Recently I managed to acquire a very nice and complete Wurttumburg NCO's helmet (PB Nr.13) a private purchase item; all complete except for the shell that is totally past any renovation, or indeed conservation.
Accepting that I have all of the metalware, and a reuseable "officer" liner with reusable silk liner; I'm going to restore this item in order to replicate the leather shell fittings. I accept it won't be 100% original; but al metalware is 100% colour matched and worthy of fitting to a new shell.
A few questions:-
1). Correct type of (oak-tanned?) leather to use for the fittings?
2). Correct type of stitching thread?
3). Shaping and forming of the shell (Officer type, with sewn spine seam); I believe this would be over a beech wood former shaped to the correct "oval" profile on plan. circumference to equate to the orignial (54.5cm). Looking up research on original manufacturing processes, I cannot determine cold or hot soaked leather was used? Any advice? Also, when was the stitching applied - pre or post forming of the required shape?
4). Finish. Have sourced the original shellac; was this hand applied or sprayed before assembly of all of the leather components with the fitting and stitching holes retrospectivally cut? Also, was the leather (rough-side externally) sealed before application and how was a shellac thickness of about 1mm achieved?
5). Reassembly is the easy bit !!!!
This is going to be a very interesting restoration project - again I accept that not all componets will be totally 100% original - but, at least it will once again be rightfully complete and joining the rest of my collection.
What I'd like to do is to share this knowledge with forum members during the restoration, as I'm a great believer of conservation as opposed to replacement (if at all possible), but in this instance the main body of the shell is too far shot to conserve or restore.
Here goes!
Regards,
Martin Vear.
Accepting that I have all of the metalware, and a reuseable "officer" liner with reusable silk liner; I'm going to restore this item in order to replicate the leather shell fittings. I accept it won't be 100% original; but al metalware is 100% colour matched and worthy of fitting to a new shell.
A few questions:-
1). Correct type of (oak-tanned?) leather to use for the fittings?
2). Correct type of stitching thread?
3). Shaping and forming of the shell (Officer type, with sewn spine seam); I believe this would be over a beech wood former shaped to the correct "oval" profile on plan. circumference to equate to the orignial (54.5cm). Looking up research on original manufacturing processes, I cannot determine cold or hot soaked leather was used? Any advice? Also, when was the stitching applied - pre or post forming of the required shape?
4). Finish. Have sourced the original shellac; was this hand applied or sprayed before assembly of all of the leather components with the fitting and stitching holes retrospectivally cut? Also, was the leather (rough-side externally) sealed before application and how was a shellac thickness of about 1mm achieved?
5). Reassembly is the easy bit !!!!
This is going to be a very interesting restoration project - again I accept that not all componets will be totally 100% original - but, at least it will once again be rightfully complete and joining the rest of my collection.
What I'd like to do is to share this knowledge with forum members during the restoration, as I'm a great believer of conservation as opposed to replacement (if at all possible), but in this instance the main body of the shell is too far shot to conserve or restore.
Here goes!
Regards,
Martin Vear.
