Saturday, January 23, 2016

How To Refurbish Hand Painted Fire Helmet Shields

By Janet Snyder


Firefighting helmets have been in existence for centuries. Their function is to provide maximum protection to the head. They safeguard it from cold, cinder, and falling objects. The head being a vital part of a human being require cautious guarding. The helmets have been changing since they were discovered many years ago. The materials used for their construction has tremendously changed, but the shape has been retained. Traditional helmets were made of leather, but leather is a material that has been retained to date. Those constructed from hard and durable materials such as metals and plastics are available. Understanding the repair process for the hand painted fire helmet shields is advantageous.

Back in the 1880s, an unknown sculptor designed a helmet and positioned it on a grave of a firefighter who had volunteered in firefighting. The headgear was named brass and beaver. They were embraced later on as firefighting protective structures. It is simple to repair these structures in case of damages. Practicing is the only trick of mastering the refurbishing procedure. It is important to find out the materials that required for the repairing procedure. Established online retailers such as eBay offer the supplies at an affordable cost.

The interior part should be in good state. Examine the lining for presence of worn spots or tears. Metal one may have missing, broken, and cracked portions. This portion deserves to be replaced. After identification of both external and internal damages, the next step is purchasing the necessary supplies. Materials for brand new earflaps plus lining may be required. The shield may require fresh paint, furnace cement to cover cracks or holes.

It is imperative to ensure important supplies are available onsite before beginning the refurbishing process. Pliers, knives, sandpapers, and linseed oils are key suppliers to include in the shopping list. The shield and any other hardware must be removed prior to repairing. These items can be placed in a box, and positioned in a secure place. They also need to be polished or cleaned using a sandpaper. Replacing a broken or damaged hardware is paramount.

Leather made helmet can be sanded by use of a grit sandpaper to eliminate old paint. Those that have stunning filigree must be handled with care to avoid sanding it off. Such areas require a slow scuffing motion. It is important to note that the leather is coated with linseed oil that is boiled. Therefore, during the paint removal some bit of oil should be added.

The furnace cement fixes holes, gaps, and cracks effectively. The cement has property of resisting damage inflicted by extremely high temperature. Old cement should be removed, and fresh one installed. Fingers can be used to achieve a tight pack.

Leather fire headgear needs few coats of paint. The first one must be a mixture of boil linseed lubricant and paint, which forms a fitted resilient seal. The helmet must be given time to dry. Later, several additional layers of paints can be added.

Important structures such as traps must be protected during the refurnishing procedure. Experience professionals recommend mounting or handing of the helmet. Flat hard surfaces have tendency of damaging it.




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