Helmet Restoration Question

[Bank Vault]

I have a M42 I picked up some time back that has the original OD green paint on it, but unfortunatly someone paint it black (very poorly). I was chipping some away, but this is slow and ineffective. I've tried lightly with steel wool and with acetone and no luck. I have considered taking it to metal and repainting it (for display purposes of course). Any thoughts on this or something else I could try first?

Charlie

[Mr. Scratch]

Can you post some pictures of the helmet, and where you've chipped off the paint?

[iguana15]

Try a coarse rag with acetone,let it sit on the paint for a couple minutes,rub hard. This worked for me on a black helmet.Be careful when you hit the real paint.

[Bank Vault]

I haven't tried that yet. Like regular wash cloth? I'll have to try that and see what happens. Cause if I can get it off without destroying the original finish I would prefer that method. Thank you.

[floriskok]

Do NOT use steel wool AND do NOT chip away the paint with a sharp object,
this will only damage the original paint underneath the postwar black paint!!!

The best solution is to buy "paint remover" and to do small areas at a time.
Work very slowly and try not to damage the original paint.

[Bank Vault]

I was using acetone and the previously suggested method and looking at the green paint underneath the black, the green isn't even the original paint, it is like a Russian green or Spanish green. Where the decals would have been has been ground. The shell is a M42 German but it has already been taken to bare metal and repainted twice. This helmet has already been refurbed for foreign use. Thank you for the help guys but I think this is calling for new paint and staying in my collection because I despise fakes of any kind being released. I mainly took it out of storage to display it with a K98 I am going to buy in the future. It was neat pulling the liner and find it stamped 1937 though. Still I didn't go wrong on the helmet for $45 dollars. The liner is probably worth that. Thanks again guys.