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How to custom paint a helmet right?

stinky6

Monkey
Dec 24, 2004
517
0
Monroe
I have an old helmet and I want to play around with painting it so what is the process? Its black now so should I do a coat of primer? How much sanding? How do I remove the black edge liner, should I even remove it? Any tips would be good. I don't plan on doing anything complex or difficult, but I don't want it to look like crap either.
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
I used to paint helmets for people years ago, Twisted Mind Designs. I got all the same House of Kolor paint as Troy Lee and used the best PPG acrylic urethane top coat I could find. had five air brushes, two jam guns, and one Devilbiss full size gun for top coat. Did about sixty or so helmets at $200-$300 each. That was between 1990 and 1996 or so, then an occasional ones here and there for friends and guys I sponsored.

If you want to do it right, you'll need all this stuff. Leave the rubber trim on and tape over it. You'll rip it trying to get it off.

Get some House of Kolor SG100 intercoat clear, that stuff was my favorite. it's a quick drying clear coating that you can use for all kinds of custom work.

Never try to use any rattle can paint. Takes forever to dry, runs easily
leaves high tape-off edges.
I have had excellent luck with Krylon ultra flat black paint. If you want something black in a hurry, like a helmet or bike, or whatever. All the black Mountain Cycle proto frames were painted by me with that stuff. I even painted Sam Hill's proto Sunday with it.
 

dG video

I blew a mod to get this title
Feb 25, 2004
2,133
0
vermont
santacruzer87 said:
step by step:
1) put in box
2) ship to TLD
Better yet,

1. Take old helmet, donate to local kid.
2. Call up go-ride, place order for TLD.

Dan
 

dropmachine

Turbo Monkey
Sep 7, 2001
2,922
10
Your face.
TWISTED said:
I used to paint helmets for people years ago, Twisted Mind Designs. I got all the same House of Kolor paint as Troy Lee and used the best PPG acrylic urethane top coat I could find. had five air brushes, two jam guns, and one Devilbiss full size gun for top coat. Did about sixty or so helmets at $200-$300 each. That was between 1990 and 1996 or so, then an occasional ones here and there for friends and guys I sponsored.

If you want to do it right, you'll need all this stuff. Leave the rubber trim on and tape over it. You'll rip it trying to get it off.

Get some House of Kolor SG100 intercoat clear, that stuff was my favorite. it's a quick drying clear coating that you can use for all kinds of custom work.

Never try to use any rattle can paint. Takes forever to dry, runs easily
leaves high tape-off edges.
I have had excellent luck with Krylon ultra flat black paint. If you want something black in a hurry, like a helmet or bike, or whatever. All the black Mountain Cycle proto frames were painted by me with that stuff. I even painted Sam Hill's proto Sunday with it.

Any suggestions for a decent primer? Thats the one thing I am waiting to figure out...

I gotta get back into airbrushing, so much fun...
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
dropmachine.com said:
Any suggestions for a decent primer? Thats the one thing I am waiting to figure out...

I gotta get back into airbrushing, so much fun...
I don't remember which PPG primer I used. I've still got all my stuff out at my brother's house, but haven't touched it in five years.
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
General Lee said:
Nice looking D2. It looks like they used abalone pearl or dry flakes over both white and black. I did a helmet similiar looking. Abalone flakes over white with red metalflake flames and the lower area was abalone flakes over black. Oh, and a hot chick in a bathing suit airbrushed on the back.:thumb:
Tim
 

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
TWISTED said:
Nice looking D2. It looks like they used abalone pearl or dry flakes over both white and black. I did a helmet similiar looking. Abalone flakes over white with red metalflake flames and the lower area was abalone flakes over black. Oh, and a hot chick in a bathing suit airbrushed on the back.:thumb:
Tim
nope. i did the whole thing with createx auto air paint since i just do it for fun and don't have a sraybooth and hate mixing urethane paint. the clear coat is high gloss house of kolor urethane though.
 

stinky6

Monkey
Dec 24, 2004
517
0
Monroe
thanks for the info.
I would get a regular Troy Lee, but that isn't original and a custum paint job costs way more than I can afford. Not to mention I will crash and that would ruin my day, week maybe even month everytime I saw my was cool paint job with a huge gouge in it.
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
General Lee said:
nope. i did the whole thing with createx auto air paint since i just do it for fun and don't have a sraybooth and hate mixing urethane paint. the clear coat is high gloss house of kolor urethane though.
You did a great job, especially for someone just doing it for themselves. I bet you've got artistic and painting experience from other things though.
Looks great!
 

LukeD

Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
751
2
Massachusetts
like people have said before, check out an auto body supply store. as for the clear, i'd have an auto body place clear it for you if u have no experience with the stuff. also...you might not have to use primer if there is a good base, check out some adhesion promotors especially from alsa.
small sample of my work. LD Designs