M35 ... new in my collection.

[peeweed]

Another M35 cleaned with oxalic ... no wax.

[peeweed]

Another M40 ... crushed, in originat found state !
it is in bad shape, the paint is peeling of /destroy... without touching paint fall of ... you can see in picture no 2.
... need some TLC.

Excuse my English

[peeweed]

This is the most amazing transformation... oxalic & no wax.

[Schwerpunkt]

Schwerpunkt, not to hijack this thread, but looking at this helmet before he removed the rust and comparing it to the combat helmet I bought, would I be correct to say most of that which I've called "rust" on mine is really just rusty looking patina? So much of the rust on the helmet posted here came off in the bath, and there's still paint under it. Seems like it stands to reason my helmet probably has a lot more paint that's not being seen, since I thought there would be no paint where rust is found. I'm not planning to do any acid bath, just curious about what is actual rust damage on any helmet like this.

To be honest I don't see what rust is removed ? I see everything the same except without patina , it's been cleaned and just looks brighter now and a tad more shinier.
If you do this with helmets that are not found in the ground you destroy a big part of their value.
Helmet collectors don't like cleaned up helmets.

I will repeat Oxalid and wax and leather treatment is for ground finds only , helmets which are under attack by active rust or helmets covered for 90% in oxidation.
If you don't like rust and using chemical products there are plenty of German helmets for sale whom don't need treatment.

[MrPotts]

Don't we have a didn't place to post relic helmets?

[avenger]

Thanks sir. I think you answered my question, and I'm 100% on board with what you're saying. There's 0% chance of me cleaning anything on my helmet. I was under the impression the circled area for instance on my helmet below was rust that has eaten through the paint and began to damage the helmet shell, but I think I've been totally wrong about that. If I cleaned this helmet, my impression from this thread is that there's paint under there, and it would look gray again. But, I'd just be removing the layers of age and history from it as a sacrifice to get to that gray.

I'm learning, and trying to learn here. I think I've been all wrong about this aspect of assessing helmet condition. Sure, a mint one would look nicer to the eye, but there's really nothing materially wrong with these areas on the helmet which is why you guys were saying it's a good clean helmet. I'll get this figured out yet! Germany's Combat Helmets arrives tomorrow which won't hurt either.

[peeweed]

My "untouched" helmets, but I would prefer to talk about "touched" helm'.

[Glenn66]

I have no preference for touched or untouched but now I want to see your other helmets!

[peeweed]

)))

[peeweed]

We write a book about the WW2 German army and the German population in Transylvania,90% of our stuff will not appear on the Internet until we publish the book.

Tnks ... we post just "restored" stuff.