This is for those of you that have looked at their helmet over and over and thought, " Man I sure would like to paint it different to match my bike or jacket", and wondered how.
First some disclaimers:
1. I am not a professional painter nor claim to be.
2. The recommendations are from my project and lessons learned while doing it.
3. I know my helmet did not come out perfect nor did I expect it to..(so post comments with that in mind)
4. My helmet is old..I know..that's why I attempted to paint it and took the chance of a disaster! (Fully expecting the worse)
OK, that out of the way where did I start? First, I looked at my helmet over and over..again and came up with some ideas in my head of what I wanted to do. Not being and artist at all I still drew rough sketches and tried out different designs.
*TIP* drawing it out and using the colors I was thinking of really helped me eliminate bad ideas and create good doable, realistic designs.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/drawing2.jpg)
and with color..
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/drawing1.jpg)
so as you can see by the drawings you can conceptualize what it will look like.
where is the picture of the finished helmet?
Day 1: So first thing I had to do was take off all of the hardware I was willing to and start sanding.
*TIP* Most helmets are made out of fiberglass, plastic or some sort of composite material. Power tools on helmets for sanding is a bad idea. Everything that I did was with 150,200, and 400 grit sand paper by hand!
I used a glazing compound to fill all of the dings, chips, scratches, and defects. I did my best to start with the smoothest surface I could. Also I taped up all of the things I didn't feel like cleaning up before painting. Sanding and glazing makes a huge mess so take the time to protect what you can to save time later.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet001.jpg)
A valid question here is why did I keep the factory stickers? I wanted a custom helmet that still could pass as a factory helmet. Why? :) Just because. Yes it was a pain to trace them with a razor after masking but in the end I think it was worth it.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet002.jpg)
As you might notice there is a lot of glazing. I had huge chips, deep! from dropping my helmet on the blacktop the day I bought it. Don't ask!
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet003.jpg)
*TIP* For every minute spent on prep, it will pay huge dividends in the end as you will see. In other words spend the time to get it right here! If you think you will see a blemish it means you will and you probably missed many more!
Also, you might notice my professional painting booth and the block of wood under the helmet. Point being, it doesn't take much space to do this. Keep it clean! Dust loves wet paint! The block of wood made life for me very simple. During the painting process I never had to touch the helmet and could turn it using the wood in any direction I wanted. I guess that should be a *TIP*
Cool project, but are you actually planning on riding in such an old helmet that you have dropped on the blacktop? I don't think I would trust that thing to perform properly in a crash.
Day 1 + 4: At this point I have sanded all parts that were going to be painted and repaired all defects. I lightly cleaned the helmet with mineral spirits. I wasn't sure if it would harm the helmet material but I tested an area and it seemed fine so that's what I used to clean it before painting.
*TIP* Before painting after sanding there is a lot of foreign material on the helmet. Just the oil from your hands will cause defects so clean the helmet and don't touch the painting area. (Know your helmet and be careful what cleaning material you decide to use)
Having a general idea of what colors I was going to use and the fact that the helmet was originally red I decided to use red as the base coat. Now generally I guess this would not matter but in my case I found out when everything was finished this turned out to be a lucky and good decision. Why? because it was the predominant color and actually hid some defects in the paint when I finished.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet005.jpg)
This is the first coat of "Sunrise Red" Krylon rattle can paint. YES, I said rattle can Home Depot off the shelf paint. I will talk about "Rattle Can" paint tips later there are some important things I learned that I will share.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet006.jpg)
As you can tell some parts came out very smooth others very rough. I have read the horror stories about painting helmets, paint not adhering, bubbling, orange peeling and things like that so I knew what I was in for and what to expect. Overall I was happy with the results of the first coat.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet008.jpg)
Immediately I noticed flaws I missed. Remember when I said every minute on prep saves time in the end? Why? Prior to painting adding glazing and sanding it down is rather quick over all. Once painted you have to wait for the paint to dry enough to begin sanding again and doing repairs. Also you run the risk of a material mismatch of the filler you are using and the paint. It's just harder and time consuming!
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet044.jpg)
After that being said in my case....it actually turned out to be a blessing...minus the additional time it took. Why? it brought to my attention things I missed and I had the opportunity to correct them and the glazing was compatible with the paint. Important note here is that after correcting my mistakes I lightly cleaned the helmet again with mineral spirits and let it fully dry before painting it again. At this point the only thing left to do for the day was get some sleep and let the base coat dry over night.
