# Home-made helmet graphics?



## Smashley49 (May 18, 2007)

I've never heard of this being done but I've herad of an idea where you can take your helmet and just put tapes on it and paint it whatever color you want. Possible?

If anyone out there paints cars then you might know what I'm talking about. Thanks!


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## MBMSfreerider (Jul 2, 2007)

I think I know what you mean. The tape you are talking about is like a stencil. You put it on your helmet and spray paint over it. Then when the paint is dry you peel off the stencil and your graphic is on your helmet. I have never done this but it would be really cool if done right.

If you do decide to do it then post some pictures when your done!

Good Luck.


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## xray (May 5, 2005)

So you're looking to mask off a pattern/logo/whatnot and paint the whole helmet, then peel off the masking tape to reveal the logo/whatnot in the color underneath...?

Shouldn't be too hard, helmets generally have smooth curves. I've been doing this on RC-car lexan bodies for years, and they should be far more difficult.

Theres a lot you can do with an airbrush if you get creative.


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## Karupshun (Jun 13, 2006)

I've seen a few really good jobs done with die-cut vinyl graphics. They are pretty cheap to get done up at a sign shop

it's a lot easier to correct any small mistakes when you're not using paint


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## StonedGorilla (May 31, 2007)

xray said:


> I've been doing this on RC-car lexan bodies for years, and they should be far more difficult.


yeah I've been painting RC car bodies for a long time also, and there are so many awkward curves and weird angles that you have to deal with while masking, so painting a helmet should be much easier.


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## Smashley49 (May 18, 2007)

Ok thanks guys. Wasn't sure if that was possible or not. Now I just have to find out if it was my friend's ex or uncle that did that stuff.....hopefully the latter


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## VooDoo13 (Jan 29, 2005)

Smashley49 said:


> Ok thanks guys. Wasn't sure if that was possible or not. Now I just have to find out if it was my friend's ex or uncle that did that stuff.....hopefully the latter


If you do a little research I'm sure you can find a professional airbrush or some kind of graphics artist that's willing to do helmets. Probably locally depending on where you are. Either draw or print out your ideas/designs to give the artist an idea what you want.
If you're looking for a cheaper method I would do what Karupshun said and just get some custom vinyls done. Cheaper than custom paint and you can always take it off or change it later if you want.


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## 317000 (Mar 2, 2007)

if you were cool you wouldn't wear a helmet...


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## rep_1969 (Mar 25, 2004)

dowst said:


> if you were cool you wouldn't wear a helmet...


WOW.


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## PHLO (Jul 9, 2007)

http://www.papilio.com/hps/product.php?productid=16577&cat=263&page=1

Make your own water-slide decals...
..And no I dont use these when I do custom paint, I do full Airbrush work and masking takes ages.


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## Smashley49 (May 18, 2007)

PHLO said:


> https://www.papilio.com/hps/product.php?productid=16577&cat=263&page=1
> 
> Make your own water-slide decals...
> ..And no I dont use these when I do custom paint, I do full Airbrush work and masking takes ages.


Oooh thanks for the link. I was actually trying to google this earlier  This was the image I was wanting to put on the back, so a decal sticker would be easier. Thanks much! 









Sorry if it doesn't show up!


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## TWISTED (Feb 13, 2004)

Ummm?

You are asking if anyone has EVER custom painted a helmet?

Ever heard of Troy Lee Designs or looked inside a motocross magazine?

There dozens, if not hundreds of companies custom painting helmets. I think there is even a thread on here (maybe www.ridemonkey.com) showing people's custom painted helmets.

I myself used to paint helmets (Twisted Mind Designs). I did about fifty of them. Painting motocross helmets in the early 90's was very popular because helmets either came with hidious graphs or none at all.

The real trick to painting helmets and having them turn out nice is to use a base coat / top coat system with a base coat that dries quickly and leaves a low surface edge. You can use painters masking tape and frisket to mask off the areas you don't want to paint.
Buy yourself a cheap "touch up" gun. These are paint guns, but smaller and shoot a smaller pattern. I bought expensive ones, but found that $20 (or $10 sometimes) worked just as good.

I used House of Kolors for wilder colors and PPG for regular colors and their acrylic urethane top coat. I was nowhere near the best helmet painter, but I had a lot of fun. Now a days you can buy a really nice helmet with a sweet paint job for less than it would cost me to paint one. I just wear a off-the-shelf D2 and SE2 now.

Here's some old photos of some of my helmets. Purple was really big in 1995.:thumbsup:


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## Deweydude (Mar 7, 2004)

Nice buckets Tim :thumbsup: 

Hey we should get together and ride again, I'll send a PM


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## Smashley49 (May 18, 2007)

Nah, I figured people had already done. I was just wondering if there was an easier way to do it or if maybe somewhere in town there would be someone(like maybe at the LBS?) who could do it. I have no skills with paint so therefore I don't wanna do it myself  

The silver one looks cool :thumbsup:


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## PHLO (Jul 9, 2007)

Question for 'Twisted'...well first of really nice work!!
That silver one? is that vinyl, turned silver leaf, or something else???

2 of a few of mine...I don't just do helmets. 



















More pics on here....
https://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2601166&posted=1#post2601166


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## TWISTED (Feb 13, 2004)

PHLO said:


> Question for 'Twisted'...well first of really nice work!!
> That silver one? is that vinyl, turned silver leaf, or something else???
> 
> 2 of a few of mine...I don't just do helmets.


Your helmets look a lot better than anything I ever did. After each helmet I tried to be more creative and try new things. I got into using more and more wild neon and crazy colors so when I decided to give my own Shoei a fresh paint job I decided to be really different and use "no" colors. My silver helmet actually looks much different in real life because the vinyl decals I cut out are reflective prism and switch color with the light. The white is actually top coated with dry pearl dust mixed with H.O.K. SG100 intercoat clear.
The silver you see is H.O.K. silver mini flakes mixed with SG100 and sprayed over a black base. The top of the helmet has two football type stripes that are top coated with a light coat of rainbow flakes.

People who don't want to jump into the whole involved painting deal, can go to a sign shop and get some vinyl decal material in any color then draw out a design, cut it out, and put it on your helmet. TLD also makes some sweet helmet decal kits that I have used myself.

Tim


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## ironzep (Dec 9, 2006)

Is it ok to use spray paint on my dirt style helmet?


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## Rover Nick (Jul 13, 2006)

In my experience with spray paint is about 10-15% looks really good, the other 85-90% looks like crap


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## ironzep (Dec 9, 2006)

Im going to make a stencil, cos right now its just plain black, but im worried about ruining my helmet becasue i know that paint can destroy some plastics and the foam stuff. so will using spray paint effect the strength of my helmet?


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