Topic: I want to paint my 'new to me' helmet white,for safety !

[grcamna2]

I'm purchasing a black helmet and want to paint it white;I want the paint to be very strong and Most durable.
Have any of you painted helmets before ? What's the best paint I can use in a rattle can ?
I have painted before on many other things,although I never painted a helmet yet.

I would like to use white urethane paint,or a quality white acrylic enamel? then coat it with some 'Spray Max 2K clearcoat' which I have..   any recommendations on other options ?

I want to ask if anyone here has painted a few helmets in their life,over time.. What did you learn about painting different ones;how did they turn-out for you ? 

Edit:the helmet I just purchased today on Marketplace was not the gloss black one I originally thought I would get but instead I purchased another RF1200 that had only been used a couple times by his wife,and kept inside(it has a multi-color design on it including pink..)and when it arrives,I'll start getting it ready for a white paint job.

[rocket johnny]

i'd just buy a white helmet

[spotty]

wise words those...

i've painted a few helmets before ( camo, rust and glo-in-the-dark ) and its a right pain trying mask up around the rubber seals and liner, you can pull the seals off but they're never going to go back on perfectly

i'm not the person to ask about quality paints, i use cheap-arse spray bombs, same as the bikes. all those helmets were nearing the end of their useful lives and it was just done as a laugh ( though apparently the glo-in-the-dark green one was kind of disturbing in an alien visitor kind of way )

[PeWe]

Not all helmets can be painted when the paint can make the plastic fragile.
Fiberglass was said to be OK.

[grcamna2]

Not all helmets can be painted when the paint can make the plastic fragile.
Fiberglass was said to be OK.

I plan to paint a used Shoei RF-1200 which I will be purchasing;too good of a deal to pass-up. I'll go inspect it tomorrow.
I will lightly scuff-up/sand the original factory paint w/o scuffing through it with fine(500 or finer grit?)paper & wash/clean & dry,then mask-off everything else with masking tape. I need to allow the weather/humidity to get sunny & dry-up a bunch out here in Ca. before I apply paint.. it's seriously moist out here now !

[Tracksnblades1]

Sshhh…don’t tell anyone…😎

This is the real stuff and pricey..

https://www.aerotouchups.com/928132ka---cirrus-base928132.html

Observe everything posted already about compromising the helmet’s integrity..😇

This is Imron in a spray can. It’s still an Isocyanate paint catalyst. Wear a respirator…no 2nd chance here...
It’s the paint that’s used on just about every plane, class 8 truck, larger boats, and LP tanks. Stuff that spend their lives
Outdoors and are rarely stored indoors…🤔

[Tracksnblades1]

Sounds like a good one. The rf1400 claiming to be the quietest.

I have a Shoei GTAir 3 and like it.. pretty quiet and has effective vents..

It’s not a Schuberth though….

[grcamna2]

Oh Ok    Imron Aircraft grade paint 

[Tracksnblades1]

Oh Ok    Imron Aircraft grade paint 

It doesn’t have to be DuPont. Local AutoBody paint distributors like Sherwin Williams and others have polyurethane paints in
Spray cans too. Pricey too. I’ve just had really good service with Imron paints. It’ll look new for a long time..😇

[grcamna2]

Oh Ok    Imron Aircraft grade paint 

It doesn’t have to be DuPont. Local AutoBody paint distributors like Sherwin Williams and others have polyurethane paints in
Spray cans too. Pricey too. I’ve just had really good service with Imron paints. It’ll look new for a long time..😇

Thanks ! 

[Gurp]

On the cheaper route you can look at a Tractor Supply Store or a Rural King. Look at Majic brand implement paint. It holds up very well!

[Gurp]

Or engine enamel. I've used it on mag wheels before and it held up very well. Just many thin coats.

[grcamna2]

Thanks,I'll have a look.

[dave500]

do they still have  ACRAN?that was a nasty but tough glossy two pack paint,do they make a glossy white brake caliper paint?if so that should be pretty tough?

[Don R]

  I used to paint our dragster frames with Imron blitz black. When the paint gun couldn't pull any more paint from the cup I'd put in a splash of reducer and wet everything down with it to melt in the overspray. When you paint roll cages and tube frames, you work your way around the tube and overspray everything you already did.
 Guys at the track wanted to argue that it was powder coat.
  We did a fiberglass Jr. Dragster body with it once too, it came out real nice.

[grcamna2]

  I used to paint our dragster frames with Imron blitz black. When the paint gun couldn't pull any more paint from the cup I'd put in a splash of reducer and wet everything down with it to melt in the overspray. When you paint roll cages and tube frames, you work your way around the tube and overspray everything you already did.
 Guys at the track wanted to argue that it was powder coat.
  We did a fiberglass Jr. Dragster body with it once too, it came out real nice.

