I feel extremely privileged to have been given the gift of witnessing this process. I have nothing but respect for your insistence upon authenticity for each aspect of the restoration. Thank you.
Dear Ms. Tappin, I think I can clear up the mystery of those silver (gray?) dots on the gilded frame. Gold is soluble in mercury; when the two substances are brought together, an amalgam is formed that looks silver-gray. This amalgam is or was used in so-called fire gilding. BTW: I'm very interested in ancient craft techniques and your portrayal of the profession and skills of a gilder is without precedent. I only recently became aware of your channel and am now watching video after video. It's unbelievable how generously you share your knowledge and skills. Thank you very much for that! Georg (from Germany)
The first time it happened it was a bit of a shock. I try to be so careful with the mercury, but there was so much on this convex. I haven't seen fire gilding face to face yet, but I think it's one of the nicest looking forms of gilding. But understandable it can no longer be done. Hope you enjoy watching the videos. Hopefully will be starting making more soon.
I understand that you were shocked. When you've worked for days and hours to get a perfect result - and then these spots appear... but as we could see, you can't be defeated! I haven't seen fire gilding "live" yet either. In Germany there are still 2 or 3 people who offer this and they work with very high security systems. I have a few old furniture fittings in my workshop that are fire-gilded. An acanthus flower is particularly beautiful. You know it's just bronze, but the gilding makes you think you're holding a nugget of gold. While cleaning this piece I also learned how durable this type of gold plating is. I wish you all the best and thank you again for your such informative and well-made videos! Georg
Mercury is used to dissolve gold from its ore in primitive parts of the world and then the mercury driven off with heat. A bit like Mercuric gilding itself. The Mercury vapour sends you mad of course.
Fascinating process, done so professionally, brilliant! That goes for the well done video too, with no unnecessary music. Looking forward to viewing more videos of adeptness on this subject. Wow, those pesky Mercury balls so much worse than Jupiter and Neptune. 🙃
I would love to be able to make a video every week, I know the disappointment when someone you subscribe to doesn't publish regulatory. It's hard to fit it in with all the work I've got to get through. This video was started in May. It took ages to edit. I will be doing more videos, but unfortunately earning a wage needs to come first.😁 😓
@@RuthTappinGilder completely understand, that's why It's a great day when you do make a video. The mirrors look Amazing, true works of art, brought back to life for another generation to enjoy.
@@RuthTappinGilder Have you ever worked for an institution as a conservationist specializing in gilding? For example, a museum? Would that interest you?
I gave up frame restoration years ago because I was finding it difficult to justify (and charge appropriately for) the time involved. However watching your videos has reminded me just how much I used to enjoy it. Often I would receive a painting for restoration and the client would leave me with the throwaway comment ' …oh and could you just tidy the frame up as well?' Often they were happy to spend thousands on the restoration of the painting but expected to pay much much less on 'tidying up' the frame. I would love to know how you charge - ie for these 2 mirrors - and if you ever come up against the same problems. I could imagine there being 100+ hours involved in the restoration and gilding alone which, at my hourly rate would equal around 3.5k plus materials! Am I being naive in thinking not many private clients would be willing to pay that kind of money? Perhaps I am. I recently had a bill for servicing my car from my local garage and for around 10 hours work plus materials I was charged almost £1000!! Any thoughts / advice would be greatly appreciated.
Let's just say I didn't become a restorer to be rich! I'm hoping to produce some paid for teaching videos next your. There is only so much a dealer or private customer is willing to pay!
@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you for your reply Ruth. So do you have a rate per hour or per job? A furniture restorer once told me… 'if you are asked to give a fixed price for a job, think, take the first number you come up with then double it!' Not something I always do but it is always a reminder that, in restoration, inevitably 'stuff' happens that you couldn't have planned for. Speaking for myself, I almost never charge the private customer 'by the hour' as it can become very silly very quickly! Obviously if I do work for larger institutions or 'insurance work' I can charge a more realistic amount. Swings and roundabouts I guess.
Can you please share the recipe for "gesso paste" (as distinct from gesso) and the tool you used for applying it in this video. Thank you for sharing your talent and techniques.
The tool is a forged steel pottery tool. Most pottery supplies will stock them. Some people use dental tools. The putty is just thick gesso. It will be on my gilding courses.
