# Gold Leaf for High Fibre



## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

Basic leafing...101

Prep, prep, prep. The smoother the surface the better. And the finish needs to be sound. So on a sign outside, All 6 sides sealed up.
Dont size on primer or flat paint. Should be eggshell or better. The size will just get absorbed on flat paint.

Size. Two types used the most, acrylic and oil. For Ext. always use oil. For real Gold, always use oil size. You can use the water base for gold but the gold dosnt look as good....wont be as shiney!
Oil size comes in 3 hr and 12 hr. This is a guesstimate as to when it "tacks" and is ready to leaf. Tack is affected by humidity, heat and so on. Test tack with knuckle. When you touch it and remove quickly you should hear a click. Oil is similar to a varnish so its almost like when its curing, starting to harden up. The 12 hour should stay "open" for gilding for at least 12 hours but is determined by environment. 3 hr. is less. THE gold will only stick to where the size is put....
Except.......say your gilding and the background is oil paint. Gold will stick to this surface for days after you think the paint is cured. A rag with some spirits will remove any unwanted leaf.
So on your sign, size on you letters. Or if you use a vinyl sign type stencil that is sticky on the back (or a stencil) You could paint letters first, let dry, then move the stencil up and over and gild. This would give your lettering shadows.
GOLD. There are many colors (shades) starting with 24 ct. and decreases down to white gold which is 50/50 gold and silver. 22 ct and less would need sealed to prevent tarnish. Gold comes in rolls, loose and patent. Patent leaf is pressed onto a paper which makes it easy to handle, especially in winds. Place the gold side on the ready size, a light rub on the paper, and pull off. Gold is stuck where you painted the size. Use a soft brush, velvet or soft rag to remove the loose skewings (hanger oner's) Done.
I would suggest starting with patent leaf. Comes in "books" of 25 leafs that are 3 3/8 square. If you ever see gold squares bigger than 4 inches...its not gold but a composite leaf....Fake.
You can also purchase double leaf. The thickness isnt really double but it is heavier used mainly for ext. like domes and objects prone to weather. 

The acrylic stuff. Rolco Aquasize and Wunda size. I dont like Wunda as it never really hardens. Both will be at tack in about 15 minutes and will remain open for 24-36 hrs. I will use this when doing higher ceilings with Dutch Metal, (fake gold-or also known as composite leaf) These will tarnish and need sealing.

When sizeing....its really clear. I will put a drop or three of yellow ochre tint or artist paint so I can see where it is. Gilding is not a job to have holidays in your size. Any patching shows badly.. "Paint" it on THIN. Dont go heavy or when you gild the gold will get lost in it. Also if you have thicker and thin, the leaf will/could orange peel on the thicker when it cures.


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

:blink:


Damn.

And I get the feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to RoadDog's abilities and knowledge regarding this kind of work.

Wouldn't mind always working in the environment that would be the inevitable consequence of being proficient enough at this kinds of work that I was always in demand for it.


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

P.S. What is "sizing"

I don't even know what sizing is, much less whether or not I should use oil or acrylic for the task.

I can give any opaque or clear trim package in any home a perfect finish, and also the walls. But this kind of work is a whole other level.

I wish I had had the opportunity to be exposed to it.


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

foil effects could teach you a thing or two. is he still around?


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

Last Craftsman said:


> P.S. What is "sizing"
> 
> I don't even know what sizing is, much less whether or not I should use oil or acrylic for the task.
> 
> ...


Size in this context is the adhesive. RD is talking about real 22carat gold and the specific type of size he chooses to work with. Some size can even be plain, preferably distilled or deionized water, gelatin, a waterbourne acrylic or an oil size. The oil size is a true varnish.

See: "gilding" 

The foils are totally different than leaf. The foils are sheets of mylar like the shiny Micky Mouse balloons seen at Disney or sheets of wrap at dollar stores. Some fairly good effects but not in the same league as real leaf. Close but no cigar, is the mylar coated with one micron of gold used by NASA. 

The foil effects can be done by using rattlecan paint as a size or the rattlecan 3M adhesive. The trick is to crumple up the mylar sheets so the shiny stuff transfers. Once applied over whatever size is choosen, the sheets can be pounced or rolled over with a brayer. on a large surface a good tool is a 9" roller frame, a short nap sleeve and a piece of ABS pipe on that. The look is kind of random and if placed and done right is good but really easy to be overdone.


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## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

Gold


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## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

And here is fake gold not sealed correctly. This is the Biltmore in Pheonix AZ.


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

Whoops!


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## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

Whoops is right. They wanted to know if I could fix it. They thought it was real gold. All these years they were telling there customers that they were the second largest gold ceiling in the world. They were not happy when they found out it wasnt gold. Was at one time but a restoration in the 70s pulled a fast one.


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

Well?...................Did you fix it? 

I am always in awe of your talent.


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## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

Nope. Once composite leaf is tarnished its over. Its a redo. Even to replace just that area, new leaf would not match. I gave them an estimate though on redoing the whole ceiling. Little over 10,000 sq. ft. (second largest gilded ceiling in the world after Taj Mahal) .....the gold would of cost about $250,000, but doing it in composite leaf, that leaf would of been about $18,000....


