Alpo Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I may have asked this before - I know I wondered this before - but if I did I do not recall the answers. So here we go. Does it hurt in any way to paint a crash helmet? Would the paint affect the fiberglass? Or would you have to use a special type of paint? There's an online story. Cindy flies. The first time there's any mention of helmet, Cindy's helmet is white. Three chapters later Cindy's helmet is yellow to match the color of the plane. About six chapters later, different plane, and Cindy's helmet is now red, again to match the color of the plane. I suppose she could be buying new helmets - get a new helmet to match each new plane she flies. But I'm just got the impression that she's repainting them. Of course it could simply be that the author has forgotten he had her with a white helmet, so he gave her the yellow helmet. And the next time a helmet was mentioned was about 7 months later in real life, so he could have forgotten about she had a yellow helmet and he gave her a red helmet to go with the red airplane. But to get back to my question, would repainting a helmet hurt it in any way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I believe that it is NOT recommended to paint a helmet. I think that your first guess that it affects the fiberglass is correct. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 adding the cost of a NEW helmet , ain't much compared to the plane 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Doing a quick search, there are a gazillion, well, a bunch of videos on painting helmets. Only a couple that sounded lawyer like and the obvious that some solvents can deteriorate the foam or plastic. Fiberglass appears to be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 I found one article about "is it dangerous to repaint your helmet", and the guy said it could be, depending on the paint you used. Then he said the best thing to do was to get in touch with the helmets manufacturer and ask them what you could use to paint it. He said that most likely you would not be the first one to ask. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Maybe years ago but not so much now , if that was the case NHRA, NASCAR would ban it so here is mine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Joker Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Isn't bondo and most kit cars made out of fiberglass? Ya paint that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 They paint Corvettes too, but a Corvette is not supposed to protect your head if the side gets hit. I have heard that you are not supposed to paint fiberglass boats. You are supposed to color the fiberglass when the boat is made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 (edited) 2 hours ago, Alpo said: They paint Corvettes too, but a Corvette is not supposed to protect your head if the side gets hit. I have heard that you are not supposed to paint fiberglass boats. You are supposed to color the fiberglass when the boat is made. You are comparing two different animals most boats are gelcoated , that is thicker and tougher than paint However you can paint over gel coat Hood came in Gelcoat and I prepped and painted it . Edited March 27 by PowderRiverCowboy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 When I was working construction OSHA didn't allow the painting of ladders, not because the paint would hurt the ladder but because it could hide damage to the ladder. If there is a crack in your helmet and you paint over it you may not know it is no longer structurally sound to wear. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Joker Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Helmets are a 1 time use item. If it contacts the ground get a new one. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 15 hours ago, Alpo said: the best thing to do was to get in touch with the helmets manufacturer and ask them what you could use to paint it. This ^^^^ Painting a crash helmet isn’t necessarily a bad thing if one follows the manufacturer’s instructions. Lots of times people mix up OSHA standards for hard hats with motorcycle and racing helmets. OSHA states that hard hats must not be painted (covering up damage) and decals may not be affixed to the helmet. Also, solvents or glues might degrade material. Crash helmets can be made of various composites. The composite dictates what can be done to it. For example; manufacturers of fiberglass helmets used to say that decals or objects glued to the helmet might damage the helmet’s integrity. On cheap helmets it was an “out” for the manufacturer if they got sued. On expensive Snell rated helmets the thickness of the sticker in a multi impact crash “could” jeopardize helmet integrity, according to the maker. I think it was all about lawsuits. The high end helmet maker just worded it better. I buy polycarbonate helmets. They don’t shatter like fiberglass but they do not withstand sideways crushing forces as well as fiberglass, in some instances. Here’s a cool write up on helmet materials. https://helmetsinsider.com/motorcycles/faq/helmet-materials/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still hand Bill Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Motorcycle helmets are commonly painted. Just look up Troy Lee. He is famous for his designs and made a successful business from painting helmets. My only concern would be the solvents damaging the internal foam. Not sure if it’s removed before painting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.