John Polgar writes:
I work on these now and then.
It's not that difficult to gold
leaf though it's not a snap either. I've used two products with
much success:
1. Sepp Gilding Workshop Gilding Project Kit
2. Liberon Gilt Cream (trianon) XLR129
The gilding kit has everything you need including the leaf. You
can order it with real or imitation gold leaf as well as aluminum
& copper. Instructions and ALL supplies included except
cleaner/thinner to clean the brush with.
The cream you let dry overnight and you can polish it to a higher
sheen as needed. Attached is a pic of one I'm working on. Almost
200 years old I'm told. I believe it considering it was falling
apart before the water damage :-). This photo shows one bright
spot of gold at the far left corner on the top edge of the frame.
That is the Gilt Cream over new plaster only. No seal or prime
coat. I wasn't happy with it for this look over all but it
matches some of the underlying side gold look. I decided to use
primer over the plaster. Tomorrow I'll try a bit of leaf on some
and the cream on some other parts and see how it looks. It will
probably be a combo of both then I'll tarnish it with some
chemicals to "age" it to blend to what it looked like before. I
have lots of pics on this project showing the casting and plaster
work being done if interested. I'll send them or upload them to
the net later when done and have an online album for it. Then I
can send the URL for it.
When put on a smooth surface and allowed to cure, sometimes a
second coat too, this "cream" really polishes up smooth and shiny
like metal.
I think I bought them at Rockler or an online restoration house.
Can't remember. A little goes a LONG way! I've worked on 3 jobs
with this stuff already. I'll still have a little left after this
one which is two ornate frames and a third simpler design frame.
The other pic is what we started with. A couple "globs" across
the bottom and lots "melted" and missing.
John Polgar
Clearwater, FL
