Pinstriping Circus Goes Nuts on a Welding Helmet #1

Posted by pikesan on Sep 6, 2010 in Art & Photography | 2 comments

7 Hot Rod Artist Pinstriping for Charity

Bid to win this helmet on Ebay now: Pinstriped Lincoln Electric Welding Helmet

I already showed you this brand new Lincoln Electric Viking Welding Helmets we’ll auction on Ebay with the benefits going to our friends from Progeria Research. More about all that, and finished pinstriping pictures here.

So who did the pinstriping?

Enter Von Hot Rod’s Pinstriping Circus.  Pictured above, Von Hot Rod is a man of many talents. His pinstriping work is a style of it’s own developed from years of striping at just about every car show including those outside this continent! Von’s also been known to host the Sunday service at event’s he attends. Von Hot Rod is also the man behind the Pinstriping Reunion held at the Grand National Roadster Show every year. In 2009, they raise a cool $14 g’s for charity. So when I asked Von and his Pinstriping Circus for help, I knew he’d do it.

The picture above shows Von pinstriping on the welding helmet. Having these photos showing where the helmet came from has got to add to it’s collectible provenance, right? (did I spell that big word correctly!)

Pinstripers will throw down on anything and Von’s known to do cell phones, sunglasses, cameras and just about everything! These are some of his custom made shift knobs and he’s showing his own design for pinstriping brush. He’s developed over the years and now sells them. Find Von Hot Rod  on his Facebook page. Thanks Von!

Up next pinstriping the helmet is Kong. AKA Jeff Isbell, Kong’s out of Chula Vista, CA. Trained in Architecture, Kong’s been at the pinstriping game for over 10 years. Here are some samples of the work he had on display at LA Roadster Show and here’s his official Kong Pinstriping website. (click to see any picture full size)

As you can see, pinstripers will put down their custom lines on just about everything, and if you’re like me, that everything gets better looking!

Following Kong was pinstriper Jeff Styles. Jeff’s not normally known as “Donkey” but couldn’t resist following Kong on the pinstriping jam. Jeff’s got a super-cool license plate restoration biz going that puts his pinstriping and painting skills together to make an ugly new plate look like the old-school California black plate (or yellow too) that everyone wants. Get in touch with Jeff Styles (no contact info – link was broken….)

One of these days I’ll own a bowling pin like this.  Also shown is Jeff’s son learning the pinstriping art. There’s nothing like practice to get it right and he’s off to a good start. Just in this shot is the “restored” California black plate Jeff does.

Next up was pinstriper and hot rod artist Jeff McWeeney.

Jeff’s in action pinstriping here. Look how the brush is held? Yea, he’s painting with the brush handle to make some dots on his work. Never seen that before! Everyone’s got their own style and painting style.

Jeff can be reached by email here.

We’re just over half way showing how this helmet was made. Check for Pinstriping part #2 for the rest.

Don’t miss the 2nd half of this story:  Pinstriping Helmet Part #2.