In all my 6 years of gilding I’ve been holding myself back.. doing only pieces that I can cover with one sheet of leaf.. i even went and spent the ridiculous amount on the lipstick polisher (agate and dogtooth) as well but to think if I would have just had a bit more patience lol thank you so much.. I can’t wait to try this on bigger pieces where can I lay 3 to 4 sheets of leaf down.
For hundreds of years European craftsmen used only a dog's tooth before agate in the same shape generally replaced it. But dog's tooth still works perfectly and free from your vet! Attach it to a wooden handle with epoxy
Glad I watched this video. Wouldn't have thought of doing polishing at all. With kids in the house, maybe a layer of spray varnish could be applied? Hoping that it wouldn't affect the shine.
if you are using real *actual* gold I wouldnt use varnish. You'd just ruin the shine of the gold. if its imitation leaf gold then its less of a deal. You should not do water gilding with other people in the room, since dust and air flow can make the application harder.
@@Foervraengd aw, it's the real gold :( Was just hoping to give it an extra protection from those sticky fingers lol. Gotcha though, won't varnish and will be careful about dust. Tnx!
I have one from an old gilder that is a real tooth. Very large canine tooth on a handle.I just cleaned it up and polished the tooth again and still use it often. Better than any other I have. I had a few others but they got lost over the years.
What is the best oil gilding technique to be able to polish to a shiny finish as close as possible to water gilding? One book said that the long open 12 to 24 hour oil based gold size gives the best finish. Is this true and would it still be possible to polish it with a dog tooth. Water based gold size is more convenient but I am uncertain whether it will produce as good a gold finish as oil based gold size. This is all for interior work.
I am building a model of the Yamato Battleship and would like to gold leaf a tiny 5mm diameter rendition of a chrysanthemum flower that is located on its bow, its got a lot of fine detail, would gold leaf be able to be burnished smoothly enough into its contours to look good? or would i be better off with paint? Thanks!
it depends on the method you use. If you're gonna do water gilding, which is what I'm doing in the video, then it's gonna be possible but take a lot of time since the foundation requires a lot of work. watergilding makes a shiny look when burnished and the priming foundation consists of several layers which over time will cover some small details in the ornament, especially if its small in size. However the easiest version is to do oil gilding, the result will be a bit more matte but you will keep a lot of small fine details, it's also faster and less expensive.
If you mean gold leafs then yes, you can use it to create your own mirror using water with a very very very tiny amount of dissolved gelatine to cover the glass surface and then carefully apply the sheets. Carefully soak up excess water with a towel and then let the rest evaporate on its own.
if you mean imitation gold leaf thats made out of brass then sort of, you cant polish it with this technique since it would make more cracks and openings. Also it cant reach the same high level of shine.
Next time I might try to record a bit more, traditional gilding takes time to do since it involves a lot of drying-time between the steps. I'll record when I can but I have to prioritize my job and my clients first. I recently got a new phone with more storage so maybe I will be able to record longer clips. :)
Yes as far as I know you can only burnish it like in the video with genuine gold leaf (9karat or higher), its the softness of the gold that makes the burnishing method possible to do. Imitation leaf is just brass, its better to use a soft piece of cotton for polishing imitation gold leaves.
this is water gilding, so when you have applied the gold leaf you should wait til it is no longer damp. you can do this by gently tapping the surface with the agate tool. Depending on how much ethanol you mixed with the water, the drying will be faster or slower. but you dont want to wait til the surface is 100% dry. So I would not let it sit overnight. to me it usually doesnt take more than an hour before I can burnish it.
@@inthewind3976 Agate can be polished to very smooth durable finish. Some people prefer genuine hematite instead....I suppose other similar stones can be made into burnishing tools. I don't know if there is some property that agate possesses that interacts with the gold during the burnishing that makes it better than other stones....but it does seem to be preferred. In the middle ages they used the canine teeth of dogs and wolves to burnish gold....which is why you see the shape of the burnisher in the video...if the shape works why change it...I guess.