Really superb stuff. Beautiful work on beautiful objects. I would love to see the ageing processes you use to take the newness off the new gilt work. Look forward to your content!
Thanks, glad you're enjoying the videos. Aging the gold will be one of the paid for teaching video's. I'll need to earn some money from teaching at some point. Body is already letting me down 🙄. So another way of earning money will be needed. 😁
Mercury amalgamates with gold and some other metals. There's a video by NileRed where he shows a blob of mercury dissolving some gold leaf, and apparently it's the same process as making dental amalgams (but with different metals)! It absorbs the gold and stays silver so that's what you got on the frame.😅 Interesting how you can date gilding from the bole colour. Did the colours go in and out of fashion? Learning a lot from your videos!👍
Thanks will have a look. I know it can be used in gold mining. The bole colours in the UK change from the Georgian period into Regency then again into Victorian period.
So great to see another video from you, really makes my Sunday! And what a fantastic restoration, many thanks for posting. Would your compo parts not glue on with a hide or even a PVA glue? Thanks again, magical to watch.
Thanks. Gluing compo onto wire is the only time I use superglue. You want something fast drying to just keep it in place for the few minutes untill the compo backing goes on, which is what fixes the compo decoration to the wire permanently. Slower glues would need the compo to be clamped in place while the glue set.
Hi Ruth, thank you for all your wonderful videos as they are so clear and concise, easy to understand and you are very pleasing to listen too so thank you. I am fairly new to gilding , both water and oil (Love both!) so there's a few topics I would love to hear your thoughts on. 1, antique gold frames, how to tell if they are gilded or painted. 2. what solvents are best to clean with ( I saw your video on cleaning but was not sure what solution you were using) and 3. what materials and techniques do you use for antiquing . Thank you again
Thanks, glad you like the videos. The cleaner I use is Vulpex. When I started out I couldn't tell the difference either, so good video idea. Aging the gold will be part of my teaching payed for videos. I'm planning the videos at the moment, just need to get on and make them.
@@willw.6639 don't worry, I'll be shouting it from the rooftops 😁 wish I could give you a date but at the moment I'm trying to find the right frames to work on.
I have a question about the clay bole you used. What was your reasoning in choosing the black/grey clay bole on one and using the dark red/brown colored bole on the other frame? Love your videos! Thanks
If it's oil gilding you can use paint stripper but that won't remove water gilding. So you will need to sand it off or use wire wool and methylated spirits.
@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you Ruth, as I work you will be 'tappin' on my shoulder ! So generous of you to take the time to explain work that you so obviously love doing. I acually love preparation more than the actual finish. I love stripping off an old armchair and taking out the million tacks or staples ! Tomorrow I am going to Venetian plaster a bathroom ceiling and above the tiling so I am preparing myself psychologically for that. I just reputtied six windows and built a radiator cover so I should be ok, fingers crossed ! Having no TV helps a lot but YT is a great source of info, thanks to artisans like you, happy holidays xx
I was completely unaware of the way mercury mirrors can shed that stuff. Continue to use all possible caution when dealing with mercury mirrors. Out of an abundance of caution, perhaps you should consider restricting your shop, barring children and the pregnant.
Thanks for your concern. My workshop isn't open to the public. I let the customer who owns a mercury mirror know how to handle it etc. And joke if there is a fire in the house not to stand next to it.😁 I don't handle it, and its not often it happened like the one in this video.
I'm binge watching your videos, great job!! Why do you use different color bole on different parts of your projects? Like the rectangular mirror frame. Do the different boles affect the reflection quality, like one is more of a matte finish while another is really shiny?
Different countries have different bole colours, like French frames have red bole. The mirror in the bole video is English Victorian so it's yellow, pink, black. Yellow is always oil gilded.
@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you very much. I'm just getting into gilding and have a few projects in mind for gifts. I'll be working on some champagne glasses first but there are some wooden projects I intend to do later where I'll need the gesso, bole, rabbits glue, etc. That's a lot of material and tools that I'll need to get at that point and I just wanted to make sure I get the right stuff.
Excellent Ruth. Not possible to assimilate all the information in one viewing. Every dinner time for the rest of the week should see the bulk ensconced. Work of reference should I be tasked with restoring a similar mirror 🪞. What am i saying????? Could never leave the greasey kitchen ceilings and dog 🐕hair ridden stairs that are my forte. All the best Mike
So mercury is pretty safe to handle for short periods of time. Even submerging your hand in it or fine as long as you don't have cuts etc. It only really dangerous is gaseous form. But yeah it's still a good idea to be careful
I do think of my safety because I do often have little cuts on my hand. Also when I had the dog. Its mostly a problem if it gets on the gold. It turns it a silver colour.
