+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 1 2
Results 11 to 20 of 20

Thread: WWI British MkI Brodie Helmet Restoration

Click here to increase the font size Click here to reduce the font size
  1. #11
    Contributing Member 25-5's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Last On
    Yesterday @ 03:00 PM
    Location
    1945
    Posts
    232
    Real Name
    Geoff
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    04:45 AM
    Nicely done. Enjoyed the thread.
    "He which hath no stomach to this fight,/ Let him depart." Henry V

  2. # ADS
    Friends and Sponsors
    Join Date
    October 2006
    Location
    Milsurps.Com
    Posts
    All Threads
    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

  3. #12
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last On
    Yesterday @ 10:05 PM
    Location
    Victoria BC
    Posts
    29,836
    Real Name
    Jim
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    02:45 AM
    Very nice looking...
    Regards, Jim

  4. Avoid Ads - Become a Contributing Member - Click HERE
  5. #13
    Advisory Panel
    Peter Laidler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last On
    03-24-2024 @ 09:52 AM
    Location
    Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The home of MG Cars
    Posts
    16,507
    Real Name
    Peter Laidler
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    11:45 AM
    Finding the 'right' colour of paint, even with a spec, especially an old wartime spec must be a bit of a nightmare. When I was restoring my old 1969 MIni Cooper during the early 80's I could never establish the metallic silver colour that Dunlop used to paint the wheels. So I used to carry a big wodge of silver paint mix colour chips and every time I saw a Mini or 1100 (another BMC rust bucket made from water soluble steel.....) I would lean down and see what was the closest match. There were hundreds of them! Even Dunlop just said the paint was just a 'service silver'. So I just bit the bullet and did them in a, well......., silver! Mind you, Dunlop were a bit like BMC with their lack of extravagance in paint with the motto 'never knowingly over painted'. The paint was about a micron thick. Just like the cars!

  6. Thank You to Peter Laidler For This Useful Post:


  7. #14
    Legacy Member peregrinvs's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Last On
    03-22-2024 @ 05:41 PM
    Location
    Hertfordshire, UK
    Age
    50
    Posts
    536
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    09:45 AM
    Thread Starter
    I haven't done anything new to the Brodie helmet, but I did get a ball pein hammer yesterday so watch this space...

    On the general theme of WWI Britishicon helmets, you might find this late 1930's Civil Defence helmet I recently acquired of interest. It's a MkI* helmet - a WWI MkI helmet rebuilt in the late 1930's as war clouds gathered with a new liner, chinstrap and chinstrap lugs.
    Attachment 83165Attachment 83168Attachment 83170Attachment 83167Attachment 83166Attachment 83169Attachment 83171
    This was supposedly the most common type of helmet used by the BEF in Franceicon in 1939-40 - which may explain why they are now much scarcer than the MkII helmets that replaced them.

    The black paint appears to have been applied over the original textured khaki paint. It also looks like the dents were acquired before it was refurbished, so it's tempting to imagine they'd been made by Germanicon shrapnel balls 20 years earlier. The 'HS' marking means the shell was made by Hadfields Ltd of Sheffield circa 1916-18 and the replacement liner is 1938 dated.

    I'm rather fond of it - being a 'two world wars for the price of one' helmet. It could after all have hypothetically survived incoming German ordnance during both the Battle of Passchendaele and the Blitz...
    Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night;
    God said "Let Newton be!" and all was light.

  8. #15
    Contributing Member
    bigduke6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last On
    03-25-2024 @ 09:09 PM
    Location
    North West England,UK
    Posts
    3,279
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    09:45 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by peregrinvs View Post
    but I did get a ball pein hammer yesterday so watch this space...
    Mark there is a Knack to riveting, one is the rivet is a tight fit, the other is right length, on the start you need to have the back or "made" side of the rivet on a good solid base if its rounded etc a dolly in that form is recommended, am not going to teach you suck eggs but its just the basics, if your good at knocking nails in without sore fingers then you should be ok.........

    When I was an Apprentice we had to make our own from welding rod, a lot of lads chose to do it there way....... I just listened to the instructor and followed suit, we had to form one end first, although it was suppose to be at least some form of angle most ended up like mushrooms on the first attempt, I expect your rivet to be different as we were riveting are tools together and had to be as tight as a ducks a**e..... once all done and made good you couldn't see them (if you were good)

    See link the two links below post #17, when I did a No5 bayonet and some of the tools I had to make post #16 , like an old mate of mine says, we were trained to file within a thou of an inch, now I can get it spot on.

    https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=40522&page=2

    https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=40615&page=2

  9. Thank You to bigduke6 For This Useful Post:


  10. #16
    Legacy Member peregrinvs's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Last On
    03-22-2024 @ 05:41 PM
    Location
    Hertfordshire, UK
    Age
    50
    Posts
    536
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    09:45 AM
    Thread Starter
    Phew! Sorted at last - thanks to the ball pein hammer and an anvil improvised from a large nut and bolt. It wasn't actually that difficult in the end - definitely a case of needing the right tool for the right job.
    Attachment 83231Attachment 83230Attachment 83232
    Not the neatest example, but I've never done it before and it seems to be secure so I shall count it as a success.
    Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night;
    God said "Let Newton be!" and all was light.

