Removing paint from a helmet

chinstrap

chinstrap

Active member
Obviously this isn't a pickelhaube, but I'd like to pick the brains of those of you who are into restoration.This is a 19th century Staffordshire Yeomanry Albert pattern helmet which I bought recently. It's in excellent condition, except that when I cleaned it up what looked like tarnished white metal fittings (which would be correct) came up looking like brass. They are not, however, as the back of the helmet plate and the decorative band under the rosettes is white metal. It therefore seems to have been painted but it must have been done exceptionally well as there's no sign of paint on the helmet around the intricate decorative bands which are riveted on, and couldn't have been taken off for painting. I know there are a variety of products which will strip the 'brass' paint, particularly if used with ultra fine steel wool, and I'm wondering about taking the fittings back to the white metal.However, whilst I can remove most of the elements to to do this, I would have to do the decorative bands and peak trim in situ and I'm concerned that anything I do, even very carefully, may also damage the japanning, which I understand is oven heated paint. Can anybody comment or advise?

Better still, does anybody know a legitimate reason why the fittings on a Staffs helmet should have been changed in this way?

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Thanks

Patrick
 
Tricky thing to do! Best advice I can give you is leave it as it is!
But if you realy feel the urge to act; I would advice you to find out what kind of paint it is; first thing.
Based on that result a better advice can be given.
cheers
|<ris
 
Thanks. Logic and instinct tell me to leave well alone,but I guess I'm just exploring the art of the possible!

Patrick
 
I could give you all sorts of advices.
But knowing the characteristics of the paint will make it easier to pick a methode.
Methyl ethyl ketone is one I use the most, because the vapors are very efficient (the less you have to rub, the best it is. Don't use steel wool, even fine!!). But beware MEK vapors(when left open!) can melt you intyrely car interior down, over night! I don't think it would affect the oven heated paint, because it doesn't affect car body paint in the time it consumes the plastics!
So knowing what paint you are dealing with is imperative.
cheers
|<ris
 
Kris

Thanks. Somebody on another forum has commented that it looks more like brass-plating than paint. I don't know anything about this technology, but why leave the metal under the rosettes white? The same question obviously applies if it is indeed paint. Whatever has been done has been done carefully, so it seems bizarre not to go to the trouble of removing the rosettes to do the job properly.

Joe

I'm sure it's not patina.I had to give the whole helmet a good clean when I bought it as it stank of cigarette smoke, and ,as I've said, I thought the white metal had tarnished. When the metal still came up looking like brass, I even wondered if it was nicotine stain, but I've tried various cleaning (not stripping) techniques on a small area on the back hidden by the plume and nothing changes.

I've done quite a bit of research and can find no examples of these helmets with brass fittings, but I know that there were sometimes variations from 'standard' in Yeomanry Regiments,so I'm going to see if there's a regimental museum still in existence.

Patrick
 
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