Keeping Gold from sticking by Rick Sacks

[Mike Jackson]

Old Forum Posts: Oct 22, 2001 by Rick Sacks:

Original Post:

I've learned several ways to prevent gold sticking to backgrounds when surface gilding. Dusting with talc, rubbing with potatoes,egg whites, jewelers rouge. Some work better and some have situations that lend more to a specific technique than others. What do you use and when? Also, what are the ways you remove any of those telltale blurbs of leaf from the surface?

Carol:

Since the advent of a plotter in every shop, I've discovered another way to keep gold from sticking to
background. Leave the stencil on, when using a stencil to put on the size. Gild, then pull off the
stencil. It really works.
When using another method, I've found tape will pick up most stray bits.
If it's an exterior sandblasted sign, you can hose the gold off the rough background.

Rick Sacks to Carol:

I've never had any great sucess with gilding over a mask. When I lift the mask it fractures the edges of the gold

Carol to Rick Sacks:

You do have to be careful that the gold doesn't bridge to the mask, but I've been successful by pushing the gold down into the size with cotton. Might be a method to be used only when sign will be viewed at a distance or the gold has a tight outline.

Rick Sacks back to Carol:

Carol, do you find it pleasurable to outline letters with that ridge left from using masks? It always feels so un-natural to me.

Mike Jackson to Ric:

When we do the technique using the Gerbermask, cut on a plotter, we cut the outline in the stencil at the same time as the original letters. We peel the part to be gilded and do the normal technique, taking care to press gold into the edges (usually with cotton or a new chamois). Then, we carefully peel the outline out, pulling away from the letter to eliminate the tears into the gold. At this point, there is a small "edge" along the gold which you are finding unnatural. However, knowing you can flood outside the outline and just have to worry about one side of the stroke, I think the end result is well worth the effort involved in the technique (faster, too). The one catch is to try to make sure this is the last place gold will be used, because the residue left over from the stencil will sometimes attract loose gold.

This technique is not very good for engine turned letters.

Darryl Gomes:

I gild about the same way, but I peel my outline while the size is still wet, this lets the edge of the size roll(settle) a little to lose that unnatural feel along the edge.

Billy Bob:

I have had various success rubbing excess gold off with a q-tip or towel with Penetrol/ flow extender, windex or saliva on it.

Darryl Gomes:

A bit of Splash, vinyl application fluid (concentrate), helps to remove gold also. It works very well on glass when gentle cleaning is a must.