Hey everyone. I'm new to the forum. I'm working on a 14th century build and recently acquired a pig faced bascinet. The helmet came with carriage bolts and nuts for the visor fastener and unlined. The visor is extremely loose and won't stay up. even when I tighten it down a lot it looses after opening a few times and still doesn't stay up. I bought some bottom head or aircraft rivets but don't think i can get enough leverage on the inside of the helmet to pien them over. Just wondering if anyone had and hints or advice on what to do. I tried searching the topic and hope that in posting this in the correct place.


Thank you!
Mike

Unfortunately this is a very common issue with modern reproductions. Antique examples show how medieval armourers often dealt with this problem by placing the visor's pivots at slightly different heights from each other, so the visor runs a little twisted/crooked when raised and the tension and friction from this play a major part in keeping the visor up.

Thank you for the reply. Yeah I read someplace about doing that. Worst case I'll do that. I'm just trying to figure out how I can mushroom over the rivets on the inside. Very hard because there isn't much room to piece them over. They're 1/4 steel dome or round rivets.

You could install a spring-pin on the inside of the helm. This would pop out under the visor whenever you raise it. :) .....McM

Its always easier to peen a rivet on the outside of a helmet. Support the work over a pipe or bar chucked up in a vise or heavily clamped to a table.

Put the rivet head inside with the shank exposed outside the shell. Put an over-large washer over the rivet and carefully peen the shank down. The washer will protect against wayward hammer strokes marring the helmet shell or visor arm. Gently file away any peen marks for a smooth finish.