Giving a skate helmet tweed/steampunk style?

[hewey]

Hey guys, looking for some left of field thinking for an aesthetic dilemma of mine, and I know you’ll come up with some great ideas. Sunday week I’ll be attending the second Sydney Tweed Ride, basically the idea is everyone dons tweed fashion (think 1920s-30s, see pics below). Now the issue is that in Australia we need to wear helmets by law, and the organisers have stressed that people will need to follow all of the road laws (ie. wear helmets). I’ve got a skate/bmx style helmet, so Im hoping I can give it some retro style to make it a little cooler. The other restriction is that I don’t have a sowing machine, which limits the potential to make up a cool cover for the lid.

My initial idea was a vinyl/leather cover like an old fighter pilot helmet. The other was more of a tweed material cover to go over the helmet. Both require sewing (is hand sewing a possibility?). Or maybe can I sling some paint and other stuff at the helmet and give it more of a steampunk look? Keen to hear some ideas!

 

[hewey]

I should add this is the kind of helmet Ive got to cover

 

[SSG]

Maybe this will give you some ideas. http://www.yakkay.com/Covers.aspx

 

[hewey]

Thanks SSG, those look interesting.

Something like this might work?

 

[purple]

I had thought an equestrian helmet cover would work but I searched and found anything but tweed. So get one of those floppy hats and make it a big one so you can just pull it over your helmet.

 

[AirBoston]

Got an airbrush? A couple of similar colors (grays or browns) and some fabric screen material will create a nice faux tweed. You may even be able to do this with a rattle can. Spray one color over the whole helmet and let dry. Hold the screen material (can also be done with lace for the girls) and spray the second (or third or fourth) color.kepping the top colors inconsistant and light will give it more of the natural tweed look.

 

[Rustinkerer]

"Tweed ride"- Love it! -Iver Johnson with the cream tires in the 2nd pic- WANT!!! :shock: -Adam

 

[GameBent]

I love the whole concept of the 'tweed ride.'
It looks like great fun!!

 

[Rooski]

Look at http://www.yakkay.com/Covers/Cambridge.aspx. Not sure if there's a retailer in your area, though.

 

[deorman]

http://www.troxelhelmets.com/products/discipline.php Check under the dressage listing. I'm pretty sure Aussie tack shops will carry this stuff.

 

[BXS]

http://www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk/epages/ ... HELM18-001

 

[icyuod2]

buy some burlap/tweed/what ever strikes your fancy.

lay it over the helmet.

with a darning needle and some wool/twine/string, do a simple stitch around the bottom of your helmet. (simple in/out from one side of the tweed to the other.)

then just pull on both ends of the twine (like a draw string) and tuck the extra inside.

quick,simple, and cheap!

i'd throw a pom pom on top, just for fun.

 

[g-ratter]

How about using some spray on adhesive to glue some tweed cloth onto the helmet? Then maybe you could use some cardboard to create a rim that might look like a bowler hat????

 

[StephenH]

They had a tweed ride in Dallas, with maybe 100 people or more. Dallas has a helmet law. Basically, nobody wore helmets and nobody cared. So don't be too surprised if the same thing doesn't happen there.

 

[hewey]

Looking for low budget DIY inspiration, but its always good to see buying options cause often you can copy it yourself :wink: :lol: :lol: Looking at the pics from last year 90% of people were wearing helmets. If it was on off-road bikepath I'd be fine not wearing a helmet (even though its technically still illegal), but the ride is all on roads in Sydney, plus I'll have to do some pre-ride riding to get to the start after parking, and Im definitely wearing a helmet in Sydney traffic! :shock:

This works well for a ladies helmet

 

[g-ratter]

Make sure you post a picture of the final out come.

 

[Graylock]

This guy did something like that to a bike here on page 6 http://www.atomiczombie.com/news/09-2009.pdf . He seems to know what he's talking about ,a nice enough guy, I don't think he's one to pull the wool over ones eyes, so I'd say throw the tweed to her and see how she looks.

GL

 

[hewey]

Well I 're-found' my old mountain bike helmet in the garage, and thats got a nicer shape than the skate helmet ive got, so Im playing with that instead. I just picked up some dark brown cottony type material to cover it in, to give it a more vintage helmet kinda vibe. I also picked up some $6 snorkelling goggles which I'll pull apart and paint to look like vintage flying goggles, to sit on top of the helmet :wink: I'll post pics as I go

 

[hewey]

Helmet first.

Old helmet that Ive taken the plastic shell off

Measure out some cloth

Here Ive done one side of the helmet, used a staple gun to attach the cloth

Done. Few wrinkles at the back. Not sure how happy I am with it, but I've only spent $5 on cloth at this stage so Im not stressed about it :lol:

Goggles

Trimmed the back of the goggles off, the rubbery bit that seals it against your face

Looking much cleaner

Paint. Might still add some gold or silver highlights?

Now just need to wait for it to dry and work out something for the tightening band.

 

[deorman]

Hey, put a bill on the back of the helmet, it'll look like a reversed ascot cap. 8)