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Altering the shape of a repro Foreign Service Helmet
Johnny_H


Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 101
Location: Canada, Halifax Nova Scotia
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Hello,

I've just purchased a white foreign service helmet reproduction and like just about every single helmet on the market today the shape is a bit unsatisfactory. I'd like to alter the shape to make it a bit more narrow along the sides.

I've seen in the past members on this forum refer to 'steaming' a helmet to change the shape. How does one go about doing this? I assume it involves a certain amount of steam/time/straps to maintain the shape till it dry's but I don't want to fiddle around and wreck my new helmet.

Advice? Pointers? Any Feedback is well appreciated.

Helmet in question
http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_7/products_id/1376

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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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No personal experience with the process, but the idea of steaming a "cork-type material" sounds to be a "noble experiment" that probably won't have much effect beyond trashing the cover I'd be more inclined to peel back the liner and try to do something rather more mechanical with the innards. But then what do I know? I've been known to soak righteous Zulu shields in the bathtub to alter their profiles and I've also rebuilt a home service helmet with fiberglass in place of the smashed up cork. Hey, it's only money! Seriously, I tried unsuccessfully to find the site just now, Johnny, but I once saw on a museum's website their process of rebuilding/restoring an original pith helmet,so the info is out there.
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Johnny_H


Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 101
Location: Canada, Halifax Nova Scotia
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I've had some time to stew on it and try the helmet out and its not so much the shape of the helmet I think is wrong so much anymore. My face is pretty lean and the helmet looks big. I tried to get the best reproduction similar to that of a typical British foreign service helmet. Most of the Vietnam repros kicking around have too much flare and are also too big. This one seems to have the right profile it just looks big on my head Razz .

So I'm going to make a proper khaki cover for it, this should do the trick nicely. I thought about trying to alter it but since I don't know what its actually made of I have a far greater chance at destroying it rather than improving it.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

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Jolly deadly old boy! (Adendorff) "
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Mikey29211


Joined: 26 Aug 2006
Posts: 232
Location: Central Nebraska, USA
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I soaked mine (a Vietnam unit) in warm water for about 30 minutes than reshaped the helmet in in a form that i made.

I also bought an IMA helmet and it was made of hard plastic, no cork type material here..


Mike
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Johnny_H


Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 101
Location: Canada, Halifax Nova Scotia
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Come to think of it, the way it constricts and bends plastic may very well be what its made of. I never even thought of that. I'll have to get one of the Vietnam helmets and try to do the warm water thing.

Thanks

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"It looks, er, jolly simple doesn't it? (Bromhead to Adendorff)
Jolly deadly old boy! (Adendorff) "
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Altering the shape of a repro Foreign Service Helmet
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