Painting the armor

[FoxTrooper]

Haven't seen a thread about this, so I'm gonna bring up the topic now.

When you paint your armor, at least the helmet, with what do you paint it with and how? As in, what methods do you use? What tools? What brand of paint?

[Chopper]

Scout helmets are painted, yes, though the rest of the armor is typically not painted with the exception of weathering. What make of helmet and armor do you have?

The original helmets were painted "Ferrari white", but this is not necessarily a color that you'll find in most hardware stores. I used Rustoleum gloss white. Any white gloss or semi-gloss spray paint should work. I've heard that others look for "appliance white".

If you're in doubt about the shade of white, you can paint a piece of scrap plastic and see how it looks when it dries.

You'll need to prep your helmet prior to painting -- this involves sanding it with 600 grit sandpaper, then washing it to ensure that there's nothing on the surface to interfere with the paint adhesion. Make sure the helmet is fully dry before laying down any paint.

Here are some basic tips for spray painting: https://www.doityourself.com/stry/5-tips-for-spray-painting-plastic

Because spray painting can be tricky, you might want to practice on something else, or else you may end up doing a lot of sanding and re-painting.

I also advise you pick up one of these. It attaches to the paint can and helps to apply the paint evenly.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Preval-vGrip-Handle-0202/203803591?cm_mmc=Shopping|G|Base|D24|Multi|NA|PLA|All_Paint_Smart|71700000048001153|58700004793621602|92700041080545837&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_Zuey-aR4wIVFoGzCh3qlwTdEAQYAiABEgIzrfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Remember, temperature and humidity can affect how the paint applies. Check what the ideal conditions are on the can, then check what it's like outside. Also, you might want to get a respirator, even if you're painting outside, since the fumes are definitely not good for you.