Baseball helmets

[Shilo]

Hi I am new to this board and Wet Canvas.
Does anyone paint baseball helmets? If so, how do you prep a baseball helmet? I have Auto Air paints by Createx, as far as I know they adhere to plastic quite well.
I have another question also. What is "wet sanding"? I don't mean to sound dumb but I really don't know what that is. And, how do you do that on a motorcycle helmet?
Thank you very much,
Shilo

[Maryl Lehman]

Welcome to the airbrush forum, Shilo! I'm not sure I'm the one to tell you how to prep a baseball helmet, but you would have to "wet sand" the surface first, before painting it. Wet sanding is what you call sanding the surface with sandpaper and water. Get the special "wet sanding" sandpaper at your local automotive paint store, or maybe a hardware would have it too--?? You would need a fine grade paper, say 600 to 1000 grit. Ask at your automotive paint store, they should be able to tell you. I have never used Auto Air paints, so I'm lost on this one. I paint with urethanes. But the total surface of the helmet will need to be wet sanded, and anything you don't want overspray to get onto will need masked off---like any trim work. I'm sure Penny could help you out better on this one----Penny??. Usually when I paint motorcycles, they come to me already wet sanded and ready to paint.

~Maryl

[joe_jones]

try posting at http://www.westcoastairbrush.com/airbrushforum/index.php
some of the guys there paint them.

Joe

[His Painter Airbrush]

Hi Shilo,

If you are talking about regular baseball helmets for kids, I've done them before. You use a scotch brite pad (green one) and scuff up the helmet. Clean it up with windex. Then use bull dog primer (if you have it -- it also helps with adhesion.) Put your artwork on it and then use a rattlecan clear over it. Let it dry for 24 hrs. Usually lasts a season.

Wet sanding is simply putting sand paper in water and letting it soak for awhile before sanding your helmet or bike or auto. I usually get a rubber block that you use with the sand paper and sand it in one direction....hope this answers some of your questions.

[Penny220]

Wet sandpaper and scotch brite pads can be purchased in the automotive section and or the paint section at all larger department stores, home stores (Lowe's/Home Depot etc) or at any automotive store.

I would use a very fine grade paper (the higher the number the finer the paper)

Sanding with either sandpaper or pads is done to allow the paint a surface to "bite"

I have never heard of the primer mentioned. Any primer will work.

I would not use windex. Windex is an amonnia base with a detergent, it will not cut all oils and dirt and it will leave a film that you are trying to get rid of. At the least use rubbing alcohol, but I would use denatured alcohol as it is the same petrolium base as the plastic. Do not use an automotive degreaser because like reducer and thinner it will melt the plastic. Do not use alcohol of any sort once you have painted the helmet. This is contradictory to an automotive surface but alcohol is damaging to acrylic paints.

Auto air is one of the best paints you can use for this type of job. Auto air is flexible and works very well with plastics. You can however use urathanes on the helmets too.

Clear coat with either Createx clear or a rattle can the choice is yours.

Welcome to our forum. Have fun and please post your helmet when you are done.

Penny

[His Painter Airbrush]

My mistake Penny ;) , sorry, in my haste I typed it wrong, it's called Bull Dog Adhesion Promotor. It's not a primer. I paint motorcycle helmets differently than a cheap batter's helmet that the kids just throw on the ground after hitting a baseball. We never had a problem last year when we did them at a girl's fastpitch tournament and I know a lot of other airbrushers that do it this way for those batting helmets. Didn't have a problem using the windex either. There was no film on any of the new or old helmets we worked on. I guess use whatever works for you Shilo. Just sharing my experience with you and how we did it.

I don't use windex on a motorcycle helmets to get the oils and wax off. I use PPG DX330. Createx I used on the batting helmets. I just wanted to clarify things and not mislead anyone.

Off to paint...

[prepsage]

Createx doesn't recommend their own clears for the autoairs though.

[Penny220]

prepsage my mistake on the autoair thanks for the correction.

hispainter I wasn't being critical I have had problems with windex in the past and denatured alcohol is a pretrolium based product which is why it is recommended. As far as the adhesion promoter I am curious, is this just for plastics or is this PPG's version of Duponts 222?

[His Painter Airbrush]

Hey Penny :) ,

This is what it looks like:
http://www.raptortechnique.com/images/paint02.jpg
I haven't used it on anything else but the batting helmets. It was added for extra measure. Because if you really think about it you are adding plastic to plastic with the createx paints on a batting helmet. Right?

On motorcycle helmets and autos I prefer using urethanes with HOK and PPG paints and having them sent out to the local auto body shop to have them clearcoated. Really don't see any need in using the Bulldog Adhesion Promotor on the motorcycle helmets and autos if do everything right in the beginning to prep the surface. ;) You probably already knew that though.

[Penny220]

I just saw the stuff you were talking about today in WalMart. Adhesion promoters like Duponts 222 is good for doing harder paint surfaces like Imron paints that are used on Semi trucks and airplanes. The product opens the pours of the paint to allow for greater adhesion. Imron is the worlds hardest paint and it is recommended for use when dealing with it. As far as automotive work or anything else I have never bothered using a promoter.