Discussion
Henry Fiddleton said:
Painting has serious issues with MSA/FIA approval, and can often mess up the helmet if oven sprayed. Not reconmented.
Huh? Since when does painting a helmet create "serious issues with MSA/FIA approval"?A painted helmet doesn't require individual or special approved by the FIA or MSA.
i think the MSA point was with reference to a home sprayed job where they can not guarantee that the necessary precautions will have been taken to ensure the integrity of the helmet has not been jeopardised. if you went to someone like JLF, there would be no issue and i have never, ever, heard of anyone oven baking a helmet!
some places are quite cheap and do a good job, a simple design from a reputable helmet painter can be as little as £200 but highly detialed designs can be anything up to £1000. if you are interested, hunt around the airbrush/modelling forums. some of the guys there have done helmets.
i am mid way through spraying an old out of date helmet and all i can say is there is no way i would do it to a valid helmet given the amount of lining i have had to move in order to mask areas off etc. I believe there is also an issue regarding getting paint on the lining if its nomex?
never known anyone have a problem with stick on vinyl graphics but there is always one scrutineer who will wonder what the sticker is covering up and want it removed as its not unknown for a scratch or two to be covered with a sticker to avoid questions.
some places are quite cheap and do a good job, a simple design from a reputable helmet painter can be as little as £200 but highly detialed designs can be anything up to £1000. if you are interested, hunt around the airbrush/modelling forums. some of the guys there have done helmets.
i am mid way through spraying an old out of date helmet and all i can say is there is no way i would do it to a valid helmet given the amount of lining i have had to move in order to mask areas off etc. I believe there is also an issue regarding getting paint on the lining if its nomex?
never known anyone have a problem with stick on vinyl graphics but there is always one scrutineer who will wonder what the sticker is covering up and want it removed as its not unknown for a scratch or two to be covered with a sticker to avoid questions.
Chris Sideways said:
So it sounds like I shouldn't have a problem with the MSA or scrutineering then if I vinyl wrap my helmet?This is for car circuit racing and not karts if that makes a difference.
to be honest, so long as the correct stickers are still visable i doubt a scrut will spot that its vinyl wrapped - so long as there are no air bubbles. On the other hand though, if they spot its vinyl they may wonder if your trying to hide damage on the helmet.Edited by Chris Sideways on Wednesday 2nd November 17:43
AWRacing said:
to be honest, so long as the correct stickers are still visable i doubt a scrut will spot that its vinyl wrapped - so long as there are no air bubbles. On the other hand though, if they spot its vinyl they may wonder if your trying to hide damage on the helmet.
I might take the plunge and just go for it depending on the cost,I take it the adhesive on the vinyl wont damage/weaken the shell? Chris Sideways said:
I might take the plunge and just go for it depending on the cost,I take it the adhesive on the vinyl wont damage/weaken the shell?
This is the sticking point....But seriously helmets nearly always say on them to not stick anything on them or paint them as there is no promise that what you are applying to it will not degrade the helmet in some way.
I was chatting to an MSA rep a few months back and he would not let me enter a club event as I have vinyl stickers and such on my helmet. The basis of this is that there could be a split in the shell under the sticker and its not visible. With painting, splits tend to show through. Good quality painters will use airbrush and water based paints for the colours.
I had a few old V2 helmets and I decided to spray one with 'off the shelf' car paints. Looked great, but I then carried out an impact test using a standard claw hammer. Unpainted helmet took around 15-20 blows on the crown to split the outer laminate. The painted one took a single blow and it went straight through.
I will stick to a plain helmet now as I cant afford or justify the cost of a custom paint job... but its on the list for Lottery wins. Lol.
I had a few old V2 helmets and I decided to spray one with 'off the shelf' car paints. Looked great, but I then carried out an impact test using a standard claw hammer. Unpainted helmet took around 15-20 blows on the crown to split the outer laminate. The painted one took a single blow and it went straight through.
I will stick to a plain helmet now as I cant afford or justify the cost of a custom paint job... but its on the list for Lottery wins. Lol.
LDN said:
Interesting - thanks for posting.Seems for an extra cost he will get an MSA scrutineer to inspect/sign off.
I notice most of his customers are karters - any circuit/sprint guys used him?
Woody said:
Interesting - thanks for posting.
Seems for an extra cost he will get an MSA scrutineer to inspect/sign off.
I notice most of his customers are karters - any circuit/sprint guys used him?
I know some single seater drivers have used him; not sure who else. Kart helmets and race helmets make no difference to his work. He's done more karting helmets merely because that's where all of his connections are. He set-up CovKartSport which is an Arrive and Drive series around the U.K. www.covkartsport.comSeems for an extra cost he will get an MSA scrutineer to inspect/sign off.
I notice most of his customers are karters - any circuit/sprint guys used him?
All I would add is that it is essential that the BSI/Snell/Whatever sticker stays attached to the helmet and is visible (ie not-overpainted).
Having had my helmet painted twice by a monkey (not named) and once by an artist (Clayton at Sudden Impact) the sticker would no longer stick.
Even though I still had the sticker; all of the labelling inside the helmet confirmed that it was to the correct standard; the MSA had stuck their sticker to it after I'd had it painted; and I had a letter from the BSI confirming that the helmet was to the correct standard and a known 'batch'; I still sufferred occasional pain at scrutineering.
From memory, this cost me ~ £400 of your Earthquids.
Personally, I wouldn't put anything like vinyls on a crash helmet - as temptingly economical as it may be.
Having had my helmet painted twice by a monkey (not named) and once by an artist (Clayton at Sudden Impact) the sticker would no longer stick.
Even though I still had the sticker; all of the labelling inside the helmet confirmed that it was to the correct standard; the MSA had stuck their sticker to it after I'd had it painted; and I had a letter from the BSI confirming that the helmet was to the correct standard and a known 'batch'; I still sufferred occasional pain at scrutineering.
From memory, this cost me ~ £400 of your Earthquids.
Personally, I wouldn't put anything like vinyls on a crash helmet - as temptingly economical as it may be.
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