Repaint Helmet - Good idea?

Hi,
I noticed a few pinholes in the clearcoat of my helmet, so I was thinking about having it custom painted then re-clearcoated. A friend told me not to do so as it will compromise the safety of the helmet. Is this true? Any comments? Any pinhole jokes?
J

 

If it's a fiberglass shell it should be OK to repaint, if it's plastic then probably not a good idea. The manufacturer will almost certainly advise against it in any case. It kinda depends how you feel about it. Lots of guys ride without a helmet. One that's compromised by repainting is certainly better than none at all.

 

I don't know what material it is made out of. I can check inside the helmet but I don't know if it says anything. It's an Arai, pretty expensive one.

 

Its either fiberglass or kevlar, depending on the model.

Why not, people are making a living professionally painting helmets for sale. Use an airbrush and urethane based paints.

Larry

 

No good ones, but I found this lame one, so here goes...

He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

Hope you're happy now.

 

I've heard not a good idea to repaint, but people have done it.

Just don't fall down, then you'll never have to know.

 

Clearcoat shouldn't hurt anything.

 

I really don't know how paint or clearcoat could be part of the "structural integrity" of the helmet. It doesn't seem to make a lot of senseto me either. I think I'll look for a painter here in southwestern Ontario. Probably one of those guys who paints goalie masks?

 

painting fiberglass ok,but not a good idea with plastic molded helmets as the paint will bond with the plastic and change the molecular structure

 

It's not the paint, it's the solvents in the paint during application. They can react with the plastic and as they evaporate they can pull chemicals out of the plastic and make it brittle. I'm not saying I agree with that, but that's the reason. The resins used for fiberglass or carbon fiber helmets are usually immune to solvents. Personally I wouldn't have a problem repainting any helmet, but I've also been known to wear a 15 year old helmet that's been dropped more times than I can count on one hand.

 

Its the solevents that eat/penitrate the plastic, most helmets are sytrofoam on the inside and if the solevents get to it then it just melts it.

If you get paints meant for porus plastics then you should be fine. These paints have no smell to them when opened. I an at a loss for clear coats that will work as most are just plastic in a solevent that once seperated from said solevent will harden and act as a protectant.

A simple test for workable paints is just get some various styrofoams and make paint swatches on them, if the pain melts/disfigures the foam then its no good.

DISCLAIMER!
You paint your helmet at your own risk, Helmet manufacturers will alway cover their ass by saying "dont paint your helmet"
This is a risk you will have to judge and take.

 

I've got a helmet I'd like to paint but haven't because of the integrity thing
Think I'm going to look at vinyl wrap. Can do it myself and don't have to worry about solvents effecting the lid

 

This video is a bit old but good info about painting your helmet right from a Arai REP.

http://youtu.be/Ovd3KGu6BgU

 

Some harleydoods are shaving their heads and painting them to look like helmets.

 

Axel is still alive!

 

yaya..... Tax time sucks.... but the bike is now insured...

 

Was it you who infested Revenue Canda's computers? I wonder if we can put a spin on that and claim that Revenue Canada has buggered up all our tax returns and they now owe us big refund cheques?