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I still get many inquiries regarding
full-size football helmet refurbishing, so to better assist
you I've posted these FAQs. |
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Do you offer a refurbishing service?
NO. |
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I just bought a NEW helmet that I want to paint, do I still
have to prime the shell before painting?
NO. This is totally up to you. The purpose of
the primer is to seal the surface and provide a suitable surface
for the paint (color coats) to adhere to. Proper surface
preparation is essential for your final finish to last.
If you are painting similar colors over the original, you
probably won't need to prime the shell as long as you do wet-sand
the surface first! This is VERY IMPORTANT to provide
the color coats with the necessary adhesion to stay on the
helmet; otherwise, you run the risk of having the paint peel
right off the too-smooth surface. If you are painting
over a red or yellow helmet shell, these pigments can bleed
through your color coats and so a coat of primer to "block"
these pigments will be well worth the effort.
Remember, a primer's purpose is to provide a good surface
for the color coats to adhere to. The primer should
be used to fill minor scratches and imperfections, block the
pigments in the helmet shell itself, and to block to pigments
in the underlying paint (if any) from contaminating the color
coats. Sure, you could skip priming the shell and directly
apply color coats; but from my experience, priming is always
worth the effort. |
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I just bought a USED helmet that I want to paint, do I still
have to prime the shell before painting?
See the answer above. |
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What type of primer should I use (enamel or lacquer)?
This is totally up to you. Enamels are the most common
type of spray primers (and paints) and are widely availabe;
they are also inexpensive. Enamel primers are fairly forgiving
and are best for general uses. They can also be used under
most lacquer spray paints, as long as you allow the enamel
primer coat(s) to properly cure for at least a week. Why a
week? Because the enamel composition is such that it takes
about this time to properly cure and harden. If you are spraying
enamel colors over the enamel primer, then typcially you only
need to wait about 2 days before applying your enamel color
coats. This time allows the enamel coats to properly "de-gas"
and cure.
Lacquers are more expensive than enamels, but offer a couple
of advantages. They dry quickly and allow you to recoat whenever
you want without the restrictions of enamels; lacquer primers
also cover an area with a thinner coat than enamels. However,
lacquer primers are difficult to find; the only ones I've
been able to discover are custom-mixed jobs from auto body
& paint supply shops, or at hobby shops.
Remember, a primer's purpose is to provide a good surface
for the color coats to adhere to. The primer should
be used to fill minor scratches and imperfections, block the
pigments in the helmet shell itself, and to block to pigments
in the underlying paint (if any) from contaminating the color
coats. Sure, you could skip priming the shell and directly
apply color coats; but from my experience, priming is always
worth the effort. |
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Can I use a sanding block or electrical/air-powered sander
to sand my helmet shell?
I would NOT recommend this. Take a look at the sanding
block or powered sander's surface: it's flat. Now take
a look at your helmet: do you see any flat spots on your helmet?
I didn't think so... all you will end up with are flat spots
and ridges all over that helmet surface. Your hands
and fingers can contour themselves to the shape of the helmet
much more effectively than anything else I've ever found,
so I recommend doing all sanding & polishing by hand.
Something else to consider is the speed of the sanding device.
Many sanders move so fast that heat & debris build up
very quickly. The possibility of these ruining your
paint finish is not worth the risk. Now, if you want
to use an electric car wax buffer to apply the machine polish
and to shine up the helmet afterwards, as long as the speed
is on the lowest setting and you use approved soft buffing
cloths, I don't see why this wouldn't work for shining &
buffing. But for sanding, forget it! Do it by
hand, it will save you time & trouble. |
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What brand of spray paint should I use?
Again, this is totally up to you. I have not noticed any difference
in paint brands (such as Krylon, Dupli-Color, et al).
Some of my favorites happen to be the generic brands of enamel
paints marketed by Wal-Mart! Wal-Mart also carries Dupli-Color
lacquers in the automotive section, and some auto supply shops
(such as Auto Zone) carry Dupli-Color spray paints (advertised
as "auto touch-up paint"). |
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What type of paint should I use (enamel, lacquer, or urethane)?
Your choice. Enamels are inexpensive and widely available.
There are a wide range of colors available as well.
Enamels, however, do not dry quickly and require long periods
of time to fully cure or "de-gas" (anywhere from
a week up to a month). Enamels, in my experience, do
not dry as "hard" as a lacquer coat and are much
easier to scratch or mar. Enamels also require you to
spray multiple coats within a specific time period of each,
usually 30 minutes between coats, or else you have to wait
a minimum of 48 hours between coats (just try otherwise and
watch the "orange peel" effect take hold).
