M35 ET60....... what happened to it?

[Pablo]

I recently bought this relic helmet from Ebay. It is ET60 lot #3663 It has this weird patina to it with what looks like lumps of melted metal. It looks like it may have been exposed to high temperatures. Is the color consistent with a luftwaffe helmet?

[davejb]

i think this helmets been in close proximity to an acetalyn torch, it looks like these metal blobs are the cast off slurry, theres not much you can do with it, to be honest,

[Pablo]

i think this helmets been in close proximity to an acetalyn torch, it looks like these metal blobs are the cast off slurry, theres not much you can do with it, to be honest,

Thanks Dave. So I guess someone tried to burn of the paint with a torch? Looks like I got "burned" on this one!

[Mark K]

I work with metal for a living and if its a true cast off from a torch unless the helmet was hot when the molten metal hit it you maybe able to slip a thin razer blade under it if you can find a flaking corner and break it away from the helmet shell. Dont think you could damage it any more than it all ready is .

[Pablo]

I was able to remove some of the bigger chunks w/ the blade, but it is still has a quite a few small lumps. Therefore I decided that a textured paint job would make it look better. Any ideas or links on doing texture painting?

[Mark K]

I have read a few articles about sand or fine saw dust mix being applied to helmets by mixing it in the paint I think this may give you the desired appearance that your looking for. I have seen pictures of German helmets that have had both of these applications done in the field when the helmet shell was covered over with camouflage paint.I think there reasoning behind mixing sand or sawdust with the paint was so that the helmet would be easier to hang on to new paint would be slippery. I know my M40 luftwaffe helmet feels rough to the touch.

[davejb]

Pablo, show the interior please, does it have any paint remaining

[ian]

an m35 should usualy be apple green
unfotunately there is to my knowlage no RAL code for apple green and there are many diferent shades on original helmets
so its a colour that is hard to replicate
cheers ian
PS carberumden dust is good for ruff finnish

[ian]

looks to me as if someone has been welding to close and it has spatter on it
take a cold sleel chisel and a hammer
tap each peice and they will come off
probably beter with a blunt chisel
all though the helmet is hardend steel as to the soft spatter it should not hurt the helmet
lufft blue has an RAL code and is standard
ive hunted but cannot find the ral code at the moment
cheers ian

[ian]

i would allso say
re paint it
put repro decals on it
and desplay it ,,,it will look good
and you will have lost nothing IMO
cheers ian