Fire Resistant Cotton

After nearly 2 months of sourcing materials and ordering new suspension liners the firefighting-rescue helmets are up to date! I’ve constructed sweat band liners with a thin foam pad that uses elastic to hold it in place. Ratchet covers with another thin layer of foam with snap closures like the originals. Crown pads with a layer of foam with Velcro holding it onto the original pad. The double fold bias trim I made was difficult to finish and make look good due to the thickness, its easy to see it in the crown pad photo. Not perfect but will work just fine for our needs.

At first I was reluctant to add foam of any kind. I ordered some any way to test it then decide if I’d use it on my project. After doing a burn test on the 1/8″ foam and watching the product be almost completely consumed by the flame turning into a thin black stream of smoke with no dripping or melting of any kind I decided I would be willing to take the risk. What sold me was there was no dripping or melting, plus I would have all of the foam be completely enclosed in Nomex twill. Plus I could easily blow out and snuff out with a bare finger the open flame emitted when freely burning.

The end result is I have a much more comfortable helmet. And a bag full of extra replacement parts in case I need to clean them, or replace them for some reason. I like the fact that I can now outfit a completely new or unfamiliar Phenix First Due 1500 in a matter of minutes and be back in service quickly. I can use this on any of the 1500’s and from the looks of it maybe all of Phenix Helmet lines.

Thats all for now on the helmet updates. I will be searching for new 1 x 4 Reflexite Helmet Strips to replace the seeming good old ones. The old ones reflect light perfectly it’s the typical edge curling I always see with aging reflexite helmet strips. Look at any helmet that has had them on for more than I’d guess 2 years and you’ll see the edge curl. I really like those things except for that pesky fact. I’ve also learned over the years to buy a sheet of them not just what you think you will need. They will come off unexpectedly and end up in your hair or other weirdness sometimes so it pays to be ready.

I think the Scotchlite brands works as well to reflect light, they just don’t have the same

eye appeal to me as the way the Reflexite strips do. The appeal to me is the sort of electric feel they have when I see them as opposed to the more dull look of the Scotchlite brand. So, soon I’ll do a search for replacements. I think that’s all. -13

Sweatband.

Setting snaps in the ratchet cover.

Ratchet cover complete.

Rear view of ratchet cover.

Inside view of ratchet cover.

Crown pad cover layout from original.

1/8″ Foam used throughout project

Crown pads complete with Velcro attachment. Note the not so perfect binding.

The finished kit- crown pad, sweat band, ratchet cover, earlaps and storage bag made for our Phenix 1500 helmets.

Helmets complete! What it all looks like when I finished.

Originally posted Jun 9, 2016 @ 01:24 on WordPress.

Earlaps and goggle cover finished! I had no idea how difficult it would be to film or photograph a project as I worked on it. Stopping during the process doesn’t work so well. I’ll have to do more staging then let the cameras capture whatever. I only want to capture the action and essential information. Leave out the filler, and me.

I replaced the suspension liner in our Phenix First Due helmets within the last couple weeks since the other ones had deteriorated so much and unexpectedly. Phenix needs to look into the longevity of the foam choices because they don’t hold up over time. The liners are old, 10 years, but I expected as well as I take care of my helmet that the foam would not turn to powder. My helmet wasn’t the only one.

I didn’t want to pay 20+ for earlaps and didn’t like the way they looked or mounted so I decided to make my own. Two for each helmet that way we can always have one available while the other is getting laundered, repaired or replaced. I also didn’t like the velcro-tab mounting option so I used snaps. Not sure how but I managed to mess up the snap placement on one side. It’s not perfect but it works. The important thing is the cover is in place and no burned earlobes and or any ear part or my neck!

Plus I get to choose the materials against my skin. I’m picky about materials with skin contact. I used 4.5 oz. Drifire fabric for the inside of the earlap and a 7 oz. nomex/cotton blend twill outside and flame retardant cotton/nylon for the binding, nomex thread. I recycled velcro from other helmets. I had new binders to work with and material so I made the goggle cover first.

For the goggle cover I recycled the bag the goggles came in. Ripped out the seams and sewed that rectangle to a piece of nomex the same size. Then used one of the new binders I just purchased and bound the edges. Went well but I’d like to be able to finish the ends a little better. The reflective material was recycled from an old safety vest.
The next projects for the helmets will be a cover that goes over the ratchet, a cover for the chinstrap leather and a crown pad. -13