Day 2: Ah! a new day and lot's of energy. Right! I guess I will start this with what not to do! I'll admit, I was getting excited at my progress and results so I just had to see.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet041.jpg)
I wanted to see what it woud look like so I put on the visor. DON'T DO THIS! Resist the temptation. First the paint was dry to the touch but it had not cured and was soft. It would have been fine for additional coats of paint but not for hardware. I severely scratched the paint where the lower part of the sheild meets the helmet.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet043.jpg)
Any way damage done, so here is what it looked like. I took off the visor and began sanding down the damage and repainted the area. My punishment for being stupid and doing this was lots of sanding and cleaning and adding another day of drying . :icon_sad:
*TIP* Rattle can tip #1 Ok rattle can paint is relatively cheap right? Even if you turned the can upside down as recommended after painting, the tip will never paint correctly again. Throw the unused paint away or save the can for another less important project that doesn't require smooth even painting. After finishing my project some one told me soaking the tip in mineral spirits over night cleans the tip very well. I did'nt know this and didn't do this so I don't know if it works.
Day 3: So all damage was done, corrected and lesson learned I began masking the helmet. I masked everything and closed all openings to the inside of the helmet. I didn't want overspray or fumes to get in the fabric material inside the helmet.
*TIP* Tape..I learned this by accident. Buy new fresh tape and not too wide. Why new tape? It is more flexable which is crucial for masking something so curved as a helmet and...if you have ever masked and painted something before, paint loves to bleed under the tape. New tape adheres much better then tape that has been sitting around ageing. I used 2" wide tape which turned out to be the right choice. Too wide creates wrinkles for the tape to seep under and too thin creates more work and more importantly raises the level of the paint when adding designs on a base coat, ridges form from the paint puddling next to the tape. Try your best to only mask over one layer of tape.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet051.jpg)
After taping I used a pencil (lightly!), a fabric measuring tape and an exacto knife (sharp, sharp, sharp!) I recommend buying a new knife or blades for your knife, corners are a pain and having a sharp blade and cutting ONCE! creates a cleaner edge and corner. I used the fabric tape to trace arcs in my design and to measure and position the designs as exact as I could.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet050.jpg)
I don't know why but in this picture the tape edges look very rough, they weren't. As you can see some designs are cut out and you can see my pencil trace on the back. I guess at this point I should describe how I cut out the designs. I attempted to use the measuring tape to guide the razor but after cutting into the tape a couple of times I found that bracing your palm firmly on the helmet, never raising the blade once starting a cut, and taking your time gave me the results I wanted.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet052.jpg)
Was it perfect? NO, remember I am not a professional and this is my first attempt, so I was happy with the results. I might add here that if you're paying attention the design I cut out looks nothing like my drawings. Why? after it was all taped up I realized my original design was too complex for the first try at this so I settled on something simpler.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet055.jpg)
So I painted my design with..you guessed it...Home Depot rattle can gloss black. Here is where I learned rattle can tip #1. I had used the black paint on something before and diligently turned it upside down to clean the tip when finished. Wrong! I am not sure if it was just the black paint or what, even after test spraying before the helmet as soon as I sprayed the helmet disaster struck! The paint came out in large blobs and my heart sank. I just ruined my project. But wait, I had another new can... I quickly grabbed it and began to shake it for 5 minutes + (which I might add I did everytime before painting just to make sure) and started spraying over the disaster and as luck would have it the paint splatters flattened out and as you can see after 2 coats came out pretty good! Nothing left to do but get some sleep and let it dry. Before I fell asleep I thought, "Man that black sure looks good and mean I wonder what it would look like if I painted the whole thing bla..............."
keep the posts coming. :) this is interesting.
Quote from: Bluesmudge on June 06, 2009, 09:44:18 PM
Cool project, but are you actually planning on riding in such an old helmet that you have dropped on the blacktop? I don't think I would trust that thing to perform properly in a crash.
This has been discussed in the past (still differing opinions). Unless you dropped it off a three-story building and it cracked the shell, this is a non-issue.
A helmet that has been in a crash is a
totally different story. The crucial part of the helmet is the deformable styrofoam inside; once compressed in a crash, it should never be re-used.
It is extremely likely that dropping the helmet on the pavement didn't hurt a thing. There was nothing inside the helmet to compress the styrofoam, and the fall is not enough to damage the shell. I'm Mister Safety (ATGATT) and I see absolutely NO problem in resusing a helmet that has fallen on the blacktop (unless it fell with my head in it).