Tyy Daymon it’s just pure agate. No chemicals. No wax. After burnishing you coat gold leaf with hard lacquer which would have issues sticking if you used wax.
Ok …so how is this being done? What tools are you using? How much pressure do you apply? How long do you wait after laying gold leaf to polish? I came here for a how to…not watch the most boring process. 🤬🤬
I know. So annoying the way people make vids. All I want to know is what's the f'n process. Do I glue the sheet on, wait, and then just polish it. Or do I glue a sheet, wait, then lay another sheet down and polish. That crackled surface bullshit looks like crap, to be honest. I understand that you might have to poly the wood to get it smoother first, but still. Would be nice if One single person could make a quality video.
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Oh well this is just delightfully satisfying
In all my 6 years of gilding I’ve been holding myself back.. doing only pieces that I can cover with one sheet of leaf.. i even went and spent the ridiculous amount on the lipstick polisher (agate and dogtooth) as well but to think if I would have just had a bit more patience lol thank you so much.. I can’t wait to try this on bigger pieces where can I lay 3 to 4 sheets of leaf down.
THANK YOU FOR SMOOTHING A GOLD LEAF SMOOTH SURFACE!!!!!!
For some reason this is so satisfying to watch >w
Thanks for the good video. Answers very helpful. I cannot seem to find agathe burnisher. What would be possible to use as the closest substitute?
For hundreds of years European craftsmen used only a dog's tooth before agate in the same shape generally replaced it. But dog's tooth still works perfectly and free from your vet! Attach it to a wooden handle with epoxy
Glad I watched this video. Wouldn't have thought of doing polishing at all.
With kids in the house, maybe a layer of spray varnish could be applied? Hoping that it wouldn't affect the shine.
if you are using real *actual* gold I wouldnt use varnish. You'd just ruin the shine of the gold. if its imitation leaf gold then its less of a deal. You should not do water gilding with other people in the room, since dust and air flow can make the application harder.
@@Foervraengd aw, it's the real gold :(
Was just hoping to give it an extra protection from those sticky fingers lol. Gotcha though, won't varnish and will be careful about dust. Tnx!
@@Foervraengd also, may I ask what adhesive you used?
I have one from an old gilder that is a real tooth. Very large canine tooth on a handle.I just cleaned it up and polished the tooth again and still use it often. Better than any other I have. I had a few others but they got lost over the years.
Thank you! This answers a lot of noobie questions.
What is the best oil gilding technique to be able to polish to a shiny finish as close as possible to water gilding? One book said that the long open 12 to 24 hour oil based gold size gives the best finish. Is this true and would it still be possible to polish it with a dog tooth. Water based gold size is more convenient but I am uncertain whether it will produce as good a gold finish as oil based gold size. This is all for interior work.
Beautiful! How long does the leaf sit on the wet bole before burnishing?
From experience you need to allow at least a good 24 hours to pass before trying to burnish gold leaf. Be it imitation or the real thing.
What is name this tool
ive always wondered but how does gold stick to surfaces? given that its so soft doesnt it rub off easily as well?
What is the name of the tools that you using
Agata stone
what are you putting under the gold leaf
I am building a model of the Yamato Battleship and would like to gold leaf a tiny 5mm diameter rendition of a chrysanthemum flower that is located on its bow, its got a lot of fine detail, would gold leaf be able to be burnished smoothly enough into its contours to look good? or would i be better off with paint? Thanks!
it depends on the method you use. If you're gonna do water gilding, which is what I'm doing in the video, then it's gonna be possible but take a lot of time since the foundation requires a lot of work. watergilding makes a shiny look when burnished and the priming foundation consists of several layers which over time will cover some small details in the ornament, especially if its small in size. However the easiest version is to do oil gilding, the result will be a bit more matte but you will keep a lot of small fine details, it's also faster and less expensive.
