Gilding a cast lead house name plate.

[DJH]

Many years ago it was thought by people that there was a mystery or secret method to using gold leaf to gild anything. This came about as the gilders always worked behind screens or sheets and it was this that led other people to think that the gilders didn't want anyone to learn their secrets. In actual fact they worked behind screens so that in windy or drafty conditions the valuable and delicate sheets of expensive gold wouldn't get blown away and get wasted. Good story that..

Im sure that many of you can gild so please bear with me, this is how I did it Here's the kit that is needed, at least what I need for gilding.The only thing not in the picture because I didn't use it (and I forgot!) is the Whiting Powder which is used to protect areas where gilding is not required and the gold sheet won't adhere where the powder is.



There's a pad ( I've forgotten it's proper name!) with a wind shield to stop the leaf blowing away, which can happen even walking or moving quickly, and for cutting the leaf on. My knife has gone a bit rusty (like me) and a brush for picking up the leaf to put it in the required place. This brush works by being drawn across the forehead and then it's either the static or natural oils that attract the leaf to the bristles. I'm not sure which but it works . To the left is a brush bath and on the right is a tin of gold size (we used to call it mordant once) which is applied to the areas to be gilded.

The whiting is in the chocolate tin. Hint to Santa there.

 

[DJH]

Partly gilded. I waited for the size to dry almost completely and tested it by seeing if the hair on the back of my fingers barely stuck to it.



job done and just a few days out in the weather and the gold will show up nicely against the silver grey patina that forms naturally on lead. I haven't burnished the gilding, agate is the thing for that, but just lightly smoothed it over with some of Mrs DJH's warpaint things. :lol:



I decided not to guild the flowers on the fixing screws or the one at the top of the pattern as I thought it would detract from the lettering, but that's just a matter of choice..

 

[Penners]

Very interesting DJH. Thank you.

How thick is the gold leaf? Presumably it's measured in microns.

 

[JoceAndChris]

That looks really lovely Doug, neat and perfect. Sure your friend will be very pleased with that.

I want to gild paired, thin, weeny lines on all the mouldings on the shutters, doors and panelling here, in my drawing room, dining room, and music room. So a lot of work. I had a go this summer with these exterior doors:

As you can see it's just about worn off (and I need a new door handle too)
I used the same kind of gold leaf as you, cutting it into thin strips. I brushed on thin lines of PVA glue as advised by the art shop where I bought the leaf. And waited for it to become sticky but not too wet or dry. I didn't have a problem with sticking it in place, and I think I burnished it with a rag. It looked good to start with, but all washed off in those heavy summer rains. Where did I go wrong?

 

[Feltwell]

It looked good to start with, but all washed off in those heavy summer rains. Where did I go wrong?

Buying a house in England :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

What's the durability of that gilded sign likely to be Doug? Obviously the gold won't tarnish, but what about flaking off due to basic weathering? Do you seal it with anything to protect it?

 

[Flyfisher]

.

 

[DJH]

Joce I'd say that the PVA has let you down. As it's a water based product it's not really suitable for exterior gilding although there is water gilding of course but I think that's mainly used on gesso. Every time I've gilded something I've always used gold size or a type of varnish, well they both smell like varnish to me. Stephensons in London is where I used to buy my supplies and I'd recommend them. I think if I were you I would remove what you can of the gold and use a size and then put on new leaf using the transfer method. You can get gold leave which is attached to a paper backing and it's just applied placing the paper over where you want it and rub it on with cotton wool, or a warpaint thingy like Mrs DJH has. It's much easier and cleaner and less waste than loose leaf and going back over misses is easy and so all in all, it's more economical.

Flyfisher I don't , or should I say didn't, coat any gilding I did with a 'protective' coating of anything like clear varnish for example because I was concerned that if the varnish wrinkled up when it dried or being in sunshine that it would peel off taking the gold with it so I didn't risk it. Some of the things I made used to end very high up on buildings that were very high themselves. The friend who I made the name plate for has a slate sign on his own house with the letters engraved in it. He used to paint it with gold leaf paint almost yearly as that tends to go brown when used outside, so I gilded them about twenty years ago and I've not heard him complain yet and believe me he would if it needed doing again although I didn't charge him the first time!! :lol:

Doug

 

[JoceAndChris]

Well that just proves the lady who sold me the stuff was talking a load of old ***** I'm glad to muck it up once though, only by doing that you learn. She said varnish outside, but I thought that sounded like it would all crack and peel - still haven't forgotten my disappointment over the watering can I did with transfers.

Thanks so much for the pointers, when the New Year comes I'll send off for the proper stuff from Stephensons then - many thanks for the recommendation. The size is the key to success then. It's astonishing it survives the rain, but I'm sure LadyA can tell us about the gilded Buddhas in the tropics!

 

[LadyArowana]

It's astonishing it survives the rain, but I'm sure LadyA can tell us about the gilded Buddhas in the tropics!

:lol: You know me too well, when I saw this topic it's exactly what I thought of. They do survive ok.

In Thailand people buy gold leaf to add to the statues as an act of devotion. Sometimes this can end up looking rather disturbing because it is all a bit wrinkly and flaky. My neatfreakiness always had me wanting to go around squashing it down and tidying it up so it looked pretty. I have one Buddha in the collection that still has traces of gilding, and we are in discussion at the moment over a pair of antique elephants that are. His lordship returns from a business trip tonight and will be required to make a decision. They are currently "on approval" on the dining table, so might be his Christmas present.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Pics! They sound lovely.

I loved queuing in the tropical rain to give Buddha a bit more gold.

 

[LadyArowana]

This was one of our first Buddhas, mid to late 19th Century rather than ancient, not very large ( the prayer beads around his neck are the size of a large bracelet ). Not sure what he thinks about the Christmas tree, I resisted putting a santa hat on him :lol:

 

[Penners]

I gilded them about twenty years ago and I've not heard him complain yet

Doug - at our last house we had a slate nameplate. The name was carved into the slate intaglio, and was then finished with a silvering of some sort within the incised letters. It lasted us 13 years and didn't deteriorate in the slightest. When we left the house it still looked as good as new.

Out of interest, do you know what the silver material would have been - just paint or some sort of silver leaf?

 

[DJH]

Sounds to me as though it was silver leaf maybe? I remember gilding the lettering on a very large plaque and I ran out of gold leaf. I needed some that day so after ringing around a few artists shops I found someone who had some leaf which they'd had for years and they sold me the whole of their stock at a reasonable cost. In fact I'm still using it now! The only problem was that I was unaware that gold varies in colour and half of the plaque was a slightly different from the other half. Fortunately in daylight the colour difference wasn't as noticeable as it was under fluorescent lights in the workshop.

 

[DJH]

My friend's son was delighted with his name plate. Apparently Santa fixed it to his house while he was passing by. Although I made it for no reward I was given two gallons of my friends cider which he makes himself, in fact he won a prize a few years ago at the Bath and West Show. I don't drink anymore for health reasons so I gave it to some friends here with and got mixed reactions. One wants more and the other never wants to see cider again. :lol:

Doug