Helmet Colors & Painting Your Helmet

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

I just read several articles about the pros and cons of spraying colors and or added graphics to racer's crash helmets.

Viirtually every manufacturer who makes safety crash helmets for our sport and many other sports will tell you to buy your helmet in the range of colors allowed in your sport with color impregnated, engineered into and manufactured by that manufacturer. If your change the color by overspraying the original color of the crash helmet you are due to the paint coatings added, are changing the safety engineering (crush strengths and flexabilities) of the helmet itself that could render the use of the helmet more dangerous or ineffective to the user's safety because the helmet's properties have been changed by the added coatings.

Think about it before you buy or you do. You don't want or need to compromise safety. :)

[Moneypit]

Unless the painter adds considerable weight to the helmet I fail to see how altering the color or graphics could have any affect on the safety rating of the hat. I do remember it is not a good idea to paint your own helmet,:eek: something superstitious about it. Have someone else paint it if you want a different color. Maybe it was the helmet painters that started that rumor?:D..........MP

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Information concerning helmet painting and or overcoatings come from a variety of industry, government and consumer safety testing sources. Added coatings depending on hardness, elasticity etc. alter the design engineering properties of a helmet that protect your head. They advise not to alter your helmet with coatings as it could render the design inefective. Coating you helmet may also void any written or expresses limited warrantee as well because your changing the safety properties of your helmet.

[7500Blizzard]

Unless your buying a supercheap plastic helmut and the paint your using actually etches it with it's solvent there should be no way for it to be comprimised. That's like saying that after you build your boat and coat it with epoxy that if you paint the hull you made less safe.

[john miffco]

lets throw in some disclaimers to cover our asses,,,,,,,,,,,
thats what the whole paint thing is,,,,,,,,

any class that has a snell approved helmet required
is a class that accidents will happen and helmet will be taking impact

so upon major accident and helmet has a failure
warrenty and liability is voided if helmet is altered in any manner
as a business making head protection
this is a smart disclaimer

95% of all racers have their helmet painted,,,,,,,,,,,for 2 main reasons ,,,,,,,
1)looks damm good and is an expression of your personality
2)bell as most manufactures only offer white,orange and black on a few models,,,,,,,,so major extra charge for custom colors,,,,,
and will not do the graphics we ask for
good business,,,,offer only a couple colors,,,and custom so rediculous priced
most will go get painted,,,,,,,,,,,

just as drug companies,,,,,,,thier pill advertised to help 1 item
but disclaimers list 100 possible side effects,,,,,,,
just good business to protect themselves

i am a certified and registered composite manufacturer
make parts for the ship,chem plants,aviation,and subsea industries
dont know it all but composite combinations and laminates pretty well
the top coat of a certified helmet is either gelcoat or epoxy
as being high end helmets for racing,,,chemical resistant materiials are uesd
(fire,oil resistant epoxies and vinyl esters)not cheap molded plastics

thse materials are non porous to the paints that these helmets are painted with
otherwards the paint does not absorb into the coating to get to the structure material the helmet is made with to alter or change its composition

if put enough paint and corrosive paints over a helmet,,,,yes during a test it will show a different result
thus a test result to be able to add the disclaimerand lack of liability
just good busineess on their part
john

[7500Blizzard]

I agree with everything you just said, but it would take a whole lotta paint to change that much. Most airbrushed helmets only nave an ounce or two of paint at most then a good clear.

[john miffco]

my point i was trying to get across
we want the helmet to flex to a point to absorb the impact
and not fail,,,,,
if put on enough paint,,,,then the wrong paint,,,less flex
barsal/newton test will change results
thus making disclaimer legal,,,,,,,,,,,

we buy good racing helmets for the strength
and the lightness on our necks
paint is paper thin cause we dont want the extra weight
when conducting a test,,,you always test with odds in your favor,,,,,,,,,,
john