  11. #17
    Legacy Member peregrinvs's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Last On
    03-22-2024 @ 05:41 PM
    Location
    Hertfordshire, UK
    Age
    50
    Posts
    536
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    09:45 AM
    Thread Starter
    So that just left a final coat of paint over the exterior and adding the chinstrap. I also gave it a top coat of matt lacquer. I did this as I've been using tester pot paint which isn't intended to be permanent and I wanted to make it more durable. An additional advantage is that it gives it a slight sheen that makes it look more like an oil paint rather than emulsion.
    Attachment 83235Attachment 83236Attachment 83239Attachment 83238Attachment 83234Attachment 83237Attachment 83233
    Well it's almost finished... I have somehow managed to lose the split pin supplied to secure the open end of the chinstrap. Not a biggie as I've ordered some more in brass that should hopefully look more interesting.

    Alas though it is still imperfect as it is a MkI and it has no rim. Unfortunately I don't have the skills or kit to make a new one and I am loathe to rob one off a lesser value helmet. (Which probably wouldn't fit properly anyway) C'est la vie - it is what it is. Overall I'm very pleased with it.

    PS. And thank you to my 13 Pounder HE shell for lending its support to this photographic session.

    PPS. Not dissimilar original example on the Imperial War Museum website:
    The Brodie Helmet | National Army Museum, London
    Last edited by peregrinvs; 04-23-2017 at 04:44 PM.
    Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night;
    God said "Let Newton be!" and all was light.

  12. Thank You to peregrinvs For This Useful Post:


  13. #18
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last On
    Yesterday @ 10:05 PM
    Location
    Victoria BC
    Posts
    29,836
    Real Name
    Jim
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    02:45 AM
    Are you going to cover it with a dab of paint? Too late, you were adding as I posted. looks great now...
    Regards, Jim

  14. #19
    Contributing Member Flying10uk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Last On
    Yesterday @ 10:53 PM
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    5,075
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    09:45 AM
    I was taught that as a general rule of thumb, the amount of free rivet that you allow sticking out of the metal equates to about the diameter of the rivet. But in the real world sometimes a little more or a little less is required depending on what style of rivet head that you intend to form.

    Later edit. How can you tell the difference between a rimmed MK1 or MK1* helmet shell of WW1 vintage and a MK2 shell of WW2 vintage, ignoring any liner which may or may not be present?
    Last edited by Flying10uk; 04-24-2017 at 12:02 PM.

  15. #20
    Legacy Member peregrinvs's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Last On
    03-22-2024 @ 05:41 PM
    Location
    Hertfordshire, UK
    Age
    50
    Posts
    536
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    09:45 AM
    Thread Starter
    Quote Originally Posted by Flying10uk View Post
    How can you tell the difference between a rimmed MK1 or MK1* helmet shell of WW1 vintage and a MK2 shell of WW2 vintage, ignoring any liner which may or may not be present?
    Massively summarising... there are various differences in the shell shape, chinstrap attachments and stamped maker marks. The earliest helmets also lacked a steel rim protector. In the case of the markings, WWI Britishicon helmets tend to be marked with 2-3 letter initials followed by a 2-3 digit batch number. WWII helmets tend to have both maker marks and the year of manufacture. I suggest you have a browse through here:

    Military - Britain - The Brodie Helmet and its derivatives
    Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night;
    God said "Let Newton be!" and all was light.

  16. Thank You to peregrinvs For This Useful Post:


+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 1 2

Similar Threads

  1. British Brodie Helmet
    By spike17spiegel in forum Vintage Military Gear
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 06-21-2016, 05:18 PM
  2. Rusted brodie helmet
    By Pvt. Tommy Atkins in forum Vintage Military Gear
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-25-2012, 05:01 PM
  3. Battered British Brodie.
    By Anzac15 in forum Vintage Military Gear
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 08-03-2012, 12:29 AM
  4. Dutch issue post war Brodie helmet?
    By Anzac15 in forum Vintage Military Gear
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 06-07-2012, 03:02 AM
  5. Brodie style helmet with leather liner? normal?
    By Kman in forum Vintage Military Gear
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-16-2012, 01:54 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Raven Rocks