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Redipping face masks for football helmets

2003

I recently started a football helmet reconditioning company. We are the only NAERA & NOCSAE certified reconditioner in Oklahoma. So far all we do is buff, paint, wax & certify helmets. My question has to do w/ the face masks that go on the helmet. They are coated with polyethylene powder. Being a certified/reconditioner if a face mask is showing any metal at all we have to reject it which means it can not be used. I have heard that they can be redipped. If so I thought you could help w/ purchasing, if possible, & application method. in one of my catalogs it shows that poly. powdercoating is used.

Thanks,

Anatoly A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
helmet reconditioner - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)

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February 13, 2010

Hi, Anatoly. I am not familiar with any regulations of those certifying organizations that might apply, but I can advise you of the general technology:

- The old coating would presumably require stripping.
- Then the faceguard would be pretreated (cleaned, acid dipped, and phosphatized).
- Then the faceguard would be charged with static electricity and immersed in a fluidized bed of the polyethylene (or maybe it's nylon?) powder. There may be specs for what kind of powder and what thickness are required.
- Then the faceguard would be put in a hot oven which causes the powder to melt and flow and fuse and adhere.

You will find powder coating jobshops listed in our Jobshops Directory and possibly in your local yellow pages. You can probably plug "recondition facemask" into a search engine for specific leads. If you want to do this in-house, you can retain a Consultant experienced in the subject. The powder vendors are very knowledgeable on these subjects too. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey