Concerns about painting Vader helmet

[Prometheus]

Well i know a lot of members here actually had the guys at the auto detailing shops do the painting and they turned out fabulous.
I am planning to have mine spray painted by the professionals too but i have some questions and concerns regarding the 2 tone scheme.
Did you guys have the helmet painted in gunmetal or black first?
Also, although most of us can remember and describe the 2 tone scheme in detail even in our sleep, it is not exactly as easy for the ordinary folks out there.
Detailed description is no doubt the key to getting the correct color scheme from the professional painters but have you guys ever recevied your helmets with some minor screw ups from them?

 

[MarkG]

I painted mine myself as I liked the challenge.

I first painted mine gunmetal, as the majority of the helmet is that colour, then added the black afterwards..

If the helmet was more black, then I would have still painted the gunmetal first.... best to put the lighter colours on first.

 

[Darth Phaeton]

To get the proper lines, between the grey areas and the Black. You need to paint it all black first, and then the grey.
Yes I know that the grey is the most dominant tone on the helmet, but it will seem wrong otherwise.

Dan

 

[SithLord]

what he said

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Originally posted by SithLord+Apr 17 2006, 07:32 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SithLord @ Apr 17 2006, 07:32 PM)</div>

what he said

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Which one?

No, seriously, the correct way would to do the black first - unless the cast is made out in gelcoated black, taking away the necessity to paint black at all - and then the gunmetal color later. As Darth Phaeton said... and afaik was the way it was done on the originals.

<!--QuoteBegin-Prometheus@Apr 17 2006, 05:31 PM
Also, although most of us can remember and describe the 2 tone scheme in detail even in our sleep, it is not exactly as easy for the ordinary folks out there.
Detailed description is no doubt the key to getting the correct color scheme from the professional painters (...)

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You could always print out pictures that show the two tone paint scheme, so they have some visual reference to follow.

 

[DARTH ANIBAL]

The guy that painted my helmet has worked on mine and my family's cars before, so I was able to work pretty closely with him on the facemask. He sprayed it black first, allowed ME to tape it off (cover up the small areas that needed to remain black), and then sprayed the gun-metal. Maybe if you ask your body shop to do the black and allow you to come in and do the masking of those areas yourself, they'll let you. You're paying for it, I don't see why they wouldn't.

 

[The Manlet]

I do gunmetal frist and if any mistakes are made while doing the black i touch up with a brush.

 

[dadvader]

I would do gunmetal first and if any mistakes are made while doing the black i touch up with a brush.

I agree the lighter of the two colors should be painted first...Always works that way with custom cars...
Also what I did was take my Riddell reveal with the last helmet that I had painted at a custom body shop.... But that was some time ago and my cousins cutom shop did it...
He just took the paint scheme off the mini reveal,Came out great.
He even used his paint matching system and used the same gunmetal.