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How to gild video

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New Member
This is how I learned to cut gold leaf. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=CJFRAMES#p/u/2/MvrClkaLsO8

The secret to gilding is preparing the item to be gilded. It must be as smooth as possible. I also found it a very slow and tedius process until I saw this video. I used to use patent gold and try to press it into the valleys of my lettering. Hard on the fingers and brushes. Once I learned how to cut loose leaf, gilding became a real pleasure.

I made a pinky cutter like the one shown in this video and then practiced the techinque. Works great. Very fast and you waste very little gold when doing lettering. I now gild one side of the "V" in v carved letters and then the other. If you try to place a piece of gold over the V it will tear when you tamp it down into the valley and you'll have to patch the bottom of the letter....probably several times because of the un-even tearing. Precise cutting solves this issue.

I don't water gild like the guy is doing in this video. I use One Shot gold size. Gives a nice shine.

Anyway.... enjoy watching a master.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Yeah, that guy moved like a robot. I think he's done it once or twice before.
 

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New Member
The method in the video is for interior use only. On a sign you would use an oil size. Basically "size" is a special kind of varnish. You paint the varnish on wherever you want the gold to stick.
Just pretend that gilding is nothing more than glueing thin sheet gold to stuff. Wait a second.... It is nothing more than glueing thin sheet gold to stuff!
 

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New Member
Yup. Get yerself a can o' One shot gold size and some 23k loose gold leaf, a gilders tip and a mop and give it go. It's easy peasy.

Don't forget your beer can pinky knife.
 

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I get my gold from Wrights of Lymm in England because it's half the price of buying gold from the US. I order 24k "double thick". Go to their website and look around for prices. The website is Stonehouse and sons. Very good gold, VERY good customer service, VERY good prices. (if you want to pay $50 for a book of gold get it in the US. If you want to buy a book of gold for $25 get it from England)

A gilders tip is a piece of bristol board with squirrel hair sticking out one side. It is 3.5" wide and is used to pick up loose gold for placing on your size. (see pic post#6) The mop is to tamp the placed gold into the size. Don't brush...tamp. Brushing will scratch the gold. My mop was stolen from my daughters makeup bag.(shhhhh)
 

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New Member
No. Get some double thick loose gold and a gilders tip from Stonehouse. Get the one shot size where ever you get your sign stuff. The mop can be had at a drugstore. Get softest one they have. The first one I tried was too hard and scratched the gold. Get the brush to apply the size from the art supply nearest you. Transfer gold is hard to get a good shine with.... and really hard to gild V carved lettering. It's for gilding out doors in the wind.
 
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