Do it yourself - paint your helmet: Oh paint! New design for an old helmet - tutorial
Dimitri Lehner
· 14.09.2023
Want to spice up an old helmet? Give it a new coat of paint! We can recommend it: Our do-it-yourself paint job was a bit tricky, took some time and cost a bit of money, but we really enjoyed it. And the satisfying feeling of riding around with a self-designed and freshly painted helmet - priceless!
Paint your own helmet - priceless FREERIDE tutorial
Difficulty: 8/10
Time: 7/10
Cost: 4/10
What you need:
- Time and patience
- 120-400 grit sandpaper
- Masking tape
- A sharp blade
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Microfibre cloths
- Painting mask
- Primer, colour and clear coat
Tips:
+ Try to buy all spray cans from the same brand, as some brands and colour types are not compatible with each other. The manufacturer usually indicates if their products are not compatible with other products.
+ Although it costs more than a 1K paint, we recommend using a 2K clear coat. 2K paints are more durable and more resistant.
+ Try to maintain a distance of 20 cm between the can and helmet when spraying. This can be difficult due to the curved surface. Before spraying, practise the technique of following the curve of the helmet with your hand.
+ It is ideal if the outside temperature is between 15 and 25 °C.
I've been meaning to paint my old helmet for a long time. FREERIDE intern Body Terril finally put the idea into practice. Thanks, Body! - Dimitri Lehner, FREERIDE
Work steps
To get this out of the way, let's first clarify the question: "Can you paint the old bike helmet yourself?" And then you're ready to go.
1. decide on your design
You probably already have a design in mind. The simpler the design, the easier, cheaper and more likely it is that you will succeed in painting it.
2. buy colour
You need primer, paint and clearcoat. It is very important that you buy the right primer for the material of your helmet. A standard composite helmet usually needs a normal primer that is compatible with plastics. If your helmet is made of carbon, like ours, it is important that you buy a primer that is suitable for carbon.
3. grinding
After you have removed the visor, start sanding. Some say it is sufficient to sand off the old clear coat or even just sand it on. But sometimes new colours react with the old paint, which can lead to bubbles and poor adhesion. So if you have time, it's better to sand off the old paint completely.
Start with a grit of 120-200 to remove the old clear coat and paint. When you see the shell of the helmet, switch to a grit of 250-350, taking care not to sand too hard as this could weaken the helmet structure.
4. prepare
Now comes the fun part. Remove as much padding as possible and mask off everything that is not to be painted with masking tape and paper. Then clean the helmet thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol and a microfibre cloth to remove sanding dust and grease.
Please note that the next three steps depend on the recommendations of the spray cans you are using. Follow the instructions for the number of coats, the overlap time and the complete drying time.
5. primer
After shaking the can well, apply two thin, even coats and allow the primer to dry for 15 minutes between coats, as indicated on the can. Professional painters often sand lightly between coats, but it's usually fine for DIYers not to do this. Check if this is recommended for your colours.
6. colour and design
The procedure for the colour is similar to that for the primer. Tip: Apply several thin coats instead of a single thick one. For our design, we first sprayed the entire helmet with two coats of green and then applied blue and violet in sections. We then cut masking tape into wavy lines and masked the helmet and visor. Finally, we applied two coats of black and left the paint to dry for half a day. We then carefully removed the masking tape with a sharp knife.
7. clear lacquer
Make sure that the helmet dries for at least as long as the full curing time specified. We applied a total of three coats, increasing thickness and overlapping 50% on each pass, as recommended on the can. The first two coats were light to create a rough surface, which was the intention. This provides a good base for the third coat to adhere to, resulting in a long-lasting coating. Our final coat was quite wet, which is what we wanted, but there were some small runners. If that happens, don't panic, don't try to remove them. When the helmet is finished, only you will probably notice these imperfections.
8. last handles
Once the clear coat has fully cured, remove the masking tape, replace the pads and take your freshly painted helmet for a spin!
Conclusion
If you have time and patience, simply try out the DIY paint job. Ideally with an old helmet if you don't have much experience in painting. Because a lot can go wrong - FREERIDE
Other options
- If you don't want to invest the money or time it takes to paint a helmet, but still want to spice up your helmet, you can buy stickers and completely transform the helmet in just 10 minutes. For example, you could apply leopard decals to a plain-coloured helmet, similar to Amaury Pierron's helmet that matches his new jersey.
Wrapping vs. painting:
Foiling
- removable
- More favourable
- Very fiddly, requires a lot of skill
- No risk of damaging the helmet
Colour
- easier to create more elaborate designs
- Less skill required
- more durable, more robust
Professional vs. DIY
We spoke to professional helmet painters and wrappers to find out what such a redesign would cost. Vinyl wrapping Pro:
Pro foiling:
The German one-man company 3SIXTEEN DESIGN has specialised in the foiling of helmets. Prices depend on the design, the film quality and the basic colour of the helmet. Prices are around €180 for a simple colour change and around €280-360 for a more complicated design.
Foiling DIY:
Wrapping a helmet yourself is very difficult because the film has to be applied very carefully to the helmet curve if it is to fit without creases and bubbles. Nevertheless, it is a fairly inexpensive way to give an old helmet a new look. At the end of the article you will find other, simpler ways to change the look that are easier than a full wrap.
Professional painter:
Professional painters are expensive. Top designers such as Troy Lee from California or Helmade in Germany charge from 700-1500 euros for a design. It's hardly worth sending an old helmet there.
Paint DIY:
Most painters advise against painting the helmet yourself. There are too many steps that could go wrong. The painter from Wuschel-Design said to me: "You can try it out. Then you should look at the result and consider whether anyone would buy this helmet." I say: despite possible shortcomings, you appreciate your self-designed helmet much more than if a professional has done it for you. Even if the paintwork isn't perfect in the end, it's a satisfying feeling.
Conclusion:
If you want to completely change your helmet design, DIY painting your helmet is a good option. It's time-consuming, difficult and not cheap, but much cheaper than professional paintwork - FREERIDE-Team
Interview with professional painter Lars Diedenhofen (70id.de)
FREERIDE: How much does a customised helmet paint job cost?
Lars: It starts at 200 euros for a plain paint job, up to 500 with several colours and logos.
That's a lot of money. On the Internet's many "do it yourself" tutorials. What do you think?As a professional painter, I would of course advise against this. The fact is that a lot can go wrong and it looks ugly in the end.
What can actually go wrong?
Many people find it difficult even during preparation. For example, they grind down too much and damage the structure. In the worst case scenario, the helmet loses its safety. Often the helmet simply looks bad afterwards, e.g. because there are paint noses or the paint has crept under the masking. Result: a huge mess and nothing gained.
What are your tips for hobby painters?
Don't get carried away! First look at YouTube tutorials, e.g. from Etoe Design. You'll learn a lot there. But theory and practice are two different things. Hence my appeal: practise. It's better to test on a box or aluminium tube first to see if you have the right distance with the spray can, for example. Masking also requires experience and the right tape. Otherwise the edges will not be sharp.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