Would it be possible to achieve a perfect mirror finish if, for example the leaf was applied to a perfectly smooth surface?
If you mean gold leafs then yes, you can use it to create your own mirror using water with a very very very tiny amount of dissolved gelatine to cover the glass surface and then carefully apply the sheets. Carefully soak up excess water with a towel and then let the rest evaporate on its own.
@@Foervraengd I think he is asking if the gold itself can act as a mirror (ish) on it's own, sans glass.
Is there a big difference in appearance when using a composite gold leaf (Dutch metal) instead?
if you mean imitation gold leaf thats made out of brass then sort of, you cant polish it with this technique since it would make more cracks and openings. Also it cant reach the same high level of shine.
@@Foervraengd What is the best technique to polish imitation gold leaf?
Good vid would love yo see the whole thing finish
Next time I might try to record a bit more, traditional gilding takes time to do since it involves a lot of drying-time between the steps. I'll record when I can but I have to prioritize my job and my clients first. I recently got a new phone with more storage so maybe I will be able to record longer clips. :)
Foervraengd at least in traditional doesn't feel cold
I wonder if you burnish before or after the sealant?
Before...I believe.
will this work on reverse glass gilding?
Mines just rub right off. I'm using imitation gold leave though does that matter
Yes as far as I know you can only burnish it like in the video with genuine gold leaf (9karat or higher), its the softness of the gold that makes the burnishing method possible to do. Imitation leaf is just brass, its better to use a soft piece of cotton for polishing imitation gold leaves.
What is that tool you're using please?
it is a tool made with agate stone, they come in different shapes for different surfaces that you might be using the leaf on
I guess I have to go find a uuh uuuh ...a bears tooth ? What is that..…? jeeez.
When do you "polish" it .. do you let it stay 2h or over night or .. ?
this is water gilding, so when you have applied the gold leaf you should wait til it is no longer damp. you can do this by gently tapping the surface with the agate tool. Depending on how much ethanol you mixed with the water, the drying will be faster or slower. but you dont want to wait til the surface is 100% dry. So I would not let it sit overnight. to me it usually doesnt take more than an hour before I can burnish it.
@@Foervraengd Just out of curiosity, why agate? Thank in advance
@@inthewind3976 Agate can be polished to very smooth durable finish. Some people prefer genuine hematite instead....I suppose other similar stones can be made into burnishing tools. I don't know if there is some property that agate possesses that interacts with the gold during the burnishing that makes it better than other stones....but it does seem to be preferred. In the middle ages they used the canine teeth of dogs and wolves to burnish gold....which is why you see the shape of the burnisher in the video...if the shape works why change it...I guess.
What is the polisher made of and do you put wax or other chemical on it
the tool is agathe polishing tool since the tip is made out of agathe stone.
Tyy Daymon it’s just pure agate. No chemicals. No wax. After burnishing you coat gold leaf with hard lacquer which would have issues sticking if you used wax.
Can we use polishing tool in oil gliding. (Which type of oil)?
@@kuldeepaksoni5903 no, the oil doesn't support burnishing it is too thick and plastic in nature.
Ok …so how is this being done? What tools are you using? How much pressure do you apply? How long do you wait after laying gold leaf to polish? I came here for a how to…not watch the most boring process. 🤬🤬
No commentary ? no tips ? Would it have killed ya' to say a few words?
I know. So annoying the way people make vids. All I want to know is what's the f'n process.
Do I glue the sheet on, wait, and then just polish it. Or do I glue a sheet, wait, then lay another sheet down and polish.
That crackled surface bullshit looks like crap, to be honest. I understand that you might have to poly the wood to get it smoother first, but still. Would be nice if One single person could make a quality video.
Just use sand papaer and then coat of lacquer.
You cant do that if a certain level of mirror finish is desired. thats just common science.
totally not what gilding is about. Even classical lacquering is an involved process of layers of lacquer, cutting, relaying etc.