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

Roadog said:


> I gave them an estimate though on redoing the whole ceiling. Little over 10,000 sq. ft. (second largest gilded ceiling in the world after Taj Mahal)


Just so I make sure I understand you correctly.

You gave someone a proposal to redo the second largest gilded ceiling in the world, second only to the Taj Mahal?

:blink:

If you land that bid, you will be a contender to actually redo the Taj Mahal itself should it need to have work done.

Your tagline should be "Roadog"

"A league of his own."

:blink:

:blink:

:blink:


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Have you looked at his website LC? Truly amazing stuff!:notworthy::notworthy:

Just goes to show the wealth of talent we have on this forum!:yes:


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

I think RD should change his handle to "Second to the Last Craftsman" for blowing that Taj Mahal job.. He coulda been a contenda..


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

RCP said:


> Have you looked at his website LC? Truly amazing stuff!:notworthy::notworthy:


Yeah. I did.

It's actually scary.

I mean literally I look at what he does to those surfaces, and my mind goes blank instantly, because I can't even begin to comprehend the processes that are occurring there.

Not to mention the magnitude of responsibility, and the level of expectations he must be obligated to meet.

It really is scary.



But yes I agree his work is amazing.


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

Retired said:


> I think RD should change his handle to "Second to the Last Craftsman"


Lol. His masking tape budget for a single job probably exceeds the complete material costs for any given job I work on.

Roadog's boxers probably have a higher security clearance than I do.

I highly doubt RD is second to me in anything related to refurbishing interiors.

I suppose if he came to work with me for a day, I would probably outclass him to some degree doing the comparatively mundane procedures that I am very practiced at from doing them day in and day out.

But if I went to work with him for a day, doing what he does every day, even just to be a helper, I wouldn't even feel comfortable touching anything without asking first.

It would be like me knowing how to build an outhouse more efficiently than him, but he knows how to build an entire skyscraper more efficiently than me.

We all have our talents!


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

Last Craftsman said:


> Lol. His masking tape budget for a single job probably exceeds the complete material costs for any given job I work on.
> 
> Roadog's boxers probably have a higher security clearance than I do.
> 
> ...


Not a clue what RD's masking tape usage is. Being an all round painter I would guess he uses other than the two types of 3M blue tape unless its a long mask situation. Cutting can also be done with a Mahl stick. All that grisalle on the site is hand done so far as I can tell.

Maybe you can build an outhouse and have him leaf the moon with gold and the stars with silver as a joint venture. A couple of coats of Aura in a deep blue would look nice.


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## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

I've built a couple outhouses in my time.....they worked. I just had good training and kept up with it. Not so much talent as training. Everything I do is mechanical using "tools" and just knowing how to use them. I can train anyone on this board what I do. How well you do it is up to you. I like working with wood but dont have the patience. Some dont have the patience to do some types of painting.
I just did 23 days straight rolling walls with an 18 and ceilings with a 12. Tues. I go back to an old farm house pulling paper, patching old lime, caulking and prepping baseboard and windows.....doing the stuff most hire a helper for.....then in a couple weeks head for FL. to gold leaf. I just do what I got to do. I also do every job like its the most important......farm house or church!
Dont use much tape.


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

Roadog said:


> I've built a couple outhouses in my time.....they worked. I just had good training and kept up with it. Not so much talent as training. Everything I do is mechanical using "tools" and just knowing how to use them. I can train anyone on this board what I do. How well you do it is up to you. I like working with wood but dont have the patience. Some dont have the patience to do some types of painting.
> I just did 23 days straight rolling walls with an 18 and ceilings with a 12. Tues. I go back to an old farm house pulling paper, patching old lime, caulking and prepping baseboard and windows.....doing the stuff most hire a helper for.....then in a couple weeks head for FL. to gold leaf. I just do what I got to do. I also do every job like its the most important......farm house or church!
> Dont use much tape.


Now I'm wondering if anyone ever leafed a portapotty?


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## mwaters27 (Aug 21, 2010)

Roadog said:


> I've built a couple outhouses in my time.....they worked. I just had good training and kept up with it. Not so much talent as training. Everything I do is mechanical using "tools" and just knowing how to use them. I can train anyone on this board what I do. How well you do it is up to you. I like working with wood but dont have the patience. Some dont have the patience to do some types of painting.
> I just did 23 days straight rolling walls with an 18 and ceilings with a 12. Tues. I go back to an old farm house pulling paper, patching old lime, caulking and prepping baseboard and windows.....doing the stuff most hire a helper for.....then in a couple weeks head for FL. to gold leaf. I just do what I got to do. I also do every job like its the most important......farm house or church!
> Dont use much tape.



These are true words.... I was trained under two very meticulous people and it took a lot patience and "personal" will power to become good at what you do(and this is coming from the kid who in jr high the art teacher said i should go find another class).... Keep up the incredible work Roadog!!!


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## johnthepainter (Apr 1, 2008)

thanks for sharing this! definetley not a dumbaz house painter.


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