@@RuthTappinGilder yeah, I saw the end of your video. Definitely worth trying all of it! Really enjoyed your video. I'm a restorer myself and will be attending a gilding course in the near future as it's something I'm looking to branch out into and your videos are a great motivator.
What gets me is that paint stripper will remove oil and water based paints but only removes oil gilding. Would be great if it didn't remove any gilding
I do not understand why cloth is not applied to these frames and other element. The gesso detach from them. But in paintings, a cloth is glued on the wood, and the gesso will never detach! A lot of money and time can be saved by this small addition. Maybe there is reason?
Water gilding online course now available ruthtappin-gildingcourses.thinkific.com/
I feel extremely privileged to have been given the gift of witnessing this process. I have nothing but respect for your insistence upon authenticity for each aspect of the restoration. Thank you.
The mercury broke my heart! Good save!
Dear Ms. Tappin, I think I can clear up the mystery of those silver (gray?) dots on the gilded frame. Gold is soluble in mercury; when the two substances are brought together, an amalgam is formed that looks silver-gray. This amalgam is or was used in so-called fire gilding.
BTW: I'm very interested in ancient craft techniques and your portrayal of the profession and skills of a gilder is without precedent. I only recently became aware of your channel and am now watching video after video. It's unbelievable how generously you share your knowledge and skills. Thank you very much for that!
Georg (from Germany)
The first time it happened it was a bit of a shock. I try to be so careful with the mercury, but there was so much on this convex. I haven't seen fire gilding face to face yet, but I think it's one of the nicest looking forms of gilding. But understandable it can no longer be done.
Hope you enjoy watching the videos. Hopefully will be starting making more soon.
I understand that you were shocked. When you've worked for days and hours to get a perfect result - and then these spots appear... but as we could see, you can't be defeated!
I haven't seen fire gilding "live" yet either. In Germany there are still 2 or 3 people who offer this and they work with very high security systems. I have a few old furniture fittings in my workshop that are fire-gilded. An acanthus flower is particularly beautiful. You know it's just bronze, but the gilding makes you think you're holding a nugget of gold. While cleaning this piece I also learned how durable this type of gold plating is.
I wish you all the best and thank you again for your such informative and well-made videos!
Georg
Mercury is used to dissolve gold from its ore in primitive parts of the world and then the mercury driven off with heat. A bit like Mercuric gilding itself. The Mercury vapour sends you mad of course.
So beautifully done. So much attention to detail. I’d be chuffed with a mirror like that!
Thank you 😊
Spectacular, so lovely to see genuine craftsmanship still exists.
These mirrors are absolutely gorgeous.
The amount of skill and patience on display for this project is incredible.
The eagle looks amazing
Fascinating process, done so professionally, brilliant! That goes for the well done video too, with no unnecessary music. Looking forward to viewing more videos of adeptness on this subject.
Wow, those pesky Mercury balls so much worse than Jupiter and Neptune. 🙃
Thank you 😊
Learned so much about how to date convex mirrors from your videos. Thank you! Excellent restoration work too.
My Sunday just got so much better. I love the detail you go into. We learn so much from your videos. More please.
I would love to be able to make a video every week, I know the disappointment when someone you subscribe to doesn't publish regulatory. It's hard to fit it in with all the work I've got to get through. This video was started in May. It took ages to edit.
I will be doing more videos, but unfortunately earning a wage needs to come first.😁 😓
@@RuthTappinGilder completely understand, that's why It's a great day when you do make a video.
The mirrors look Amazing, true works of art, brought back to life for another generation to enjoy.
@@RuthTappinGilder Have you ever worked for an institution as a conservationist specializing in gilding? For example, a museum? Would that interest you?
@@willw.6639 I haven't, I would have loved that early on, now I like being my own boss in my own space. But it would be nice to be asked.
Great work ! Thanks for keeping the craft alive .
you are a wizard!
Watching you work is therapeutic. 🙂
Thanks Ruth, great restoration work and other beautiful video with many important passages.