Thanks for the clarification Trumpet guy. I guess I should define deep chips in reference to my project. When I say deep I mean from a painted surface being repainted perspective. They were not into the helmet fiber shell but definitely could not be corrected by paint alone. I wanted a glass surface on the entire helmet so I repaired them before painting. And no my head was not in the helmet when it was dropped, my head was in another place :)
Quote from: JB848 on June 07, 2009, 07:39:06 AM
when it was dropped, my head was in another place :)
And we don't want to know where. :nono:
Very interesting idea and I can't wait to see how it turns out. :cheers:
Day 4 1/2: I painted the black design early in the morning so it had over 24 hours to dry so I decided to bite the bullet and pull off the masking and see what the damage was. Actually I was so excited and couldn't wait any longer..I should have to be safe. I fully expected there to be bleeding black paint everywhere into the red that I had masked off. To my surprise?
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet056.jpg)
Overall it came out OK. It was the results I willing to accept being a garage rattle can first time paint job. I was very happy with the job I did on the factory stickers. I was prepared for them to peel off with the tape but they didn't :icon_razz:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet057.jpg)
To be honest...I was happy with my efforts and results but the stripes.....I didn't like it. Too plain, too like plain, and it was just...plain.
Wait! you said don't put on the hardware the paint is still soft! Yes, I did. I was very careful and did not close the sheild until.....
Day 5: I didn't mention this in the beginning but I foolishly expected to be done in 2 days tops.
*TIP* If you have 2 days to do a project like this...plan on 4 days plus just in case.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet058.jpg)
Considering I did all the cutting of the masking free hand with no experience under my belt I was VERY happy how the stripe came out around the vent.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet059.jpg)
Yes, I know the stripe on the right side of the picture is a little crooked. Did I mention this was my first try?
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet060.jpg)
I thought the top looked cool and came out pretty straight but....something was missing..it was too plain! So to cheer myself up I decided to browse GSTwins and read stories and get ideas and ended up on EBAY!
i agree it looks simple... but it looks pretty good. nice job! :D
I'll get back to the Ebay story later. I wondered how my, as dorris commented "simple" helmet would look with my bike while riding so I put them together.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet012.jpg)
Right away I noticed that the white from the bike, even though there is very little it was jumping out at me. Some how some way I needed white in the design on my helmet.
Painting plastic with spray paint is pretty difficult, it's best to use spray paint that's meant for plastic like kylon fusion. It will bond much better to plastic, or the best ones would be a urethane based spray paint like one for polycarbonate. These types of paint bond with the plastic much better. But if you're going for the type of look you have I think it's best to just buy a red helmet and add vinyl decals. You can buy whole sheets and cut out your own design or even have a sign shop make you a design for not too much money.
Put some white reflective take stripes on it :thumb:
Wow, in my opinion that turned out pretty sweet. Definitely a great job for a first timer. Hmm, maybe I should take a jab at that helmet I bummed off my friend a while ago...
Not too shabby! No clear coat though?
Now for info for your next paint job...
I believe that they paint helmets with the same/very similar stuff and method you'd paint a car with esp the plastics like the bumper, so next time try autozone instead of homedespot. That also means most info you can find for painting a car will apply.
Also, my understanding is usually you want to do a light coat, let dry, sand with 600-1k grit sandpaper, and repeat as many times as you can stand to get that perfectly smooth paint. Obviously that takes way more time, but can pay off.
That said I'm impressed.
Cool project! Thanks for the writeup. I would like to stress to other people who might consider doing this: do not ever, under any circumstance, let spray paint come in contact with the styrofoam shell! When I used to do a lot of foundry work and styrofoam evacuation casting, one of the best ways to get styrofoam to have a really cool texture was to lightly spray paint it. The paint eats through the foam really fast and leaves really interesting peaks and valleys. Cool for art, but very very bad for head protection.
Well thank you all for the posts and comments. But who ever said the project was finished? I just revealed what it looked like after adding black stripes. More to come! And more tips.
:thumb:
So like I said I felt something was missing from the helmet it was just too plain for my liking. In comes the Ebay twist. I don't actually remember what I was looking at on GS Twins but the link took me to Ebay.
Back story....Yawn I know but it needs an intro. I never found or bought a riding jacket to my liking. I have a black leather one for when it's not too hot and a Levi one for hotter days and yes when it gets too hot, against my better judgement, I don't wear a jacket at all....
