spikeymikey
Member
Hi Brian, Tony, Zip and Laurie. I'm pleased the Gor-techinique works Brian, I was worried it might not for some reason. I think Gortex is pretty hard to get hold of now.
Re-forming / Re-shaping Warped Leather Helmets
- Thread starter kaiserzeit
- Start date
T: Kudos of course to the Canadian Army for the G-Tex. For once our forces were adequately equiped!! I suspect Mikey that any ski /snow board jacket would provide a water proof material that could be used today. To my mind all the G Tex does is provide an impermiable layer so the wet news print does not seep into the inside of the leather shell. What we are really creating here is a super humid atmosphere in a large plastic bag that softens the leather without the effects of dunking it in a bucket of water. Like anything, I am sure that we will refine the technique . Many thanks Mike for providing this new approach. Gus we discussed your sheep skin desires at the SOS!! Brian
kaiserzeit
New member
To add to Mike's suggestion: You can usually get plain newsprint at places selling moving supplies.
Brian, if humidity is what we are after, what about using one of those room humidifiers we drag out when the kids have colds? It seems to me they can create either cold or warm humidity. In a closed environment, they may be quite useful.
Sod Country: Where men are men....and sheep are nervous.
Cheers,
Laurie
Brian, if humidity is what we are after, what about using one of those room humidifiers we drag out when the kids have colds? It seems to me they can create either cold or warm humidity. In a closed environment, they may be quite useful.
Sod Country: Where men are men....and sheep are nervous.
Cheers,
Laurie
Evenin',
Has anybody tried and had success yet with the Gortex method of reforming helmets?
I was also wondering about the following idea:
-Instead of a plastic bag, use a 2 or 5 gal bucket with lid.
-Place the wet newsprint on the bottom of the bucket and a stand made of eggcrate material used for fluorescent light diffusers over that.
-Then make a permeable (for circulation of humid air ino the helmet) stand for the helmet.
-Cap it.
-Then follow the rest of the suggested method in the above posts.
A question though, how flexible are we trying to get?
My helmet is flexible, but dry.
I am assuming that it should become flexible enough to be able to be reformed and then be able to hold the shape?
Also, what about mink oil for the liners? Or is this to oily and a no no.
I am holding of this part until I get a bit more info.
-Benjamin
Has anybody tried and had success yet with the Gortex method of reforming helmets?
I was also wondering about the following idea:
-Instead of a plastic bag, use a 2 or 5 gal bucket with lid.
-Place the wet newsprint on the bottom of the bucket and a stand made of eggcrate material used for fluorescent light diffusers over that.
-Then make a permeable (for circulation of humid air ino the helmet) stand for the helmet.
-Cap it.
-Then follow the rest of the suggested method in the above posts.
A question though, how flexible are we trying to get?
My helmet is flexible, but dry.
I am assuming that it should become flexible enough to be able to be reformed and then be able to hold the shape?
Also, what about mink oil for the liners? Or is this to oily and a no no.
I am holding of this part until I get a bit more info.
-Benjamin
Hi Benjamin;
Lexol can be purchased from any Tandy Leather store out let. There are 2 Lexol products to purchase, a cleaner and a moisturizer. They come in plastic jugs one is orange the other brown. I am sure that you could order this on the net. I use Lexol for liners and chin straps.
Both Spikey Mikey and myself have used the G-Tex method with success. I used a large zip lock bag I had no problem in softening the shell although it was in the bag for 2 days. The shell was softened to the degreee that I could block it and re shape it. It was not soaked as would happen if you used a sink full of water. The main thing was, that there was no losss of outside finish.
Your bucket proposal would work but seems to me to be a bit of over kill when a plastic bag will do just as well. Perhaps I am just lazy! One thing I did with another shell was to leave it in the bag for approx 4 days. By that time white mold spots started to appear. So Lauries comment about mold is very true. If left in the moist environment, I have no doubt that the entire shell would become moldy. Brian
Lexol can be purchased from any Tandy Leather store out let. There are 2 Lexol products to purchase, a cleaner and a moisturizer. They come in plastic jugs one is orange the other brown. I am sure that you could order this on the net. I use Lexol for liners and chin straps.
