About the service
I run a small workshop dedicated to restoring antique brass diving helmets — the heavy, riveted twelve-bolt and three-light style helmets used by hard-hat divers from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. Each commission starts with a full strip-down: the corselet, bonnet, breastplate collar and spitcock are separated, catalogued and photographed before any polishing begins, so nothing is reassembled out of order.
The brass and copper shell is hand-polished in stages — from coarse compound to a mirror finish — with dents raised from the inside using dollies and slappers rather than filled with body putty, which cracks and discolours within a few years. Split or corroded seams along the riveted joints are re-riveted with period-correct brass rivets, not modern pop rivets, and every seam is pressure-tested afterward to confirm it will actually hold air.
Faceplate glass is a common failure point: I replace cracked or clouded portholes with new tempered glass cut to the original bezel dimensions, bed it in fresh gasket material, and re-seat the brass retaining rings so the seal is watertight rather than merely decorative. Air inlet valves, exhaust valves and the spitcock fitting are disassembled, cleaned of verdigris, fitted with new leather or rubber seats, and function-tested under air pressure before the helmet leaves the bench.
Once the mechanical work is done, the shell receives a protective clear lacquer finish (or is left in bare polished brass on request) to slow future tarnishing without giving the piece an artificially new appearance — collectors generally want honest age retained in the patina of the corselet while the bonnet gleams. Typical turnaround is two to three weeks depending on rivet and glass condition; I send progress photographs at each stage and provide a written condition report with before-and-after documentation suitable for insurance or resale purposes. Display stands and humidity-controlled crating for shipping are available as add-ons.
The brass and copper shell is hand-polished in stages — from coarse compound to a mirror finish — with dents raised from the inside using dollies and slappers rather than filled with body putty, which cracks and discolours within a few years. Split or corroded seams along the riveted joints are re-riveted with period-correct brass rivets, not modern pop rivets, and every seam is pressure-tested afterward to confirm it will actually hold air.
Faceplate glass is a common failure point: I replace cracked or clouded portholes with new tempered glass cut to the original bezel dimensions, bed it in fresh gasket material, and re-seat the brass retaining rings so the seal is watertight rather than merely decorative. Air inlet valves, exhaust valves and the spitcock fitting are disassembled, cleaned of verdigris, fitted with new leather or rubber seats, and function-tested under air pressure before the helmet leaves the bench.
Once the mechanical work is done, the shell receives a protective clear lacquer finish (or is left in bare polished brass on request) to slow future tarnishing without giving the piece an artificially new appearance — collectors generally want honest age retained in the patina of the corselet while the bonnet gleams. Typical turnaround is two to three weeks depending on rivet and glass condition; I send progress photographs at each stage and provide a written condition report with before-and-after documentation suitable for insurance or resale purposes. Display stands and humidity-controlled crating for shipping are available as add-ons.