So I end on this jacket and immediately fell in love with it and called the manufacturer and bought it.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet056.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Jacket.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/ebay033.jpg)
I got it rather cheap considering and it got me thinking about the helmet and adding the color white to it some how. The jacket could not have matched the color scheme on my bike any better, now all I needed was a helmet to match....as you can see from above everything matches except my newly painted helmet! Now it's driving me nuts... I had to do something! I went to sleep that night thinking, "White.....White, Where?, How?...."
Wow, man. That whole setup looks so sick. And here I am with a blue jacket, a different blue bike, and a white helmet. Ah, dammit.
Whole bike looks real nice and clean! Like that color of the GS with the stripes and everything. You don't seem to see that color too often. Only thing I can see that's not Perfect is a small bit of rust on the exhaust, but what bike doesn't have that? A question , Is that chin spoiler stock or from somewhere else.
Looks cool. Me, $8.00 and five minutes gave me this: (http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr264/Toogoofy317/P1000271.jpg)
I can't find the article now but it said something about petroleum based paint damaging the shell? Anyone know?
Mary
Thanks for the compliment Rickyz80, and before this helmet project I did refurbish the exhaust myself so no rust now. The lower scoop or belly pan as some call it is the 1991 version of the Targa. I bought the mini fairing and scoop when I bought the bike in 1991. I tossed the mini fairing eventually I just didn't like it. I should have kept it and sold it but this was way before Ebay and Craig's list.
Day 6: So now I know the jacket is on the way it will be here Friday...Snail Mail....it's now Thursday and the weather forecast for Friday evening and Saturday is...SUNNY!(it's rained everyday this week so far)
Status is I am happy but not satisfied with the helmet, I can't wait for the jacket to get here, and I want to ride the bike! On the way home from work I stopped at you guessed it..Home Depot and bought 2 cans of rattle can "white". I have about 4 hours to clean, mask, trace, cut out, and paint my white designs on the helmet. Not to mention I have no idea for sure what design I am going to use yet! As I am driving home I'm thinking more stripes and intersecting with the black to get away from the "simple" moniker that dorris1998 bestowed on my helmet. I was thinking it before I posted this project. :D
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet067.jpg)
So once again..all the hardware comes off, masking tape goes back on, the pencil, measuring tape and exacto knife go to work.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet066.jpg)
As I am masking it up I am praying to myself....please paint don't come off when I take this tape off! so I start drawing and the stripe goes on and the intersecting idea goes out the window, I take one last look at picture of the jacket that is coming......"Triangles!".....I need White triangles to match the white on the jacket.
You keep making me feel bad =P
Watch out I use spray paint a lot myself, you can only spray paint something once. Sure you can put multiple coats in one session but let it cure for more than an hour or so and a new layer of fresh spray paint will end up crinkling the layer underneath and you won't get a smooth finish. With spray paint you have to strip it completely to paint over it and doing that will ruin the plastic on your helmet.
Thanks for the advice qwertydude but it's a little late:). I must have magic paint because I did not run into any issues with adding colors or additional coats. I guess I am lucky or my meticulous pre paint preparation each time is correct for the type of paint I am using.
Also I don't know if I mentioned this before but the helmet in my project is fiberglass.
Day 6: (con't) So I got everything done that I needed to do all I need to do is paint. This is where I learned the tip don't cross the masking tape more then once. As you can see the masking job is ..well.. rather sloppy. In my defense I was in a massive hurry and I did a great job on the edges around the area being painted even with the tape being to thick in places.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet069.jpg)
And the whole time I am thinking, "Man this paint better stay on when I pull off this tape!"
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet068.jpg)
And I carefully add another coat of paint fully aware I may have pushed my luck masking it again and adding a new color. The jacket is on the way and the white triangles and stripe are painted.
The anticipation level is at a maximum at this point, I finally am going to have a cool "riding jacket", I have spent, (less then $15.00 in all), all this time and effort on this helmet to originally match bike and now the jacket too.....time to check the weather (Sunny next 2 days) and get some sleep. Tomorrow I am either going to be happier then 2 pigs in mud with a new jacket, nicely painted helmet to match, and nice weather to go riding in the new digs, or....the paint is going to peel off with the tape and ruin my project and the jacket won't be here and it will start raining! :dunno_white:
...and you'll set the helmet on the seat and it will fall off on the pavement...DOH! :icon_twisted:
*TIP* This lesson was learned the day I bought the bike and helmet. The little chin protector fabric is not secured to the helmet very well. Never carry the helmet by that. You'll end up telling a story online in a forum about how to repaint your helmet, and doing lot's of sanding in the process.
