Geeto67 Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 So as the x-mas holiday is upon us I thought I would share with you guys a fun project I did for my father as his Christmas present. While I am normally an advocate of full face helmets, my dad is a little more old school and getting to wear anything more than a beanie while on his harley has been a challenge so at least with this 3/4 I am getting him to move in the right direction, or at least give him some shelf art. He's been riding continuously since the early 1960's so I am not really concerned as much as I would be if it were someone picking gear for the first time but still....good gear is good gear and I'll get him into a fullface for that bike some day (he already rides with a full face on the ninja and honda so this is really for him to go to shows with). Anyway, it started a couple weeks back when I saw that Iron Pony had Fulmer bobber metalflake helmets on clearance for $29. So I bought one (technically I bought two but I haven't painted the other one). It's a nice metal flake job and a DOT helmet unlike some of the other novelty helmets out there. I don't really like how pinched in the bottom of the helmet is which makes getting it on and off somewhat difficult but once on it is a nice comfortable helmet. The downside is the helmet is kind of bland looking and not really super exciting other than it sparkles like fresh glitter. Sorry I don't have any pics for fresh out of the box so here is a stock photo: http://www.fulmerhelmets.com/assets/images/fulmer/product/afv20silverbobber14b-01.png anyway, the first step was to lay out the design: http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/Dads%20helmet%202015/F1AC5ABA-E9A8-4AB3-9152-B0981F83EAEF_zpshmjjclkm.jpg I did this using 3m 471 vynil tape in the two thinnest sizes (I used yellow and blue to help keep some of the intersecting lines from getting confusing). for those that don't know this is what custom painters use for laying out flames because it can be pulled around a curve without wrinkling and causing bleed through. I wanted to do a nice 1970's style panel fade which would give me a good base for some candy and pinstriping work. I then used regular old home depot blue painters tape to cover the areas that weren't complex curves. The next step was to lay down some of the larger panel fade. I used VHT nightshades taillight tint. I couldn't find any candy black so this was a good substitute, plus someone had given me cans of it for free. it has a nice wide fan nozzle that made spraying a fade a lot easier. It also dries hard super quick. Within 2 hours I was actually putting blue tape over it for the next panel. This stuff is pretty awesome. http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/Dads%20helmet%202015/1A89A2DB-978E-4632-A7B6-0320DB4B117A_zps8pdoowrc.jpg http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/Dads%20helmet%202015/8608A1A1-627F-454D-A6C9-A4CFC700636E_zpsboipwx0t.jpg http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/Dads%20helmet%202015/71EF5A05-3D16-4E45-835E-E735099FB744_zpsgeipkbvu.jpg it also gave a nice hard glossy finish. initial drying had a slight green tint but as it hardened it leveled out to black. In the sunlight the flake still pops through though, it's a nice effect. I layed out 2 nice even coats. The next step was to apply the candy red. Since dad's harley is silver with a black panel and red striping these were the colors I wanted to go with. I had an unused can of Testor's I was saving for a model car project so I just grabbed that off the shelf and started laying down some red. final result: http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/Dads%20helmet%202015/D83EB3D5-388F-4695-9D1A-EE00FBE66235_zps87tsmzal.jpg http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/Dads%20helmet%202015/8BEFB77B-879D-4EF4-B633-1D049724DD7D_zpstnfd5p88.jpg http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/Dads%20helmet%202015/DE12F9E6-E1F4-4CAF-BC1E-ECCE5BCC6862_zpsmiug20av.jpg there are a few spots of junk in the paint, but nothing a wetsand and polish wouldn't take out. I still have to add the pinstriping to it but for something that literally took me only two hours start to finish I don't think it is half bad. There are some spots where the tape walked but I think that it is because I use lacquer thinner to prep the surface and I might have pushed them out of alignment when wiping down. In the end I probably spent $50 in helmet and materials (I already had all the materials but cost I can't see it being more than $20 if you shop smart on the spray cans and tape), and my dad get's a one of a kind home made x-mas gift. Wins all around. If you are handy with a spray can this is something anybody can do in their backyard. This was actually so fun a project that I am thinking about setting up a mini spray booth to use my airbrushes again (iwatta with a mini flake buster). I have an old fiberglass racing tank I want to try as my over the winter project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Pretty cool. Need a pic of it w/the bike. For a minute there, I though you disliked your father and was trying to get him hassled at the next Harley meet w/his glittertastic helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted December 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Pretty cool. Need a pic of it w/the bike. For a minute there, I though you disliked your father and was trying to get him hassled at the next Harley meet w/his glittertastic helmet. you'll have to wait till after X-mas for pics with the bike, but I will get them. here is a pic of the tank (ignore the supercharger) but the cover and lighting make all the colors look darker than they are, it is a much brighter silver and red in person: http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/D660F75D-7F52-4B23-A40B-5072CE7B61D4_zpsxtklyhbw.jpg the other stripe on the tank which you can barely see is imitation gold. I am going to add some imitation gold and black pin-striping to the helmet as a final touch. Whadda mean Harley dudes don't like glitter? Most of them paint their bikes like easter eggs...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Alex- Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Nice design, looks good. When are you going to make a project log for your bike(s)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted December 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Nice design, looks good. When are you going to make a project log for your bike(s)? probably in the new year when I start working on them again. I stopped working on my 1975 cb750F ex street racer 3 weeks ago because of well...life...and now I have the kid's birthday, Hanukkah and Xmas and new years and not a lot of time running around. I don't know if I posted this before but here is a teaser image: http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Geeto67/1975%20CB750F%20Garage%20Find/D7004C7E-1778-4038-9E7A-A31F47688D38_zpsdlwtp0jz.jpg wheels by Carrol Shelby (yes that Shelby). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponyjr1647545514 Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 Helmet looks awesome. Very nice work. Dig the CB as well. looks like its in good hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 Jesus dude, for something you did in your backyard with rattle cans in a couple hours, that is really impressive! Nice work, it looks great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 Best use of Night Shades EVER. Great job and awesome photos, Kerry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrhobbz Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Details on the supercharger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robochan Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Details on the supercharger? It uses crank energy to compress intake air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Details on the supercharger? It's an old magnacharger setup. Gear driven off the cam. Blower itself is an eaton body, the same one they used on the Buick GS and Pontiac GTP in the early 2000s. In street config it's pushing about 8psi and is good for about 125hp at the rear wheel (I forget what the actual dyno number was it was so long ago). To put that in perspective a stock 1997 Fatboy made about 58hp from the 80 ci evo engine. Engine has forged Pistons and Andrews "blower" cams. Boost can be cranked up to 14psi for short stints but since it is a stock bottom end I don't know how long it would last. Carb is a blueprinted Super E, and is the 5th carb we have had on the thing trying to tune out a flat spot. It's gone now and the bike runs like a scalded dog. It also has a dyna 2000 programmable ignition and python3 straight pipes. Barnett clutch holds it together. We did the setup in 1998 after I accidently laid the bike on its side when a woman in a Range Rover made an illegal u-turn in front of me. Shockingly since then we haven't had one mechanical failure since we put it on, no holed Pistons, no spun bearings, nothing. Still running the original block, crank, barrels, heads. Then again dad doesn't beat it too much, he more or less just uses it to terrify sport bike kids on Long Island. It's making somewhere close to 200ft lbs of torque (again I don't remember the actual dyno number from 1998) so it will take nearly anything from a 10mph roll to 80mph. Aerodynamically it's very dirty so it won't push past 130mph easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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