Airbrush Technique Issue 22

by Don Johnson Those words make most folks cringe with the thought of having to deal with the rubber trim while painting full-face motorcycle helmets. Dealing with the rubber trim on full-face motorcycle helmets can be a bit frustrating until you find a technique that works for you. Over the last ten years or so of custom painting helmets I think I have tried just about everything imaginable when it comes to the rubber trim around the bottom and visor opening on helmets. The only way to escape dealing with the trim is to get your helmets factory direct void of all the trim and interior padding, paint it and send it back to have them assemble the helmet. This is just not possible with most custom painting jobs unfortunately so you learn to deal with it. There are two schools of thought here 1) you mask the rubber trim off 2) you remove the rubber trim. I’m of the second school and remove the rubber trim on all the helmets I paint. Generally speaking you end up with a more professional looking finish when you remove the trim, paint the helmet and put the trim back on. Depending on the brand and model of the helmet you will find some are easier to deal with than others. Inexpensive helmets tend not to use as much glue when installing the trim so it generally takes less effort to remove it. When installing the trim I have tried all sorts of glues and found a rubber cement work best for me. Take care when using any glue that is hot like Super Glue as it will mar the clear coat if you get the glue where it shouldn’t be. Most helmet companies sell replacement trim if you get in a pinch and cannot replace the original trim. I always keep several different types of trim in the shop just in case the need arises. Something you might want to consider if you plan on painting many helmets. Below are two examples of how you can deal with the rubber trim, I’m sure there are other methods but I believe these to be the two most common methods. Find the seam in the trim around the bottom of the helmet; generally it’s in the back of the helmet. With a hobby knife and NEW #11 blade gently pry one side lose from the seam. It’s important to use a new shape blade and angle the blade into; toward the helmet at all times. With the knife blade still angled into the helmet separate the front side of the trim from the helmet. If you angle the blade outward towards the trim you will cut the trim, that’s not good. After getting the and inch or two free on the front side of the helmet go back and separate the rubber trim from the inside of the helmet the same way we just did the outside. When you have the inside free you should be able to pull the trim back on itself as pictured above. Now that you have both sides free gently pull the trim back on itself. You may have to use the hobby knife in some areas, keep the blade titled so the shape edge is toward the helmet. One masking technique is to use a good grade masking tape applied as pictured above. Take your thumbnail and run in down the seam where the tape over laps the trim onto the helmet. Using a hobby knife and NEW blade cut the masking tape off down the seam you just ran your thumbnail around. Continue all the way around the bottom helmet trim and visor opening trim with this method.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Airbrush Technique Issue 22

Airbrush Technique Issue 22 Danyell Butler Lee Diaz C.S. Bailey Big Daddy John Roseboom - An Icon in Airbrush History Patrick Charuel Helmet Trim Natalie Lapelosa - How to Airbrush Hellboy on a T Shirt by Xzotic Ink Ashley Brayson

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