would never see an original with that kind of finish. If I am honest as well the brown patches look to few and far in between. I would suggest maybe using more colors so that the scheme blends together. In those pics with the helmet in the grass the brown actually makes it stand out more. As you said yourself its good practice! Always trial & error when painting helmets like I said before. I would start over with matt paint and maybe consider darker shades & also adding more color variety to the scheme as well. Cheers! Sean.

[big ned]

It looks like the poor thing's trying to escape......

[Finnlander]

Thanks Sean. You really think that even matte coat cant make it matte enough? I thought that adding too much brown, would make it stand out too much in lushy areas, so thats why I hesitated using it.

Ned: I laughed for two minutes when I read that...Mean, but fun