Lacquers are more expensive and harder to find. One exception
is the Dupli-Color brand of lacquer spray paints, which can
commonly be found in Wal-Mart stores as well as automotive
supply stores (such as Auto Zone) as "automotive touch-up
paint." Other places to locate lacquer spray paints
are auto body & paint supply shops, where you can have
custom colors mixed to your specifications and either loaded
into spray cans or a tin for your own spray use. Typically,
you will be required to purchase at least a pint of the custom
color(s), and prices generally start at around $35/pint.
A pint will fill at least 3 spray cans, so you'll get quite
a lot of paint for the money. Lacquers dry quickly and
are not fussy about timing between recoats. Within a
day you should be able to start sanding & polishing lacquer
coats. Lacquers tend to have a more firm finish and
seem to be more resistant to chipping/cracking/peeling than
enamels do.
Keep in mind that lacquers are considered "hot"
paints...what that means is if you apply a lacquer color over
an enamel primer, make darn sure that the enamel primer is
fully cured (AT LEAST a week). Otherwise, the lacquer
will eat right through the primer and you'll end up with a
big bubbly mess. Some enamel primers are NOT compatible
with lacquer top color coats...be sure to read the directions
and warnings on each can of primer beforehand.
Urethanes are the newest type of paint, and are widely used
to paint car bodies. Urethanes are expensive, and require
special compounds and equipment (such as reducing agents to
thin out the paint for spraying, an automotive spray gun and
an air compressor to run it with). The resulting finish
is absolutely gorgeous, though, and well worth the expense.
The only difficult part is finding anyone to spray your helmet
shells. If you have your own spray booth set up, then
you have the ability to apply urethane paint on helmet shells.
I have several helmets with urethane paint coatings, and I
am VERY happy with the results. Urethanes usually come
out so smooth and glossy that sanding/polishing is NOT necessary.
A gentleman named
Eric Bakken paints helmet shells with urethane enamels,
and starts by blasting the shells with glass beads to smooth
out any imperfections. His work is outstanding, and
he has done all my urethane painting for me. His prices
are reasonable, and you can contact him
HERE for details and pricing. |
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Can I use model or hobby paints on my helmet?
Sure, why not? The only difference I've found between hobby/model
spray paints and more traditional spray paints is the price.
Enamels are enamels and lacquers are lacquers. Enamels
are typified by Testor's while lacquers are typified by Tamiya.
There are many many others, those are just two examples.
Hobby shops usually carry a wide assortment of paint types,
brands, and colors. I've never found a difference between
brands, just between types (enamels vs. lacquers). Most hobby
spray paints are identical to their larger cousins you will
find in hardware & auto stores. I've used hobby spray
paints on helmet shells with no difference in method or technique
as compared to the larger cans...they all end up with the
same results. Just keep in mind that it will take more than
one hobby spray can to coat a full-size helmet, and you could
end up paying more for several hobby spray cans than by just
buying one inexpensive can of primer. The choice is totally
up to you.
I've had questions about using airbrushes to apply custom-mixed
paint to helmets. This will work, but unless your airbrush
can handle large volumes of paint to cover that big helmet
is another story...I'd recommend using a PreVal sprayer instead
(available from auto paint & body supply shops). |
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Do I have to sand and polish after painting? What
about a clear coat instead?
No, of course not. Several collectors tell me that they
have had excellent results after spraying lacquer color coats,
and sealing it with a lacquer clear coat WITHOUT going through
the sanding/polishing process; if it works for you, great!.
However,I live in a very arid climate, so many times the paint
begins to dry before it even hits the helmet shell, and dust
particles constantly find their way into the new paint! So
I almost inevitably have to color sand every finish that I
apply. But if you don't need to color-sand, and can get a
good, smooth finish straight from the can, then apply your
decals and enjoy your good fortune!
Be aware that enamel clear coats will turn yellow over time,
especially if they are exposed to any sunlight. Lacquer
clear coats are less likely to turn yellow over time, but
it can happen. |
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Where can I get football helmet decals?
Try eBay
or check Facebook for helmet discussion.
Please keep in mind that SilverState55.com in no way promotes
nor encourages the unauthorized reproduction or use of copyrighted
materials. The majority of decals reproduced are custom decals
for private businesses and fantasy football leagues that hold
the proprietary rights to the images being reproduced in decal
form. All images reproduced in decal form are the property
of their respective owners and are used by permission. |
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Where can I purchase football helmets, facemasks, and helmet
parts?
Check out my LINKS
page. |
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Do you have paint codes or data available for any teams' colors?
No, I do not. Try the Society
for Sports Uniforms Research, or the discussion groups
listed above. |
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Can you give me any technical details on specific helmets,
or a history of specific types of helmets?
No, but the good folks at Helmet
Hut sure can! I don't think there's a helmet question
out there that they couldn't answer. They also carry
replacement parts for the Riddell RK helmets. |
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