A spray paint for helmets

I saw this new product in Home Depot the other day. Made by Rust-Oleum,
it's called Specialty Reflective Finish "reflects light for night
visibility."

In the photo on the label, there is a house number sign, a mailbox, and a
bike helmet. The product is described as "semi-transparent clear finish
illuminates for nighttime safety. Use on metal, wood, plastic, etc."

However, before I'll spray it on my Giro, I'm going to try something like a
piece of wood or another piece of plastic. I really got it for my hiking
sticks. There are times when I have been hiking on the side of a road and it
makes me nervous for cars to pass by so close.

Pat said:

I saw this new product in Home Depot the other day. Made by Rust-Oleum,
it's called Specialty Reflective Finish "reflects light for night
visibility."

In the photo on the label, there is a house number sign, a mailbox, and a
bike helmet. The product is described as "semi-transparent clear finish
illuminates for nighttime safety. Use on metal, wood, plastic, etc."

However, before I'll spray it on my Giro, I'm going to try something like a
piece of wood or another piece of plastic. I really got it for my hiking
sticks. There are times when I have been hiking on the side of a road and it
makes me nervous for cars to pass by so close.

Try finger paint. If you need a foam dome to ride your bike, you
should think twice about using anything as risky as pressurized,
flammable, toxic spray paint (or hazardously pointy-handled
paintbrushes).

BTW, the volatile solvents that make spray paint what it is, convert
styrofoam into something else.

Chalo

Quoted message said:

I think I'd rather use tape on a helmet.....

I did that last year, and it peeled off after a couple of months. ;(

Quoted message said:

Pat said:

Quoted message said:

I think I'd rather use tape on a helmet.....

I did that last year, and it peeled off after a couple of months. ;(

Replacing the peeled tape "after a couple of months" seems much less
risky (in terms of ruining the helmet). And, it's probably easier than
respraying over scratched, peeling paint.

Pat said:

Quoted message said:

I think I'd rather use tape on a helmet.....

I did that last year, and it peeled off after a couple of months. ;(

Use better quality tape. The reflective stickers I put on my helmet
14 years ago are still firmly attached although they have lost almost
all of their original red color due to UV degradation. They are still
reflective albeit not quite as bright as when new.

Pat said:

Quoted message said:

I think I'd rather use tape on a helmet.....

I did that last year, and it peeled off after a couple of months. ;(

Well at least with the tape, when it starts to fall off, flake, chip,
etc., you could probably completely remove and reapply. Remove with
warmth/heat from a hair dryer to loosen the tape and peel it off;
remove lingering adhesive w/ appropriate solvent like "goo gone".
Then reapply a nice new set.

I predict your spray paint will flake and chip and look very ugly
after a short while with absolutely no recourse other than a new
helmet.

I'd definitely use the tape, or find some reflective appliques that
you like.

If you want to protect the tape (rather than just accept it's lifespan
and remove and replace as above), why not cover it with a clear tape,
like clear packing tape?

I've decided to use the spray reflective finish on everything and
anything--kind of do a test. I'm going to spray it on the curb, the mailbox,
some wood, maybe the garage door....who knows? I'll do my own wear test.
The product has a photo of a bicycle helmet on its can, so I doubt it would
destroy the helmet. Surely a company like Rust-Oleum would have tested their
product on bike helmets before opening themselves up for lawsuits.

Pat in TX

Pat wrote:
:: I've decided to use the spray reflective finish on everything and
:: anything--kind of do a test. I'm going to spray it on the curb, the
:: mailbox, some wood, maybe the garage door....who knows? I'll do my
:: own wear test. The product has a photo of a bicycle helmet on its
:: can, so I doubt it would destroy the helmet. Surely a company like
:: Rust-Oleum would have tested their product on bike helmets before
:: opening themselves up for lawsuits.
::
:: Pat in TX

Dude....are you becoming a bicycle graffiti artist or something? You gonna
do spray-paint ridebys? Trying to lower property values on TX? Do you
think the person who put the helmet on the can is a cyclist?

Quoted message said:

Dude....are you becoming a bicycle graffiti artist or something? You gonna
do spray-paint ridebys? Trying to lower property values on TX? Do you
think the person who put the helmet on the can is a cyclist?

Here's the beauty of my idea: the can says the chemicals dry clear. You can
only see if something has been sprayed by shining your car headlights on it.
Maybe I'll go spray some rr cars sitting on a siding. Then, when the early
morning drivers go by, the entire line of coal cars will light up for them!

I think the person who put the helmet on the can is a lawyer.

Quoted message said:

Pat wrote:
::: Dude....are you becoming a bicycle graffiti artist or something?
::: You gonna do spray-paint ridebys? Trying to lower property values
::: on TX? Do you think the person who put the helmet on the can is a
::: cyclist?
::
:: Here's the beauty of my idea: the can says the chemicals dry clear.
:: You can only see if something has been sprayed by shining your car
:: headlights on it. Maybe I'll go spray some rr cars sitting on a
:: siding. Then, when the early morning drivers go by, the entire line
:: of coal cars will light up for them!
::
:: I think the person who put the helmet on the can is a lawyer.

Probably!