dust on gilding

[Don Dougan <dondougan@zzzzzzzz>]

Hi Norman,

When I do gilding using 22K leaf I usually don't seal the leafing with
anything ? but then the work is either going to be framed under glass, or
the texture of the carving/surface underneath is meant to be visible to
the viewer ? and I usually welcome minor imperfections as 'evidence of
the artist's hand and the process itself.'   But, saying that, I can
still understand your desire for a flawless surface, though I must stress
that I have found the amount of work required increases much more
dramatically than the subsequent minor changes in the quality of your
worked surfaces.  (Yeah, I am a lazy sculptor.)

Though I don't usually seal 22K leafing, when I use schalg metal
(imitation gold leaf) it is usually going to have a toning wash applied
over the leafed surface.  When I apply a wash (a coat of thinned-down
paint that is then mostly wiped away while wet) I always seal the leafing
to allow more control over the washing operations.

I prefer to use an aerosol lacquer applied through several applications
using very light coats. Note: light coats are ESSENTIAL because otherwise
the solvent in the lacquer starts to dissolve the oil size under the
leafing and causes wrinkling of the finish.

The advantages of aerosol lacquer sealer is the speed of drying plus
allowing easy control of application thickness ? thus not needing to
worry about puddling that is almost inevitable (an oxymoronic phrase, I
know) with brush-applied sealers.  If you do decide to use a brush-on
sealer you need to use a varnish rather than a lacquer so the
vehicle/solvent will not cause the underlying sizing to soften and
wrinkle.  Because the drying time is so much longer you will need to be
very sparing with your application to prevent puddling, but also allowing
enough varnish to be applied for self-leveling.

I usually prefer to use a satin or a matte finish under a wash, but
without any wash you would probably prefer a high gloss finish, but the
problem is that a glossy surface via aerosol needs to be applied in a
somewhat heavier application so the individual droplets will flow
together and bond while wet.
Note that after the third or fourth light coat you will not have a
uniformly even glossy surface, but at this point the surface should be
sealed enough to allow a fifth ? heavier ? coat that saturates the
surface enough to provide a uniform sheen.

Now the biggest problem with aerosol in a lettering situation is
preventing the surrounding surface from getting any discoloring sealer on
it . . . and if you are going to mask it, then why not just mask it prior
to applying the size and the leafing?  You will still have some clean-up
around the edges after you take the mask off, but if you use a
soft-bristled vacuum brush to clean-up while you scrape/sand those edges
the dust should not get on the leafing at all (thereby eliminating the
need for a sealer?).

Anyway, that's my two cents on your problem.  Life is never easy, is it?

Good Carving to You,
Don

http://www.dondougan.homestead.com/indexdd.html