Don,how did it work on the fiberglass body parts ?

[madmtnmotors]

I will lightly scuff-up/sand the original factory paint w/o scuffing through it with fine(500 or finer grit?)

That is too smooth and the new paint won't have anything to grab on to. Surface prep would likely be around 220-240 grit. The final wet sand and buff of the clearcoat is where the shine is at, not the base.

[RAFster122s]

Just be careful with urethane and isocyanate paint, ideally you want to use a force clean air respirator and full body suit with them, no exposed skin.
At least, minimum,  a good tyvek suit and volatile organic rated mask and goggles, no exposed skin.

Just be careful spraying and several thin coats are always better than thick coats.
Use high quality 3M fine ?line? and similar masking tapes that conform very well to radiuses and adhere very well.
I always keep my painting tapes in plastic ziplock bags and never lay them down on a bench or table where any light adhesive of the tape edge could pick up dirt or fuzz that can mess with your painting.
I end up usually taping around the edges of the roll for painting tape that is crepe paper based with the tape so that edge is never exposed to anything, it is covered with the tape. Basically a shield for the sides.
I used to paint RC car lexan bodies and would often get quite detailed so that is one of the things I learned, keeping the masking tape clean helped improve the end results.
Make sure you use a wipe down of the helmet before sanding the finish to remove any silicones or polishes, etc with a wax and paint prep wash doing it a few times to ensure you have a clean surface as sanding would only deposit anything that might cause your paint issues into the sanded surface and it is nigh impossible to remove it then.
A primer for your paint will allow you to cover the black without resorting to 4-5 coats of your white.

[Stev-o]

Why must it be white? 

[grcamna2]

I like white

[grcamna2]

Just be careful with urethane and isocyanate paint, ideally you want to use a force clean air respirator and full body suit with them, no exposed skin.
At least, minimum,  a good tyvek suit and volatile organic rated mask and goggles, no exposed skin.

Just be careful spraying and several thin coats are always better than thick coats.
Use high quality 3M fine ?line? and similar masking tapes that conform very well to radiuses and adhere very well.
I always keep my painting tapes in plastic ziplock bags and never lay them down on a bench or table where any light adhesive of the tape edge could pick up dirt or fuzz that can mess with your painting.
I end up usually taping around the edges of the roll for painting tape that is crepe paper based with the tape so that edge is never exposed to anything, it is covered with the tape. Basically a shield for the sides.
I used to paint RC car lexan bodies and would often get quite detailed so that is one of the things I learned, keeping the masking tape clean helped improve the end results.
Make sure you use a wipe down of the helmet before sanding the finish to remove any silicones or polishes, etc with a wax and paint prep wash doing it a few times to ensure you have a clean surface as sanding would only deposit anything that might cause your paint issues into the sanded surface and it is nigh impossible to remove it then.
A primer for your paint will allow you to cover the black without resorting to 4-5 coats of your white.

Ok David:will do.

[Tracksnblades1]

Just be careful with urethane and isocyanate paint, ideally you want to use a force clean air respirator and full body suit with them, no exposed skin.
At least, minimum,  a good tyvek suit and volatile organic rated mask and goggles, no exposed skin.

Just be careful spraying and several thin coats are always better than thick coats.
Use high quality 3M fine ?line? and similar masking tapes that conform very well to radiuses and adhere very well.
I always keep my painting tapes in plastic ziplock bags and never lay them down on a bench or table where any light adhesive of the tape edge could pick up dirt or fuzz that can mess with your painting.
I end up usually taping around the edges of the roll for painting tape that is crepe paper based with the tape so that edge is never exposed to anything, it is covered with the tape. Basically a shield for the sides.
I used to paint RC car lexan bodies and would often get quite detailed so that is one of the things I learned, keeping the masking tape clean helped improve the end results.
Make sure you use a wipe down of the helmet before sanding the finish to remove any silicones or polishes, etc with a wax and paint prep wash doing it a few times to ensure you have a clean surface as sanding would only deposit anything that might cause your paint issues into the sanded surface and it is nigh impossible to remove it then.
A primer for your paint will allow you to cover the black without resorting to 4-5 coats of your white.

👍 +1

No second chances…😇

[britman]

Epoxy appliance paint.  Takes a while to dry, but tough as nails.......

[grcamna2]

Epoxy appliance paint.  Takes a while to dry, but tough as nails.......

I used some black Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy paint which I bought from a big box store to paint a bare Honda frame after getting it blasted;the frame turned-out great with just the right amount of satin sheen to it and I sold the bike.
The can had printed on it 'Not For Outdoor Use' for some reason.. 

[Gurp]

I like white

I also have a affinity to white although i have no clean storage for the things i want to paint white.. lmao