Piet Mondrian table top - query

[jeth williams]

Hello, I’m new to gilding and although some of these questions are no doubt rather basic I cant find obvious / clear answers to them, appreciate any advise or help'. Attached pic of table I made in style of one of Piet Mondrian’s paintings.

I will briefly explain what I’ve used here so its glass table top using 2 bits of glass same size. Edges smoothed and corners rounded, drill holes made in 4 corners in each piece of glass same place. Glass sheets both 6mm thick and toughened. The gilded and painted side of glass sits directly on to the wooden table. The second piece of glass has no paint or gilding on and sits on top of the first bit to protect the first sheet from damage. I’ve used 12krt and 22 krt leaf. Some of it water gilded directly to the clear glass other bits gilded behind the dried paint.

So overall I’m happy with the result and my questions really relate to how I might of done things better and if I should protect the gild some other way

Question 1 the gilded and painted part of glass sits directly on wooden table, should I have used something else between these to help protect the gild or is it not needed?

Q2 When I bought the glass for this job. I paid more for glass that was clearer or white glass,. sorry don’t really know if it has a particular name but when you looked through it, it did appear visibly clearer with no green tint that regular glass has. But I’ve also gilded something using standard glass and that looked fine to me too, wondered on people’s thoughts of paying extra for clearer glass?

Q3 I used LEFRANC & BOURGEOIS VITRAIL GLASS Paints for the painting on glass. They needed a lot of coats and drying time between each paint layer. Needed 4 and 6 coats of paint in some places. Prior to painting the glass was cleaned well using whiting and water. I wonder if anyone has any suggestion of brands of paint best to use on glass. Someone suggested 1 shot to me but I can’t get that in the country I am in and people don’t want to send as they have problems before with customs returning it presume because its considered hazardless stuff.

Q4 To put in paint lines I taped off sections of the glass I didn’t want to have paint on, I tried a number of tapes prior to use on glass and found none of them held all the paint in, possibly one did but it ended up pulling a lot of paint up when it came time to remove tape. I ended up using think it was 3m 10 or 11, it still let some paint through but it came of the glass easy and didn’t pull much paint. So some time spent getting off paint where it wasn’t wanted and touching up areas where tape had pulled it. Any suggestions on a tape to use or just a better way I could have done this.

Q5 When I painted the glass wirth a paint brush it didnt have a even spread. This didn’t matter too much for this because In this case because the paint on glass was intended to slightly imitate a real life painting it gave the effect I wanted. However I did wonder had I wanted a very even looking coating of paint to the glass what I would use in this instance? Suggestions?

Q6 I’ve used screws through the glass into the 4 corners of the table to fix it. Are there other ways you would suggest to fix the glass that I could have considered? Also what if fixing to wall, would you use screws or some other options?

Q7 I’ve seen in furniture shops some glass fitted to tables with what looks like a flat metal base which can only presume uses some sort of glue. Any ideas what these fixings are called? And if readily available to buy and fix yourself and also if it is a glue how does that work if you have or intended to gild the glass? Does it make a mess of the gild or paint?


Q8 Not related to this project but in general if glass is going to be in frame and on wall is there need to use tempered glass? Or would you not bother?

Q9 I wish to use some Schlag leaf to oil gild it on glass. Can you tell me in terms of ease to do job am I better off using transfer or loose leaf to do this? (Have never used Schlag)

Q10 Can Schlag leaf, oil gilded to glass still be etched out and back painted in similar way real leaf would be?

Thanks for any help with these questions.

Jeth

Piet Mondrian table top

gildtable2.jpg (154.4 KiB) Viewed 2794 times

[BruceJackson]

Hi Jeth, welcome aboard.

Q1. Definitely needed!...in this situation, I always try to have a space between the back of the work and any surface. With the painting on the back of glass, what you are doing is resting it directly onto a surface. You'd never do that with a regular painting. Over the course of a year (or it may take several years) it will gradually stick to that surface and de-laminate from the glass. When I do kitchen splashbacks, I always put spacers behind to give it an air gap.

Q2. Starfire and Optiwhite are two names I know of. I'm sure there are many other brands. I only use them if there is going to be white background, or maybe if the edge is showing. For normal gilding and painting, you don't notice any difference. Maybe if I was doing a very expensive, high end job...or if it was carved like Dave's brilliant-cut masterpiece, then sure. the extra expense becomes a minor point.

Q3. As a signwriter, we normally use oil-based paints such as one-shot because you want it to cover. Vitrail has no opacity.

Q4. I use Cellophane tape. You can use vinyl mask too. Paints like Vitrail are very brittle and you need to remove the tape before the paint dries. Oil-based paints aren't as troublesome.

Q5. Again, the oil-based paints flow out better and feel nice in the brush. The opacity means it will look solid and even.

Q6. There are lots of special fixings available. The have a soft grommet to prevent the metal shaft from directly touching the glass. Look for mirror or glass mounting anchors.

Q7. These are usually mirror panels. You can use a neutral cure (non-acidic) silicone to do this.

Q8. Use tempered for kitchen splashbacks or for wall panels, especially if it presents a safety issue. This applies to glass that is positioned low on a wall (kids) or where it may get smashed and the shards could fall on someone. I generally use plain 6mm float if it is medium size and going into a frame.

Q9. You can use it. Not much difference between transfer and loose. Unlike gold leaf, you can easily handle loose schlag without it breaking. You can put it onto a card, place in position and slide the card out.

Q10. Yes. But it won't etch as nicely. Oil-gilding can look dull if rubbed. Try it and see what you think.

[jeth williams]

Hi Bruce

Many thanks for the reply with advice, most helpful have enjoyed looking at your work and good advice on your own website too.

Dave Smith’s work is indeed amazing. I also have one of his Smith tips’ very handy.
I stand in the shadow of far greater craftsman… won’t give up the day job just yet but enjoying gilding and learning more about it.

Just one query on your response in relation to using spacers to separate the glass from the table, would these be a standard fitting you can buy for glass from a glass supplier in general or something else? Presume they just go round the edges?

Also if the piece of glass is say for a lot larger work e.g. A dinning table, would you still use spacers or something else? as if the spacers just go on the edge (I’m presuming they do here but got no idea really) then guess would then be a lot of unsupported weight in centre of glass, would it be better to use something else if large glass and if so what? Cork matt? Canvas? Another bit of glass? Something else?

Many thanks

Jeth