@averymoser8606 they have some rust killer called Ospho if I'm pronounced it right. I tried some on some rust on another project and I sprayed it with Ospho and it's like a green liquid in a hand spray bottle. It turns the rust from orange to black and it will soak into the rust, and stop the rust from spreading. It also turns the rust a black color. You did a good job, and I hope to see more like it in the future
What a waste ! Obviously, not enough cork and not enough paint ! At least, 5 coats of paint should have been sprayed (two cans) ! By this way, you should get the cork completely covered by the paint ! This is my personnal recipe and the result is really satisfying (i have restored three M1 helmets yet) ! Don't forget that industrial military paints were thick !
First, i do strip the old paint, then I do drop the helmet into a bath of oxalic acid (to make the old rust disappear), then i do wash the helmet (with soapy water) and rince it; then I do spray a first coat of primer, then, olive drab spray paint ( sympacolor "kaki mat 1936-1944"). Before it gets dry, i do throw and pour some cork pieces. And because i do drink wine (yes, i am a french guy !), I do use my own bottle corks ! I do grind my corks with an old manual coffee mill, from the fifties (the perfect texture). The pieces of cork should be deeply covered with paint ! At the end, you can consider you've done a good job when the cork stays in place, while scratching the helmet surface with your nails !
