Peter Millerchip
New Member
- Messages
- 24
- Location
- Devon, U.K.
Whilst musing on how to improve the looks of my welding helmet (un-adorned dull grey/black plastic), I did a few searches on the internet about how to jazz up its looks and make it more interesting. Maybe I could find a step by step fool proof way of producing some funky designs and images for someone with little or no artistic ability.
There is plenty of material about painting, air brushing, and so on, and I admire greatly some of the art-work thus produced by some very talented artists.
But there is no way I can match that artistry.
Then I came across this thread :- https://www.instructables.com/id/Custom-Helmet-1/ and was astonished at what could be done with printed images on PAPER!!!, the right glue and gloss finish.
This opens up a whole new way of adding decoration.
All I needed to do was carefully clean down, de-grease and "scotchbrite" my helmet, and mask off the visor.
I gave it a rattle-can spray coat of etch primer (I happened to have this on the shelf from a previous project).
Once dry, it provides a good matt surface for "licky sticky stuff).
I invested in some Scotch glue sticks and a pot of Mod Podge.
I then had a great time trawling the internet for images and suitable texts.
I discovered "Pinterest" has a great selection of Memes, and texts of all types. This became my main source of images, (I stress, reflecting my own private views about current stupid social mores and virtue signalling puppets) There is a whole world of imagery out there to find on any theme you want!
I did print off a heck of a lot of stuff, and then spent several enjoyable hours going through it all and scissoring out what seemed amusing (to me anyway) and fitting it to the helmet space (which rapidly fills up).
The Scotch glue stick worked beautifully (I used nearly two of them), and when dry I used two coats of Mod-Podge.
I followed up with a spray coat of clear gloss lacquer.
Here are the results :-
If I get tired of it, I can just add more images at a later date.
I must add that had I not found that thread on "Instructables" I would never have thought of paper/lickyt sticky as being viable.
I've used the helmet since, and the coating has protected it from the usual knocks and scrapes. The coatings are not flammable, and appear odourless now.
All in all I am very pleased with the method.
Peter
There is plenty of material about painting, air brushing, and so on, and I admire greatly some of the art-work thus produced by some very talented artists.
But there is no way I can match that artistry.
Then I came across this thread :- https://www.instructables.com/id/Custom-Helmet-1/ and was astonished at what could be done with printed images on PAPER!!!, the right glue and gloss finish.
This opens up a whole new way of adding decoration.
All I needed to do was carefully clean down, de-grease and "scotchbrite" my helmet, and mask off the visor.
I gave it a rattle-can spray coat of etch primer (I happened to have this on the shelf from a previous project).
Once dry, it provides a good matt surface for "licky sticky stuff).
I invested in some Scotch glue sticks and a pot of Mod Podge.
I then had a great time trawling the internet for images and suitable texts.
I discovered "Pinterest" has a great selection of Memes, and texts of all types. This became my main source of images, (I stress, reflecting my own private views about current stupid social mores and virtue signalling puppets) There is a whole world of imagery out there to find on any theme you want!
I did print off a heck of a lot of stuff, and then spent several enjoyable hours going through it all and scissoring out what seemed amusing (to me anyway) and fitting it to the helmet space (which rapidly fills up).
The Scotch glue stick worked beautifully (I used nearly two of them), and when dry I used two coats of Mod-Podge.
I followed up with a spray coat of clear gloss lacquer.
Here are the results :-
If I get tired of it, I can just add more images at a later date.
I must add that had I not found that thread on "Instructables" I would never have thought of paper/lickyt sticky as being viable.
I've used the helmet since, and the coating has protected it from the usual knocks and scrapes. The coatings are not flammable, and appear odourless now.
All in all I am very pleased with the method.
Peter