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M42 "ONU" version

Article about: Hello to everyone! I have recently owned a cheap near relic M42 shell, to spend some good time in quarantine (l'm from Milan)... At a first look it is solid with evident corrugation in the l

  1. #1

    Default M42 "ONU" version

    Hello to everyone!
    I have recently owned a cheap near relic M42 shell, to spend some good time in quarantine (l'm from Milan and now I have a lot of time to spend).
    At a first look it is solid with evident corrugation in the left side of skirt and evidences of stamping process.
    It has also a small bump from inside to outside in the upper front left. It's not the first time I see this kind of bumps in this position...
    It seems to have been hanged, back side up, in the outdoor for years, but protected from rain.
    The outside is faded by sunlight at one side and there is a kind of gray powder like melted to the surface to the other side.
    It is a little rusty inside and quite well preserved outside.

    It's previous owner unfortunately was a geat ONU supporter and painted it of a wonderful BLUE, sigh!
    New paint is possibily '80 or '90.

    First of all I searched for markings, that were absolutely invisibles.
    I discovered (with the help of sandpaper, high definition macro photography and photoshop to reveal the invisible)
    CKL 64 4877
    After that I made some conjectures analyzing the painting.
    The external presents the correct big grains aluminium oxide texture typical for the late production of Eisenhüttenwerke factory.
    Under the blue layer I found a white layer that cover the entire shell and that's quite thick, and a third layer very dark and super thin.
    The original paint in the inner side seems completly wiped out by rust before it has been painted blue, no evidence of white paint (probably the white layer made some kind of protection).
    With this elements I dated it 1944, from Eisenhüttenwerke factory, slate gray thin finish with big grain aluminium oxide.
    For similarity with an other helmet with the same lot number, it should have been combined with a steel liner with brown leather.
    So it should have been "operational" in the winter between 44-45 when, after less of 6 monts from its production, it has been brush painted white, than retired in its winter dress at the end of the war, after about 1y of use.

    Now, I ask to the experienced restorers if it's better to:
    -keep it in the actual condition
    -try to eliminate blue paint in the outer side and sanding the inner side stopping the rust with a rust converter
    or find a 1943/1944 steel liner with brown leather and:
    -try to recondition it at the production date (quite easy for me to rebuild it to new)
    -try to recondition it at the the retiring date (adding white camo and 1y of aging)
    I don't think it's a good idea to add 75 years of aging making a fake...

    Thanks to everyone for any comment and suggestion!
    M42 "ONU" versionM42 "ONU" versionM42 "ONU" versionM42 "ONU" versionM42 "ONU" versionM42 "ONU" versionM42 "ONU" versionM42 "ONU" version
    Last edited by 4VALVES; 04-06-2020 at 10:45 AM.

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  3. #2

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    After some months I had time to wash away the blue paint.
    Unfortunatly was impossibile to mantain most part of the white paint (that solved with water, probably is plaster based paint).
    That operation revealed green and brown original paint.
    No sign of decals.
    Now I think it should be better to preserve the shell and not renew it.
    I found informations about an helmet from the same production lot but was dark gray-green... should be interesting to have more information about this camo scheme in late '44 before it had been prepared for winter.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture M42 "ONU" version   M42 "ONU" version  

    M42 "ONU" version   M42 "ONU" version  

    M42 "ONU" version  

  4. #3

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    The white paint - especially if it washed away that easily - may have been winter camouflage made out of chalk. If it was original its sad it is gone, but it was probably impossible to save anyways. I think the green paint could be the original paint, while the red/brow is just oxidated metal.

  5. #4

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    Hi, unfortunately the white paint was impossibile to save... washed away immediately with the blue.
    The red/brown is over the green and the green is still in good condition. I tried to remove it gently with anti fosfate but had no effect so I'm not sure it is oxidated metal. It seems paint or a mixture of the white paint and rust melted together in decades.

  6. #5

    Default

    I have found missing parts to restore it.
    I have been very lucky to find original pins with a very similar pattern (photos are taken with flash, with natural light it's impossible to spot difference).
    I'm quite satisfied with the result, from that starting point.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture M42 "ONU" version   M42 "ONU" version  

    M42 "ONU" version   M42 "ONU" version  


  7. #6

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    Final effect with natural light: I think it has regained a nice "combat" patina!
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture M42 "ONU" version   M42 "ONU" version  

    M42 "ONU" version  

  8. #7

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    Looks pretty decent now!

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