Reply
Years ago, I bought some stuff in a tube called 'Golden Finger' -
squeeze it out like toothpaste and apply it to the fiddle bits of the
frame with your finger - worked for me.
You can buy gilding sheet, it's available from arts and craft shops. You
paint on some
size then stick some sheet on when it goes tacky. You then peel the excess
off.
Alternatively, you can but highly metallic gold aerosol paint nowadays, I
have gilded a
mirror frame that way. Look out for an aerosol with a convincingly bright
metallic lid.
The only problem I foresee is that the gilding on your present frame may be
a slightly
different colour: I've found that there is more than one version of
'gilding'.
Andy.
>Years ago, I bought some stuff in a tube called 'Golden Finger' -
Screwfix do a decent one as "gilt wax". They used to do silver as well,
now they just seem to have the gold. Easy to use and a good result. You
may need to matt a painted surface with 00 wire wool before applying.
Don't use metal leaf for gilding unless you've practiced with it a bit
and don't begine with a narrow, moulded picture frame. Aluminium leaf
(in several colours) and oil size are the cheapest and easiest to
practice with.
These are done with the silver wax and gold-coloured aluminium leaf.
http://codesmiths.com/shed/things/knives/wasters/
>
> These are done with the silver wax and gold-coloured aluminium leaf.
> http://codesmiths.com/shed/things/knives/wasters/
Nice - and a nice site.
Mary
>
I once saw a resource on how to make your own with IIRC bronze powder and
various waxes available from specialist hardware outlets. Can't remember if
it was online or in a book.
Henry
Many creamed waxes also use ammonia as an emulsifier and this will
corrode many "bronze" powders, as they're actually anodised aluminium.
Check for compatibility first.
Interesting points, I couldn't be arsed to piss about with it anyway :-) I
think Liberon do a range of similar products.
Henry
John Schmitt
glair?
I thought egg white was the stuff to use.
Owain
>I thought egg white was the stuff to use.
The stuff I use is solvent-based. Another adhesive is based upon
garlic. I'll try to remember to look at the bottle tonight.
John Schmitt
Glair _is_ egg white (and a few other things, including earwax)
Neither of these are really right for picture frames though. You don't
need to faff around with leaf gilding on picture frames (for 99% of the
cases) and in those few cases where you do, then you will be needing to
use water gilding (which is dificult) rather than oil-size gilding.
Oil-size gilding is fine (and easy) for gilding flat areas, but it just
doesn't cut it on complex moulded work.
if you _really_ want _the_ book on picture frame restoration, in
particular on gilding and compo work, then look for 'Framing & Gilding'
by P Curson. It's Australian, Amazon haven't heard of it, but you can
get it from the publishers at skillspublish.com.au A very good book,
if incredibly specialised.