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Posted: 7/15/2012 3:35:41 PM EDT
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I have one that I picked up cheap and Id like to have one of the newer style ACHs, but dont want to spend the money.
Somebody on here mentioned cutting helmets. Is this the norm, or even acceptable, and how is it done? |
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I am the person who used to do it. I did it by hand, with a Dremel rotary tool and a diamond cutting wheel designed for cutting hardened steel, and I burned out motors at a rate of about one per 3-4 helmet shells and cutting bits at about one per ten. It's very hard on the motor, but with patience and good ventilation you can cut a shell to get exactly what you want.
Take eyepro and good ventilation seriously, you will get Kevlar dust ERRYWHERE. When you're done, take a lighter and clean up any loose strands (Kevlar burns, not melts), and repaint. Sealing the edges is not necessary, the helmet is densely-packed fiber and resin and Kevlar is not a hollow-core fiber. Nothing will be "soaking into" it as some claim. You may still want to use some auto body putty or rubber cement to make the edges a little more user-friendly, but it serves no purpose with regards to helmet's integrity or protection level. |
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Just don't try to force it, let the cutting wheel do the work for you. If you try and go too fast, you will risk faster motor burnout, and you will burn Kevlar (you'll smell it). It takes a little practice to get it just right, but then it's smooth sailing and the hard part becomes finding shells cheap enough to chop up for projects.
Also, if you're planning on throwing away the scrap pieces when you're done - I'll take them and comp you for the shipping. |
| OK, I’m a little confused…. My helmet is currently set up with a 2-point strap with the only two holes and screws mounting the strap and connecting to the hat just in front of the ears. The chinstrap I want to upgrade to has 4 straps, the current , in the front and two that should attach somewhere around the base of the skull… those are the ones that I don't want to set wrong... |
| Did your helmet have an internal webbing suspension mounted via six holes around the crown? That's what PASGT helmets had, and those are the holes I was referring to. If you have a helmet with only two holes drilled, then you must have an aftermarket model and you will need to measure and drill new ones. |
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