***Thanks for reminding me of that fateful day trumpetguy***
Day 7: It's morning and I can't wait to see. I grab a cup of coffee and head out to the garage and carefully start pulling off the tape with the anticipation of Christmas morning.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet070.jpg)
As I am pulling off the tape I holding my breath but the paint did not peel off. Was it perfect? No, but it didn't look too bad. My exacto knife wandered a little especially in the back. Who's going to be able to tell at 65 MPH? But, I had "white" and "triangles" on the helmet. Should match nicely with the bike and jacket!
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet071.jpg)
I ended up having more (a little) trouble with the rubber border then the paint. Some places it stuck "REAL" good when the first time this was not and issue.
So happy with the results I clean up and head out to work and hope the jacket gets here today (Mail comes around 3:00 and I get home around 5:30) the weather is beautiful today. I'll put on the hardware tonight when I get home to see how it looks all together and hopefully the jacket will be here. Maybe even go for a long ride down to the shore! Fingers crossed!
Looks good. You did a good job.
Can't wait to get home and use a non-work computer so I can actually see the final pictures. I know you already know to be patient for the paint to dry when putting on hardware or taking tape off, but make sure you hold out until the paint is completely dry before you try using it in the rain. I've painted a couple helmets, and they hold up perfectly fine in the rain with spray paint, but the one I painted felt dry, I took it for a ride shortly after I painted it, got rained on, and had to redo a bit of it. Oh well. Have many other people painted any helmets here? I'd be cool to see what some other have done. The two helmets I have were both spray painted, but I'm not going to hijack your thread with pictures of mine, but I didn't know how many people here have painted a helmet to know if it would be worth it's own discussion to see what people have.
Well being that this post was meant to help others that haven't done it before and to give people ideas...I don't see anything wrong with posting your helmet project results here. AND! Most important list any *TIP* that comes to mind.
Before posting this I looked and looked for a project like this on a helmet and didn't really find anything useful, so I took it upon myself to do and spread the knowledge to others.
Try to post 640 x 480 pics it keeps the width of the thread normal...if you can't don't sweat it.
ok i have a tip and most prolly wont like this one but here it goes.
A helmet is suppost to add in saving your life but once it is dropped it is by most manufacturiers specks junk, or atleast should be sent to a company to check it to make sure it is still safe for usage.
Cool, I'll take some pictures and post up what I can remember as far as tips go, I think I did a couple things I could mention that I didn't see you talk about here.
I definitely don't mess with helmets after they've hit the floor. I may be overcautious, and chances are a helmet might be ok with a light drop, but I'm just especially careful with mine. The worst is when you turn around and one of your friends has your helmet on and leaves out a stupid chuckle, just because they don't realize you consider that a serious offense. I'd rather they hop on my bike and make motorcycle noises than try my helmet on. I see people drop dirtbike helmets all the time, but dirt is softer than pavement, rocks on the other hand, aren't. I can't believe people buy used helmets too.
I live in the city, so I'm on bicycles pretty often too, and I ALWAYS see everyone I know with their helmets strapped to their bags, and tossed in the corner at the bar or wherever you are. I cringe every time I see it. You just can't win.
Quote from: trumpetguy on June 07, 2009, 07:26:24 AM
Quote from: Bluesmudge on June 06, 2009, 09:44:18 PM
Cool project, but are you actually planning on riding in such an old helmet that you have dropped on the blacktop? I don't think I would trust that thing to perform properly in a crash.
This has been discussed in the past (still differing opinions). Unless you dropped it off a three-story building and it cracked the shell, this is a non-issue.
A helmet that has been in a crash is a totally different story. The crucial part of the helmet is the deformable styrofoam inside; once compressed in a crash, it should never be re-used.
It is extremely likely that dropping the helmet on the pavement didn't hurt a thing. There was nothing inside the helmet to compress the styrofoam, and the fall is not enough to damage the shell. I'm Mister Safety (ATGATT) and I see absolutely NO problem in resusing a helmet that has fallen on the blacktop (unless it fell with my head in it).
