Okay, so I decided to give my old motorcycle helmet a makeover. I’ve had this plain black helmet for years, and I was just itching for something with more… pizzazz. I figured, why not go for gold? Not real gold, of course, but you know, a nice, shiny, gold finish.
Getting Started
First, I gathered all my supplies. This included:
- The old helmet (obviously!)
- Gold spray paint (I went with a metallic finish)
- Sandpaper (a few different grits, from coarse to fine)
- Painter’s tape
- Primer (spray primer, suitable for plastic)
- Clear coat sealant (also a spray)
- A drop cloth or some old newspapers
- Gloves and a mask (gotta protect those lungs!)
Prepping the Helmet
The most important part, and honestly the most time-consuming, was the prep work. You can’t just spray paint onto a helmet and expect it to look good. I started by taking the visor off and any other removable parts. Then, I gave the whole helmet a good cleaning with soapy water to get rid of any dirt or grime.
Next up was sanding. I started with the coarser grit sandpaper and went over the entire surface of the helmet. The goal here was to rough up the existing finish so the primer would have something to grip onto. I didn’t want to sand too hard, just enough to take off the shine. After the coarse grit, I switched to a finer grit and smoothed everything out. This whole process took a while, but it’s super important for a good final result. Lots of elbow grease.
Once I was happy with the sanding, I wiped the helmet down with a damp cloth to remove any dust. Then, I used the painter’s tape to mask off any areas I didn’t want to be painted, like the inside padding and any vents.
Priming and Painting
With the prep work done, it was time for the fun part! I shook the primer can really well (like, for a full two minutes) and then sprayed a thin, even coat over the entire helmet. I made sure to keep the can moving to avoid any drips or runs. It’s better to do several thin coats than one thick one.
I let the primer dry completely – I think I waited about an hour, just to be safe. Then, I gave it another light sanding with the finest grit sandpaper, just to smooth out any imperfections.
Finally, it was time for the gold! I shook the gold spray paint can like crazy, and then applied it in the same way as the primer – thin, even coats, keeping the can moving. I think I ended up doing three coats of gold, letting each coat dry for about 30 minutes in between.
Finishing Touches
After the final coat of gold was dry, I removed the painter’s tape. Then, I sprayed on a few coats of clear coat sealant. This helps protect the paint and gives it a nice, glossy finish. Again, I did several thin coats, letting each one dry completely.
Once the clear coat was dry, I re-attached the visor and all the other parts I had removed at the beginning. And that was it! My plain black helmet was now a gleaming, golden masterpiece. It looks great. Not too hard at all.
