RustyRelics
Gold Member
- Apr 5, 2019
- 5,910
- 32,383
- Detector(s) used
- Equinox 600/Ancient Whites MXT
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
I recently bought an original WWII ET62 M40 shell that was used postwar by the Czechoslovakians, for a restoration project. It was most likely a Luftwaffe helmet according to lot number research. It was originally black, so I stripped the paint off with some acetone. No original paint or decals were under the Czech paint. After all the paint was gone, I sprayed the shell with Feldgrau Dunkel from 1944 Militaria. The purists might be screaming at me for that, but I don't care. I've seen plenty of pictures on the net of Luftwaffe helmets that look grey/dark grey with no hint of blue on them. So there.
After a few coats, I applied the decal, also from 1944 militaria. It was simple and easy to put on, apart from a mistake on my part. (I tore a teeny tiny piece of the wing off at the tip - that happened on real helmets from time to time). Next came the liner. I'm glad I decided not to film it all, because I was cussing the liner out for all it was worth. I cut my fingers up on the aluminum, and couldn't get the split pins on to save my life. After half an hour (and the wars end) I got them on, and voila - wait... that's french - presto! Mint unissued Luftwaffe M40 Helmet.
I have not decided if I want to perhaps sell it as a repro, trade it for something, or keep it and paint my last name on the inner rim yet.
