Helmet painting

Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Thought I'd do a quick write up on my current project, the BCF Racing Orange Helmet Mk2.

First lid I sprayed was a learning curve, I learned what not to do. Namely try and sand it down too much and use cheap masking tape.

So this week, I've been working on the Mk2.

The project starts out with my matt black Shoei Raid, that's a little scratched and dinked but has never hit the deck properly. I figure cos it's matt it'll save me doing any sanding, so I spend a good while giving it a really thorough clean and degrease.

Unlike my Vemar, which is really easy to pull the internals out of and to remove the vents from, the Shoei doesn't really offer any clues on how to take bits off. Some time on the 'net suggests that it's all about pulling glued inners out and cutting off the visor and bottom rubber trims with a scalpel. And that they're a pig to replace. So I decide to mask them off instead, a most boring task. The visor mechanism comes off easily enough and I mask over the ACU sticker cos we'll need that later.

Many coats of orange go on and we're left looking like this:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/helmetstage1.jpg

Yes, spraying over the vents was intentional, they're in the 'open' position and they can stay there. There are a few dinks still showing up so I use a bit of filler to smooth them off. Sand that down and a few more coats of orange before we enter a brave new world...

Yes, I've got all ambitious and am attempting a big graffitti-style 'G' on the back of it. Being a complete airbrush newbie, I've probably gone about it the hard way, but anyways... I made a template and cut it out of A4 before masking the approximate outline. It's a curve in all directions so there's a bit of interpretation needed to get the flat design to work.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/helmetstage2.jpg

The whole space is filled with black, and then more masking to establish the inner bit of the design - the black is to be an outline. Proper fine line tape is good stuff, much better than using bog standard masking tape.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/helmetstage3.jpg

White goes on, it's left to dry and...

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/helmetstage4.jpg

Pretty happy with that! Couple of little wonkies but I doubt anyone'll notice from a distance.

Next, I've got to get the whole thing lacquered. I'm going for an acrylic (to avoid the scary polystyrene-eating fumes of proper 2 pack) but this one seems glossier than the one I used last time, so hopefully it'll end up with a half-decent shine. Plenty of room for fuckups left with this stage, but we'll see how it goes.

Final test will be whether it passes scruitineering - if this was a road lid there wouldn't be any worries, but if G uses it for racing it gets inspected closely. Fingers crossed, you might see it at Brands next weekend. Very Happy

Oh, and G hasn't actually seen it yet. He'll probably hate it so I'll keep it for myself and be some kind of sad groupie in my very own race replica lid. Razz

Whosthedaddy · Super Spammer Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Karma :

Any particluar reasons why it would annoy the judges, or is it because of the potential to hide crash damage?
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mad4it028 · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Karma :

maybe because solvents of any kind weaken plastics and fiberglass so make helmits dangerous
sorry to piss on your parade but helmits are designed to save lives by painting it you might aswell not wear a helmit
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Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Not so, I'm using paints designed for helmet use, which don't have any effect on the strength of the helmet itself.

Hiding crash damage would be the obvious one, yes. Especially if it doesn't look 'pro' enough.

craigs23 · Mr Muscle Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Karma :

Like the graphic Thumbs Up

Ork12 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Karma :

Looks ace

Whosthedaddy · Super Spammer Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Karma :

McGee · O RLY? Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Karma :

Looks great Mr. Green

When I first scrolled through just to see how long the thread was as I passed over the masked bit with the black paint I thought it was a swastika Laughing

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Its pronounced Jixxer!

Whosthedaddy · Super Spammer Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Karma :

Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Looks good Bend!

Might still be worth trying to remove the liner to make sure the polystyrene is ok though.

My Shoei has plastic popper style clips that hold the cheek pads in. They just need a sharp tug and they come out. Once they are gone I guess the rest is easy. Although to be fair I've never had the whole liner out. It probably mings a bit now. Embarassed

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Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

The raid inners are glued in place. If you pull them out, you have to re-glue it all.

There's no need to check the polystyrene, the lid has never hit the deck and is painted with water-based solvent-free paints. Trying to take the inners out to check it would probably cause damage.

Jack_Cheese · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Karma :

looks f'ckin sweet! Very Happy

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Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Well, I lacquered it and it passed scruitineering with no problems. Smile

jay12329 · Dr. Evil Joined: 02 May 2003 Karma :

Lid in action.
https://img160.imageshack.us/img160/2503/img0038tu7.jpg

J

quacker_boy · Cuddle Bitch Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Karma :

Very funky bendy, i'm impressed!

I plan on playing with an airbrush, lid and bike...one day...i need to get the bike first Rolling Eyes

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steveh · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Karma :

gets a

from me, always wanted to spray a lid, but the one ive got spare i wouldnt wear.

Steve.
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queen of string · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Karma :

tis cool that bend, hope he appreciates all your hard work.
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anders · Banned Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Karma :

I dont like it at all , looks racist - swastika also a bit extreme, shame you could send it and have it done profesionally with a high shine, yours looks like it hadnt had the clear coat.
sorry not for me. Sick

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Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Racist.

That's funny as fuck.

veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

"G" as in G-Unit?

Rofl.

Luke_Retrofly · Silly Lesbian Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Karma :

distortion · Nearly there... Joined: 08 Mar 2005 Karma :

That looks spot on Bendy Thumbs Up

some nice art work there.

Whats next ?? matching leathers with the same logo in the usual colour ? Laughing

Reckon you should have put BCF Racing either side of the jaw - but looks sweet as it is Thumbs Up

Clanger · Stirrer Joined: 27 May 2004 Karma :

Bendy - you could always nip up to see Grapham at Plastec before you next work on a lid. He did the 'clanger' graphic on my lid, and it looks really good - he's at Burghfield just outside of Reading.
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Jack_Cheese · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Karma :