Home of the Sovereign Protectors

First off, I hope this is the right place to post this topic.

Second, I purchased a '70s motorcycle helmet for my costume (No, it isn't an ERG) off of Ebay. I cleaned it up and removed the Styrofoam insert (which I still have) with no problems. I then attempted to remove one of the unwanted rivets in the helmet by several different means as suggested online. I tried to drill the rivet out first, but I only succeeded in smoothing out the rough edges in the rivet and heating it up to a point where I had to take breaks during drilling out of fear that I would begin to melt the helmet around it. I then tried to pound it out with a hammer and a small pointed chisel-like tool, but had no luck with that either. Am I just not being daring enough, or is there something that I'm doing wrong? I have included photos of the helmet and rivets I'm trying to remove, but if any of you need more of them or a better description to help me out, say the word and I'll do it ASAP.

Third, can anyone suggest a good product for filling in the holes afterwards that will take the same type of paint without any visible marks? I was thinking of getting some Bondo, but I'm not sure how it works on things like motorcycle helmets. I assume mine is fiberglass though, and I've seen pictures of and read stories about people using it on fiberglass without any problems. If you know of a better product though, I would greatly appreciate knowing about it!

Fourth (and finally), does anyone know if the type of paint used on helmets like mine contains something hazardous that I should take the proper precautions against before I sand it? Would you recommend I use a finer or rougher grain to sand it, and should I do it by hand, or would it be all right to use the sanding tool on my dremel? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Ephantmon0 wrote:I have included photos of the helmet and rivets I'm trying to remove, but if any of you need more of them or a better description to help me out, say the word and I'll do it ASAP.

I'd just use a larger size drill bit to bore them out. You don't want to risk cracking the helmet by hitting it too hard with a hammer and you can always fill the holes in after easier than fixing a crack.

Ephantmon0 wrote:Third, can anyone suggest a good product for filling in the holes afterwards that will take the same type of paint without any visible marks? I was thinking of getting some Bondo, but I'm not sure how it works on things like motorcycle helmets.

Use the bondo. It takes some practice to get the mixture of the putty and the hardener right but for something that isn't going to have to flex it's the best option for filling holes like that IMO. The one thing you will want to do considering how big the holes are getting is put a mesh backer BEHIND the hole on the inside of the helmet, just glue it in and wait for that to set before bondoing. This will give the bondo a backbone to hold it in place.

Ephantmon0 wrote:Fourth (and finally), does anyone know if the type of paint used on helmets like mine contains something hazardous that I should take the proper precautions against before I sand it?

Everything about this hobby is hazardous .

Ephantmon0 wrote:Would you recommend I use a finer or rougher grain to sand it, and should I do it by hand, or would it be all right to use the sanding tool on my dremel? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

I start with different grades of sandpaper, depending on the condition of what I'm working on. For that helmet I'd start with a medium grit before the 1st coat of primer, then get a little lighter for the 2nd or 3rd coat. Gradually getting lighter with the grit count as you move into the finish paint.

Thank you for the great suggestions, and I apologize for not replying sooner, but I wasn't able to get around to trying a bigger bit until today. It worked perfectly, and now I just need to get some capital raised for materials to be back in business. Thanks again!