LOL, if you read the whole post I did ask not to ask about dropping the helmet but it seems to be a hot topic with some. So for what it worth I agree with "Trumpetguy" as for the Manufacturer's? Well I think that their answer that it is "Junk" is a legal liability response. These helmets are rigorously tested over and over before they meet Snell and DOT standards. Dropping a helmet from a foot or so in no shape or form comes close to the standards that they must pass. And as in my case it only chipped the paint to the primer so I feel safe using it, and besides the fact that I prescribe to the fact that
"Responsible Riders" save many more lives then a helmet that hasn't been dropped.
Please keeps the *TIPS* coming though..all points of view are absolutely welcome!
Day 7: (con't) So there I was no sh... Oh wait this is not one of those stories..
At work chomping at the bit watching the clock, can't wait to get home. 4:59 PM I'm out the door. I pull into the drive and there is a box on the steps! Wooo Hooo!
Back to the helmet for now. It's had plenty of time to dry and the hardware goes on...gently!
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet073.jpg)
"Looking good Billy Ray", "Feeling good Louis" ("Trading Places" for those that don't get it)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet074.jpg)
I don't know if it's because the jacket's here too, but I think it looks pretty cool?
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet075.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet002-1.jpg)
I'm thinking it turned out OK for a Home Depot "rattle can" no experience job. Some one asked before, "what no clear coat?" Yes, there will be clear coat in due time. I don't know if I am done yet. I might add some kind of triangle stripe on the very top I am undecided. I used some Turtle Wax "polishing", not "rubbing" compound on it to smooth out the edges of the stripes and even out the paint which worked very well. I have the sore arms to prove it. Wait where's my jacket? Be right back.......
The helmet looks great now that I can actually see it.
I took some picture of the two I have that I painted. The first one, is an Arai, used to be black with some sparkles on it, looked nice, but eh.... I pretty much copied this paint job off another helmet, so you may recognize it. I don't remember who actually had their helmets like this, but it also had a big star on the sides, but I think stars on everything are pretty overused, so I was going to paint something else, and just never did. Some brass knuckles or something might look cool. I painted the black and green first, then if I remember right, I cut little chunks of masking tape, put it on wax paper, traced the barbed wire, cut out the shape, and then laid it right down the lines. It's all just flat colors, and I haven't clear coated it, but it's held up pretty perfect.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3309/3617194335_278a3b50ab.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3370/3617194383_0293f827ac.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3617194403_43f424ef6a.jpg)
The second one is one of those HJC helmets that flips up in the front. Very convenient, but super loud when the wind hits it, and I barely wore it because of that. I'll probably wear it more once I get riding again, because I'll probably be going a bit slower this time around. Pretty simple on this one, just some strips of masking tape and white spray paint. I think I did clear coat this one. It's obviously shinier, but it holds up about as well as other one.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/3617194427_374246311b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3617194451_10b637da5f.jpg)
On the plus side, I pulled this off the top shelf of the closet after not using it for years, and as you can see, a perfectly good pair of riding gloves were just hanging out inside of it. I just found out the other week that I still have my old riding jacket hanging in the kitchen closet as well, I thought I got rid of that over a year ago, so I'll be set when I get riding again.
I'm running out of time for tips, my wife is pushing me out the door to go to dinner, so I'll post some details later tonight!
Minor threadjack to note what an Arai representative said to Jay Leno: A minor drop won't destroy the helmet. Video link: http://vodpod.com/watch/1160709-jay-leno-the-arai-man
Quote from: Paulcet on June 11, 2009, 05:34:37 PM
Minor threadjack to note what an Arai representative said to Jay Leno: A minor drop won't destroy the helmet. Video link: http://vodpod.com/watch/1160709-jay-leno-the-arai-man
Out of his entire museum garage, he does the video hanging out around a gsxr? lame.
Anyway, as far as painting tips. One thing that was easier was having a spare visor. I didn't have to spend all the time taping details and the whole front section. I just put on the old visor and then just had to deal with the rubber around the bottom. Setting the helmet on the board like JB848 did looks a ton easier. I just either set it on the ground, or tried to hold it, and both of the bottom of my helmets ended up getting some over spray on them on the fabric. No big deal, and it doesn't smell, but if you're looking for something to be done right, that wasn't it.
I think I had some sticky stuff left to clean up when I was done, but when you're doing some things that curve, like the bottom of the helmet, electrical tape can make things a little easier too. The other thing I always hated about the HJC helmets is how you could see the internals under the sides of the clear visors, the parts that clamp the visor in. I painted the sides of those as well. It doesn't look as nice as the actual side covers on the arai, but it looks a little better.
