Helmet sizes : Can a helmet somehow be enlarged ?

[Theodosius the Great]

Avete,

Are there any armorers here ?

I'm wondering if it's possible to expand a helmet that has a tight fit.

Could pounding the inside with a hammer be a possible method ?

If not, could someone please recommend another approach ?

REMEMBER I'M ONLY TALKING MILLIMETERS HERE

My Italic 'H' finally arrived but the fit is tight for my 23.5" head without any padding :o

Thanks in advance for any helpful ideas,

~Theo

[Virilis]

Theo, can you tell me if the helmet is too tight from side to side or from front to back? If it is too tight from front to back "squashing" the helmet will help, believe me (it also works with a helmet too tight from side to side, I just have not done it yet :wink: )!

Just be careful not to break the brow quard while bending the helmet, they are usually cast metal (Deepeeka). You can always remove the quard before bending. You can have one cm of extra room with this method. Try to squash the helmet (perhaps against a table corner with a cushion) little by little from different angles, not from one place at side...

If the helmet is too tight overall, this all has been in vain :x ...

[rusty myers]

If there is room on the sides, you can "press" the helm a bit to give more front to back room. We have done several on a carpeted floor, and you can get 2-4 mm fine that way (trick is having room on the sides). Basically you lay it as flat as you can on one side and press hard several times on the opposite side. Be careful of the ear flaps, but they can bend back out if one bends a bit. It will take more force than you think, but we have never damaged a helm this way. I think a huge vice would do it too, just do not have one.

Otherwise the Gallic A runs larger than the other Deepeeka helms (assuming you have a deepeeka).

[rusty myers]

Good idea to remove the guard. Never thought of that before!

[Virilis]

I have squashed all my Deepeeka helmets for a better fit (they are big enough but too wide...). I have also removed the cheek quards and bent both the hinges of cheek quards and the hinges of the bowl inwards. In this way you can have a much better fitting/looking helmet...

When you bend a helmet bowl (when the brow quard has been removed) some might fear that the quard won`t fit anymore after the operation. This is not a big problem, the quards tends to be placed so high on the bowl that the effect is very little there.

[Tarbicus]

If it's the new Italic D or Krefeld helmet, the browguards can be easily removed by unscrewing the bolts securing them.

[Virilis]

If it's the new Italic D or Krefeld helmet, the browguards can be easily removed by unscrewing the bolts securing them.

...and they are the only Deepeeka models which don`t need bending inwards in the first place hock: !!!

[Hibernicus]

Placing the helmet in a large vice works very well.
Removing any extraneous attached bits can facilitate the reshaping

Striking the vice several times with a hammer while the helmet is under stress can help realign the molecules and reduces spring back. Works better with CR steel, not as well with alloys deepeeka tends to employ.

You can also anneal the steel, heat plus slow cooling. This'll make it easier to reshape by vicing! .. but you may need to do some serious buffing and polishing.

[Tarbicus]

...and they are the only Deepeeka models which don`t need bending inwards in the first place hock: !!!

Even though I've got a small head, my Italic D is one of the closest fits front to back and I ended up squashing it a tiny bit.

[Primvs Pavlvs]

I have "squashed" a couple Deepeeka helmets.

First I removed the browguard, and cheekplates. Then place the helmet in a board vice. The type that woodworkers use, and consists of two small clamps that fit on a pipe. This way you are only limited to the length of the pipe. These clamps can easily be purchased for under 10 dollars from Harbor Freight.

I agree with Hibernicus that hammering the helmet while in the vice will help to keep it from springing back once removed from the vice. I hammered mine with a brass hammer to prevent blemishes to the metal.

[Theodosius the Great]

Theo, can you tell me if the helmet is too tight from side to side or from front to back? If it is too tight from front to back "squashing" the helmet will help, believe me

Yes, Virilis, the pressure is great on the forehead but not the sides. Squashing seems to make a lot of sense ! Thanks !

you can get 2-4 mm fine that way

I'll take it, Rusty. Every mm counts !

Placing the helmet in a large vice works very well.

Great idea, Centurio. I shall shop around for one today

First I removed the browguard, and cheekplates. Then place the helmet in a board vice.

Good thinking, Paul ! I better take those precautions. I just wonder what tool to use to remove the browguard. Any suggestions ?





Thanks, everyone !

I didn't expect so many to respond so quickly. I'm clearly not the only one with this problem. :wink:

~Theo

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

If it's the new Italic D or Krefeld helmet, the browguards can be easily removed by unscrewing the bolts securing them.

Same with the Neidermomter brothers..., both of which are a little tight front to back.

Strange tho' I thought that was a feature that had been removed for authenticity reasons!

[Virilis]

Theo, you don`t have to remove the browquard in my opinion. The squashing will happen quite close to the edge of the bowl and won`t affect the browquard. In addition the squashing will make the bowls sides look more vertical (looking at he front side) and better :wink: !

You will see that a gentle squashing against a cushioned table-corner will give surprisngly plenty of room...

[Hibernicus]

I suggested hammering the VICE not the helmet to help realign the molecules and reduce spring back.

We've done both.. hammering the vice and the helmet.

My helmet has been worked with a hammer to improve its look, reduce the perfection of machining.

A nice way to reduce external hammer marks is to use a leather sand bag and hammer the inside.

[M. Demetrius]

Wouldn't one of those wooden furniture clamps work? Or a pipe clamp with a thin board next to the metal? You can increase the pressure easily and without impact that might crack the metal, seems like.