Painting Stock Outboard helmets

[jtower3941]

Is their a paint that you can use to paint helmet legal colors??? I have heard of a paint used to paint plastic, can you use this??? Have a two helmet that have dot req. but are black.

[Kev43V]

if you just rough the surface up with 400 grit sandpaper even spray bomb paint will stick. (I am not saying thats what you want to use) But it is what I used on mine. 4 dollar flour. orange from lowes. But I admit when you look at it. it looks like 4 dollar paint. a little wetsanding and clear on top would of done wonders for its look

[pops67g]

Automotive paints are best

Depending on the brand, you can buy automotive acrylic enamel in the proper color, and in pints. Wet sand the helmet with 320 grit or finer, tape it carefully, and spray your brains out. You should use a hardener in the enamel for better durability and gloss. The cost of automotive grade materials is a little scary, but as Kevin says, it won't look like $4 hardware store stuff either. I get my paint at NAPA and have very good results.

[Skoontz]

House of Kolor Fluorescent orange, or Neon orange. Use epoxy primer, or their brand primer, base coat white, then the color coat, then 3 coats of clear. There is a yellow you can use as well.

[jtower3941]

Thanks for the info. Will be painting both boat and helmet before Spring race. Thanks

Jim Tower 118P

PS boat will be red and white. I Hope

[mercguy]

colors!!

word to the wise........hint hint..................make sure you only paint the upper 50% either solid yellow or international orange (according to the rule book) and no mixing of the 2 colors or variations of the yellow or orange and forget about using red!!

this rule will start to be enforced heavily real soon!!


.................watch out for the yellow cards if you do not comply!!!!!

[David_L6]

Just buy this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts...3A1|240%3A1318

[mercguy]

Just buy this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts...3A1|240%3A1318

I agree!!!!!! Custom painted helmets are cool, but if the rescue team has even slightest hard time in locating you in the water.........well, then you are putting your own self at risk with the fancy paint jobs witch can sometimes be very hard to see, if one is in the water and near other boats..........

remember adding all this paint to your helmet just makes it more susceptible to being chipped easier..........

cheaper, easier and more effective to buy one already the required color! Remember your helmet is the MOST IMPORTANT piece of safety equipment you own, so don't go cheap here!!!!!!!!! fingers, arms, toes, etc can be replaced and repaired, but a severed "melon" can not........


sorry for preaching here, as I know you were just asking about painting........

[PopPop]

I understand that the most visable neon paint is the one that the gas company uses to mark line locations on the grass for construction.
That and a couple coats of clear acrylic should work.

[Tomtall]

Spray bomb

Take your time to prep and tap and a can of good ol Krylon works wonders. Follow up with clear coat.

[Bill Huson]

so DOT helmets are aproved now?

Use to be Snell. Anyhoo, a Snell helmet was easy to paint - paint would stick to a gel caot composite shell. DOT helmets are often molded plastic Some plastics aren't very paint friendly since the plastic emits a "grease" which I'm sure has a technical/chemical name. To paint those plastics you got everything ready to go, fanned a propane torch flame over the plastic until it appeared dull (flat, not shiny), and then pull the trigger on the spray bomb! You have less than 30 minutes to get the paint on, so if you're taping a design, tape fast!

[Dan M]

Also, Be carefull of what type of paint you use. Some of the DOT shells are polycarbonate plastic, and it can be very sensitive to some of the volatile solvents in some spray cans. Hobby stores have paint formulated for polycarbonate in the colors needed.

Dan

[jtower3941]

Sorry ,I was going to paint the boat red and white and the helmet in a legal stock outboard color. My technical question is does the helmet need to have a dot and snell rating to be legal. Is just a dot rating legal.??

[mercguy]

Sorry ,I was going to paint the boat red and white and the helmet in a legal stock outboard color. My technical question is does the helmet need to have a dot and snell rating to be legal. Is just a dot rating legal.??

yes, they have to be DOT/Snell rated..............but pretty much every helmet made nowadays has that.............

[machinedcomp]

Daren, will this pass ?

Its mostly Orange, just a few different shades.