Hmm... well I guess I thought I had more to say than that, but it's really not too detailed of a process. I hate sanding, so all I did was slightly scuff up the surface of the helmet and painted right over it. I didn't sand between layers either, and I'm pretty happy with it.
Nice painting tt_four your graphics ability is far superior to my effort and skill. And yes, the piece of wood underneath was great accidental idea of mine that I will remember. Having something with bearings? Now that would be even nicer yet!
Letting sleeping dogs lie I am done with the dropping of the helmet subject. My head, my helmet, my riding skills. Been riding for 30 years plus...always wear a helmet scratched, dinged, chipped, dropped, painted, not painted, never cracked. Need a say more then a helmet is better then no helmet? :bowdown:
Day 7: (cont) OK so I am back and have the jacket, the helmet assembled and....lots of polishing and you guessed it Home Depot rattle can "Clear coat" paint
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet078.jpg)
Riding outfit complete....JB848 is a very happy camper about now! Hummm, isn't that the same...it is the same picture as my avatar! Doh! LMAO, while I was posting this I was wondering if anyone would notice and catch on. The helmet has been done for a week now! Observant bunch you'all are LOL.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Helmet079.jpg)
Even from behind it looks good and color coordinated, and for the coup de grau!
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Fairing044b.jpg)
Me, the helmet, the jacket and the bike. Don't we look happy? For the one that commented on the exhaust rust...notice it is gone? Not painted over I took it off and down to bare clean metal and repainted it with.. you guessed it....Home Depot rattle can High Heat semi gloss black :thumb:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/FairingProject020.jpg)
For those that didn't keep track of everything I used, here it all is.
Stay tuned..while I was waiting for the paint to dry on the helmet project I actually started another project , this one is a little more (understatement) ambitious which I will reveal soon.......
Let mw guess your painting your bike to match the helmet and jacket.... :D
Quote from: Toogoofy317 on June 07, 2009, 08:20:19 PM
I can't find the article now but it said something about petroleum based paint damaging the shell? Anyone know?
Mary
ive hear this myself but ive not hear anythign convincing of it tbh, now if we can see your pretty face wiht your pretty helmet :0 , errm sorry [/threadjack] :embarrassed:, i know painting involves sanding as well that in itself wont harm a helmet , TO A POINT that is. cause most ppl drop their helmets , some many times, but im stll looking for a link as well mary, cause ive got some bitchin ideas i wanna try
Quote from: JB848 on June 11, 2009, 06:36:03 PM
Nice painting tt_four your graphics ability is far superior to my effort and skill. And yes, the piece of wood underneath was great accidental idea of mine that I will remember. Having something with bearings? Now that would be even nicer yet!
Hmm.... that's a great idea, maybe next time I'm at target I'll check the kitchen section for one of those spinning condiment holders that you put in the middle of your dinner table. Or better yet, I think we had a spice rack somewhere that spun, and my wife was going to throw it out, I could just chop off the bottom and screw it to a board, if we still have it. Chances are all my paint jobs would be some kind of spiral design from now on though.
Ok, so someone posted that link for the Arai helmet interview with Leno, which i appriciate, after about 5 years I finally know what to call my helmet, but anyway... I started browsing through Jay's website, assuming it would just have pictures of his bikes to see what else he has sitting around, because I saw an MV Augusta in that initial video, and those bikes are my weak spot. So the website isn't that great unless you're specifically into rediculously rare and old bikes, both of with I'm not, but he owns TWO steam engines. Just giant engines built to his basement floor. I just.... I mean... some people really like engines, but, you really need a steam engine in your garage? I know this is 100% off topic from helmet painting, so I appologize...
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/photos/1832SteamEngine_shell.shtml?img=1
New Project reveal.....I haven't decided weather to continue this here or create a new thread...what do you guys think? Check out these pictures, then you can decide should I stay or should I go no..wait sorry. Song in my head. Here are the pictures and before you laugh look at them all!
OK the objective? Is to turn this...
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/GS500E033.jpg)
Into something like this.....
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/gs500_carenada.jpg)
Now all I can find about the original manufacturer, (Carenada) is it is a Latin company? They make awesome fairings!
I have a couple of things in mind for this project.
1. Be as similar to this "Carenada" as possible, especially the paint scheme...:) you know I love red, white and black all ready.
2. Use all original parts and don't reposition the head light, mirrors, or turn signals, yes that means it will be 2 distinct pieces, fairing and cowling independently mounted.