Both Spikey Mikey and myself have used the G-Tex method with success. I used a large zip lock bag I had no problem in softening the shell although it was in the bag for 2 days. The shell was softened to the degreee that I could block it and re shape it. It was not soaked as would happen if you used a sink full of water. The main thing was, that there was no losss of outside finish.
Your bucket proposal would work but seems to me to be a bit of over kill when a plastic bag will do just as well. Perhaps I am just lazy! One thing I did with another shell was to leave it in the bag for approx 4 days. By that time white mold spots started to appear. So Lauries comment about mold is very true. If left in the moist environment, I have no doubt that the entire shell would become moldy. Brian
here is a link to Tandy leathers website, you can buy the cleaner and conditioner here!
http://www.tandyleather.com/searchprods.asp
James
http://www.tandyleather.com/searchprods.asp
James
Thanks for the links!!
I'm glad to hear of the success of this technique. I guess sometime this week I'll get started. Deep breath......and go! I mention the bucket idea, not for overkill (although sometimes I do have the tendency to possibly go overboard on things
), but just because I have those bits lying around and not any giant plastic bags or Gortex.
So are you saying 2 days 'in the can' or just a few hours in the pickelhaube sauna?
Longer time for better blocking?
Thanks,
Benjamin
I'm glad to hear of the success of this technique. I guess sometime this week I'll get started. Deep breath......and go! I mention the bucket idea, not for overkill (although sometimes I do have the tendency to possibly go overboard on things
), but just because I have those bits lying around and not any giant plastic bags or Gortex. So are you saying 2 days 'in the can' or just a few hours in the pickelhaube sauna?
Longer time for better blocking?
Thanks,
Benjamin
Hey Benjamin:
It really depends on the helmet. I would leave it in for say 4 hours and then check things out. This may be enough. Be ready with your blocking materials as the leather will dry out fairly quickly once you take it out. If using a styrofoam head form put a plastic bag over it otherwise the leather sticks to the foam and can tear. You can roll up plastic bags and use duct tape to make up little pillows/bumpers. These are pinned into place and used to push the inside of the shell up into position if you have dents in it. Have some big elastics handy, so that you can put these over the M91 side posts and stretch them around the head form. This applies pressure to the areas that are being pushed back out. You can also use these elastics to hug the rim of the shell to your form in order to get the rim back into shape. Once you have the piece blocked back into correct shape leave it for 3 days and let things dry out. Feel free to ask for more information before you get into this. Brian
It really depends on the helmet. I would leave it in for say 4 hours and then check things out. This may be enough. Be ready with your blocking materials as the leather will dry out fairly quickly once you take it out. If using a styrofoam head form put a plastic bag over it otherwise the leather sticks to the foam and can tear. You can roll up plastic bags and use duct tape to make up little pillows/bumpers. These are pinned into place and used to push the inside of the shell up into position if you have dents in it. Have some big elastics handy, so that you can put these over the M91 side posts and stretch them around the head form. This applies pressure to the areas that are being pushed back out. You can also use these elastics to hug the rim of the shell to your form in order to get the rim back into shape. Once you have the piece blocked back into correct shape leave it for 3 days and let things dry out. Feel free to ask for more information before you get into this. Brian
volkssturm
New member
Hi everybody; iam new here and as a newbie i think i need a little bit help ; i got my pickelhaube from a change (an old camera and a tea cup of the 30s for the helmet) with a dealer, who is a very busy person and had it for a long time but could never repair it and it was really destroyed, and as it is so hard for me to have one of them i took it and repaired it (i did my best effort) and finally got shape of a pickelhaube but there is a part of it i couldnt repair and also i would like to make it look better; please what shoud i do? i dont have any pictures of it but if it helps i could find a camera and take them...
cheers everybody, and good luck!!
; i got my pickelhaube from a change (an old camera and a tea cup of the 30s for the helmet) with a dealer, who is a very busy person and had it for a long time but could never repair it and it was really destroyed, and as it is so hard for me to have one of them i took it and repaired it (i did my best effort) and finally got shape of a pickelhaube but there is a part of it i couldnt repair and also i would like to make it look better; please what shoud i do? i dont have any pictures of it but if it helps i could find a camera and take them...cheers everybody, and good luck!!