Helmet painting
 

On the way to a trackday last summer, I attached my helmet to my bike with bungees while it was in the van but the springs from the exhaust rubbed away the paint in a couple of places and it looks awful

I'm thinking of painting my Arai condor black again but with a white strip or 2 down the middle, Le Mans style :cool: a bit like the Roof Le Mans
http://www.customlids.co.uk/images/roof/lemans_k.jpg

Your tips and advice please (i know i need to take the poly out of the helmet)

Re: Helmet painting
 

Umm, there are just far too many jokes.

You could use some Tamiya acrylics modelling paints? It seemed quite tough once cured.

Failing that you could get an airbrush and do the whole thing.

Re: Helmet painting
 

sorry for the length of my post, but i would hate to see anyone make a pigs ear of thier helmet

i have done several helmets, in my time working in a paint company laboratory.

what you will need:
spray gun - cheap will do if its not complete crap (30 to 40 quid, upto 300 quid)
masking tape 1", 2" (few pence)
fineline tape - PERFECT straight lines (you wont get from masking tape) (couple of quid)
360 grit wet & dry paper (to take the top off the existing coating) (few pence)
tack rag - to get rid of all dust from flatting down (few pence)
cartridge filter mask (25 quid)
2 pack acrylic primer (white or light grey) (price depends on quality)
basecoat (solvent based if you can get it, waterborne if you cant (whatever colours you want) (price depends on quality) ***
high solids 2 pack acrylic clear (price dependant on quality)

method:
get as much of the interior out as possible inc' visor etc
mask off the hole for your head & the hole where you look out of. (make sure you use fineline tape for the edges of the rubber seals.

flat the existing coating using the wet/dry paper (use it with warm water, which reduces the depth of the adrasions)

dry the helmet & use tack rack to remove any dust etc

make sure at this stage that all the fineline tape is still secure (if not replace it, dont try to re-attach the tape already used)

apply 1 'mist' coat of primer & allow to dry for a few minutes then apply 1 full coat. heat helps, but dont put it in the oven
(make sure you use in a very well ventilated but clean un-dusty area)

allow to fully cure & repeat the process with the wet/dry paper. (as above)

when the helmet is dry/clean & ready for topcoat (take a bit of overkill advice) remove the masking & re-do it all. it is worth the 1/2 hour to make sure everything inside is totally protected & all your edges are really well masked with fineline

tack rag again.

if you are going for black with white stripes, use the white basecoat 1st. coat the whole helmet with 1 'mist' coat & allow to dry for a few minutes then apply 1 full coat.
again allow to fully dry

mask areas (stripes) that you want to remain white & use fineline to get perfect straight lines. make sure existing masking, keeping interior sealed, is still good (if in doubt, do it again)

apply 1 'mist' coat of black & allow to dry for a few minutes then apply 1 full coat.
Check the masking again – you know the drill

Aplly one mist coat of the clear blah, blah, blah & allow the clear to fully cure (leave it overnight at least)
leave it until FULLY cured before removing ANY of the masking - dont be impatient.

end result - i groovy looking lid.


*** recent legislation means a lot of suppliers no longer have stock of solvent basecoat - waterborne is not as good, but black & white should offer no real problem

feel free to message me if you want more advice
good luck

Alan

Re: Helmet painting
 

careful they have been known to melt polystyrenes and depron materials

Re: Helmet painting
 

Not the waterbased paints which acrylics are. Perhaps you are refering to the enamel modelling paints? Acrylics are waterbased and considered a 'cold' paint.

Good post from maultin! :smt045

Re: Helmet painting
 

think i"ll leave mine its natural colour......purple:)

Re: Helmet painting
 

I tend to use chocolate with a low melting point ;)

Re: Helmet painting
 

I thought cartridge filters weren't any use for the isocyanates in 2-pack?

Not to put a downer on the DIY plan, but most people won't get a perfect result on the first go, and getting all the stuff- gun, mask, consumables- will likely work out as much as a pro job, not to mention time taken.

You can get good results with aerosols, particularily good ones- Painst4U are a good source for singlepack aerosols (rather than the more common cellulose, which is frankly rubbish, very soft- one of my front panels was redone with celluslose clearcoat after a crash, and insects can leave impact craters :smt099

Re: Helmet painting
 

acrylics are difinately not 'all' waterbased. i sell solvented acrylics everyday. 2 packs, for automotive use, are acrylics
i would never think of using modellers paints of any type - not nearly strong enough

Re: Helmet painting
 

you are quite correct - cartridge filters will not remove all isocyanates, but the alternative is a mask with an independant air supply. 200+ quid (before you consider how to get the air supply to the mask ;)

for the purposes of using a very small amount, although not strinctly right, a good quality cartridge filter mask will do a good job.
http://www.arco.co.uk/product/?BV_Se...6900&OID=18418