3. Keep the materials as cheap as possible while maintaining a quality end result.
4. Yes, this will be 100% fiberglass
5. Improve cooling and comfort while riding
6. Be able to reproduce it on a limited basis (if it turns out nice :) )
7. There's more but I think you get the point.
So like I said don't laugh, I have a good start on the templates...
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/GS500E053.jpg)
As you can see in the background (left) the base coat on the helmet in my "Professional" painting booth.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Fairing032.jpg)
This is the prototype for what I had in mind, I don't like any shield half fairings for the GS500 on the market at all! If you remember I had the "Targa" shield before and threw it away. No offense to those that have it and like it but I, personally, think it looks goofier then hell from too many angles. Mine needs lot's of work but this is a work in progress.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/Fairing051-1.jpg)
Keeping cooling in mind, this is the prototype for the cowling.
Depending on the response I get I will start a new thread or just keep this project here. Until then keep your knees in the breeze and "Be Safe Out There" (Hill Street Blues)
Quote from: JB848 on June 12, 2009, 08:00:24 AM
3. Keep the materials as cheap as possible while maintaining a quality end result.
This is always my favorite goal
Second that motion tt_four. I have read many threads, opinions, websites, etc. about buying fairings for the GS500E and the smartest thing I read was, "By the time you purchase it, have it painted to match, have the install done or do all the mods needed etc, you have so much money into it, it doesn't make a lot of sense. You could have purchased a bike that has it factory."
My goal is to make something, I LIKE, and if other people like it too, either show them how to make it them selves, or sell an unpainted version cheap.
I saw some one selling carbon fiber huggers on here for $150 plus shipping?????? Don't get me wrong I think they are cool and look awesome! But for that price I will try to make my own. Be it out of fiberglass, but hey I get to have fun, learn in the process, and get the satisfaction of creating something myself :)
Good on ya.
I like it when folks jump in and try new things.
E-beer for you :cheers:
Buy some riding pants. Or hunt down an animal, kill it, skin it, tan the leather and dye it red, black, and white, and make some riding pants. You're only half dressed.
It's good to dive in and make stuff. Before you get all huffy about the prices that make you decided to do that, keep track of how much time you spend on your upcoming project. Then treat that time as if you were running a business - not $7.50 an hour, unless you want your business to fail awfully quick. I do some sideline work, not here - if it doesn't pay $40-50 an hour, someone else can have it - its a sideline, I'm not going to starve, and less than that doesn't adequately cover my cost of doing the work and giving up otherwise free time to do so. I have a few personal projects that might, like yours, lead to the offer of something here (not soon, if ever - I have a backlog a mile deep and the big one is the shop other things get done in.) Anything offered here would be offered on that exact same basis - it either sells at a price point that pays adequately to cover my time and the cost of doing business, or it doesn't get sold at all. If you want to offer up labor for free or $7.50 an hour, it will be no skin off my nose at all. But I'd advise setting your price a bit higher, or you will find that you're not actually making money at all. In any case, good luck with it - I agree about most available options having suckage, and playing with fiberglass can be fun and rewarding. Look up thayercraft if you want some good deals on bulk cloth.
Make a new thread for the fairing project is my vote - it doesn't cost anything and makes more sense than reading 3 pages into a helmet project only to find that it's fairing project. Especially when you look for it again once it's not current.
Thanks a bunch for the advice DoD#i it makes good sound sense. I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers with whomever makes the huggers..I want one just can't afford it is all.
I want to learn how to do this anyway and this gives me an excuse to learn. So far I have found that it is rather easy if you do it right and can make a mess real quick if you don't. I can make just about anything I want out of wood but that is not conducive on a motorcycle :). Maybe if I get good at it I can learn carbonfiber too, but for now it is just fiberglass.
And I think you are right about moving this project to another thread this may take a little longer then the helmet :)
Keep those knees in the breeze and wish me luck!
:cheers:
I am so glad to hear you approve cafeboy :cheers:
I make the solo seat cowls and like I said it's good when folk want to do there own thing here. It's what makes this site tick.
Hey if you're proficient in fiberglass and you want the carbon fiber looks without the carbon fiber price or layup hassle try black fiberglass. Looks almost exactly like carbon when you're done. Way more realistic than a carbon fiber sticker. It won't have the carbon fiber strength but seriously who's stressing huggers that much anyways?
OK so no more about the garage 2 piece fairing here I am moving the topic.
Helmet Project is pretty much done for now unless I decide to add more stripes
:cool: