Oh I love flake too, with the paint I’m using what you see on this helmet is the biggest flake available. I do still have to buff and polish the helmet, it will look better when that’s done. I should have wiped the dust off before I did the video though:)
You’ll have to try real metal flake sometime! Requires some more tools and will leave your garage sparkling for months though…
Good work!
5 Likes
Where does candy paints fit in? Too fragile for helmet/kart?
“Candy apple” or “flamboyant” paint consists of a metallic base coat, usually silver or gold, covered with a translucent coloured lacquer, or more commonly urethane. It gives an unusual effect of depth, but is almost impossible to touch up after damage without leaving an obvious mark. It is common on bikes, motorcycles and electric guitars.[citation needed] It has also traditionally been used on custom hot rod cars,
Dumb questions incoming for both of you. What are you using to mark horizontal lines on the helmet? A little tripod with a pencil attached to it? Do you have to remove the pencil lines after masking so it doesn’t bleed thru?
1 Like
Ah that’s top level work right there 
I can only dream of painting like that! If I want to do flake like that I assume I would have to switch to solvent based paint?
1 Like
I made this, the vertical shaft rotates in the base. Also set the helmet up on a turntable. I usually erase the lines except if it is going to be covered with a dark color. I’m not an expert so I don’t know if I’m doing things correctly!
Nice this is what I was picturing! Not hard to fab up, but surely someone out there makes one for lazy people like me to buy.
Wonder if I can bust out my laser level. Probably not as user friendly.
I might have to dust off one of my old helmets and take a stab at painting again. Thanks for sharing.
1 Like
You would still have to mark the helmet somehow if you used the laser level.
I practiced on a couple of old helmets when I first started painting :+1
I think you mentioned a while ago that you could possibly help me with my own visor strips. At some point I would like to do this if the offer is still there:)
For sure. Just shoot me a message anytime!
I used a laser level and hand marked for years but I fabbed up something similar to John’s stylus a few years ago, along with a fixture I designed for angling the helmet too. I tape it so most pencil lines are covered by paint and anything not covered gets erased before painting.
@Bimodal_Rocket candy just refers to a specific kind of transparent paint. The photo I posted has heavy silver flake and then the red and green are transparent candies over the top. Candies are used all the time in helmets.
@johnu97 the flake is just suspended in clear or dry sprayed onto wet clear (my preferred method) so should work fine with water based.
2 Likes
How do you perfect symmetry?
Lots of measurements and practice.
1 Like
Thanks TJ, I appreciate all the info you have shared with me 
I will definitely try the flake at some point!
Coincidentally I am doing flake this week. A few sizes of silver mixed together with a little iridescent mixed in too. Then candy blue shot over that and the stars are holographic vinyl.
4 Likes
Im in contact with a painter and i want to have gold holographic lines (flakes) je said vinyl is best option what do you think?
Muck up design i did in gimp
1 Like
If just doing the lines in holographic then yes vinyl is the best option.
Then the cyan in chrome i think it would be cool
Love it! One day I hope to be able to get close to that level😊
1 Like
That really is pretty. I like the stars a lot and the red/blue colors are really nice ones.