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I'm getting ready to guild my first redwood sign for outdoors. It is about 4 x 5 foot and the carved letters will use a total of about 7 square feet of gold. Here are my questions:
Type of redwood sealer?
Type of underprep for gold?
Type of size? ( I've been told to use an oil base size)
Would you use an outer finish clear? (Does it not take away some of the effect?)
What kind of gold waste can I expect, if I am careful?
Sorry for the load of questions, but it was better than making several posts. Thanks for your help......Bronzeo
------------------ Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 bronzeo@prodigy.net http://www.imagemakerart.com
Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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G'morning Jack Are you painting your redwood background? Or is this a sandblasted sign and you plan to stain your background? Either way, you need to completely seal the areas you will gild, primed and painted, smoother the better. Use two coats of a good oil-based primer for wood, then topcoat with two coats of 1-shot. Let everything dry completely - two days - then size with LeFranc 12-hour oil size, tinted with yellow. When the size tacks up - 12 to 24 hours - gild with patent leaf. You don't say how many letters, or how big, so I can't say how much you'll need, but using patent leaf will cut down on waste, especially if you are new at gilding.
When you have all your leaf down, polish it down with cotton or a VERY soft new, clean, dry brush. Don't topcoat with a clear unless the sign is going to be someplace where it is handled or touched.
------------------ "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. - Raoul Duke (Hunter S. Thompson)
Cam Finest Kind Signs 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988"
Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Jack, Some important variables were not mentioned. What is the background texture and finish? How are you gonna prevent the gold sticking to the background where you don't want it? If you use an oil stain or sealer, then it needs to dry rather thoroughly prior to sizing.You can't apply talc or rouge to a sandblasted surface. The better the seal, the more even the size will kick off. Oil size provides more flexibility and open time and often a brighter gild and some believe it last longer. Often it's better to use patent leaf for controlling where it goes and keeping it from the background. I like to do all the painting before gilding.
------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Posts: 6713 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thanks guys for all the informative posts so early. I feel, I got a grasp on most of this except, the patent leaf. My letters are carved in with at least mild faceting. I purchased my gold 23.75 k Italian from Easy-Leaf in California. They suggested the loose leaf because I will be gilding in curved voids. Will the patent leaf take they curves without spliting? The yellow or gold tint, I saw out on Cape Cod in a real interesting sign shop about 12 years ago. I remembered it, but wasn't sure if it was to hide errors or voids, or it was just a special undercoating. My first surface is going to be smooth painted as Cam described, and my second one maybe sandblasted with carved letters, which brings me to another question....Do signs with blasted backgrounds and smooth flat letters loose a lot of effect? I have noticed that most gilded letters are carved in or protrude out. I am carving as smooth as I can, but still having a little problem in the corners, and 90 deg. areas where the wood grain changes direction. I get a little splintering and plan to use bondo to repair to repair with. Oh well, it's doing much better day by day. One last question would be what the hell is Frog Juice? Thanks again for the valuable info. Bronzeo
------------------ Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 bronzeo@prodigy.net http://www.imagemakerart.com
Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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A IWouldHaveUsedLatexSize Why? BecauseItIsShinier,Easier,Fasterand LessVasteLatexDontDryUpOnYou, CantDrownGoldInLatex,AnyholesMayBeRepaired WithoutSizingTwizeandYouMayLEaveWorkAt DinnerTime,nothaveToWaitTillizeIsSet
B GildingFlatOnTheWoodOrIntoCarvedLetters? IfGildingInCarvedLettersDontTryToGildThe EntireLetterButTakeOneSideOfTheLetter, ThenTheOther,OrElseGoldWillBreak
c countingOutNeededGold ItakeTheDrawing1:!andMeasureOutTheNumberOfLeavesThatIs NeededForCompleteleyCoveringThenI. ThenIDoubleThatNumber.ThatsWhatILearnt AsTheCorrectWayOfCalculatingGoldLeaf
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