Have a nice Sunday, Manuela
Amazing
mercury mixes with the gold and forms an amalgam
Wish my furniture restoration workshop was as tidy as yours, brilliant work.
What you need is a tv crew turning up throughout the year to make you keep it tidy! 😁 works for me.
@@RuthTappinGilder do you have to feed them🤣
Grande artista mani d.oro
Ti seguo solo visivamente perché purtroppo non conosco la lingua inglese
I’m restoring identical period regency mirror! Thanks for tips, enjoy watching your channel
Thanks. I wish TH-cam would let us put photos in comments, I would love to see what other people are working on.
Such a great skill, what a beautiful job.
I gave up frame restoration years ago because I was finding it difficult to justify (and charge appropriately for) the time involved. However watching your videos has reminded me just how much I used to enjoy it. Often I would receive a painting for restoration and the client would leave me with the throwaway comment ' …oh and could you just tidy the frame up as well?' Often they were happy to spend thousands on the restoration of the painting but expected to pay much much less on 'tidying up' the frame. I would love to know how you charge - ie for these 2 mirrors - and if you ever come up against the same problems. I could imagine there being 100+ hours involved in the restoration and gilding alone which, at my hourly rate would equal around 3.5k plus materials! Am I being naive in thinking not many private clients would be willing to pay that kind of money? Perhaps I am. I recently had a bill for servicing my car from my local garage and for around 10 hours work plus materials I was charged almost £1000!! Any thoughts / advice would be greatly appreciated.
Let's just say I didn't become a restorer to be rich! I'm hoping to produce some paid for teaching videos next your. There is only so much a dealer or private customer is willing to pay!
@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you for your reply Ruth. So do you have a rate per hour or per job? A furniture restorer once told me… 'if you are asked to give a fixed price for a job, think, take the first number you come up with then double it!' Not something I always do but it is always a reminder that, in restoration, inevitably 'stuff' happens that you couldn't have planned for. Speaking for myself, I almost never charge the private customer 'by the hour' as it can become very silly very quickly! Obviously if I do work for larger institutions or 'insurance work' I can charge a more realistic amount. Swings and roundabouts I guess.
You have to be a little nuts to do this work. I mean this with great admiration!
You did great job!❤👍👏👏
Thank you 😊
Great film. Love your work.
The mercury bleeding out of the mirror surprised me! I had no idea mirrors could “leak.”
Can you please share the recipe for "gesso paste" (as distinct from gesso) and the tool you used for applying it in this video. Thank you for sharing your talent and techniques.
The tool is a forged steel pottery tool. Most pottery supplies will stock them. Some people use dental tools. The putty is just thick gesso. It will be on my gilding courses.
WOW!..........
Hi
Would love to see a video explaining how you distress and age your work
Aging the gold will be part of my paid for teaching videos. Hopefully I get time to make them this year.
@@RuthTappinGilder
Hi Ruth
would happily pay for the video
Really superb stuff. Beautiful work on beautiful objects. I would love to see the ageing processes you use to take the newness off the new gilt work. Look forward to your content!
Thanks, glad you're enjoying the videos. Aging the gold will be one of the paid for teaching video's. I'll need to earn some money from teaching at some point. Body is already letting me down 🙄. So another way of earning money will be needed. 😁
@@RuthTappinGilder Hi Ruth, really like your videos and would be happy to pay to see how you age the gold.
@@RuthTappinGilder looking forward to that one.
Mercury amalgamates with gold and some other metals. There's a video by NileRed where he shows a blob of mercury dissolving some gold leaf, and apparently it's the same process as making dental amalgams (but with different metals)! It absorbs the gold and stays silver so that's what you got on the frame.😅
Interesting how you can date gilding from the bole colour. Did the colours go in and out of fashion? Learning a lot from your videos!👍
Thanks will have a look. I know it can be used in gold mining.
The bole colours in the UK change from the Georgian period into Regency then again into Victorian period.
So great to see another video from you, really makes my Sunday! And what a fantastic restoration, many thanks for posting. Would your compo parts not glue on with a hide or even a PVA glue? Thanks again, magical to watch.
Thanks.
Gluing compo onto wire is the only time I use superglue. You want something fast drying to just keep it in place for the few minutes untill the compo backing goes on, which is what fixes the compo decoration to the wire permanently. Slower glues would need the compo to be clamped in place while the glue set.
Hi Ruth, thank you for all your wonderful videos as they are so clear and concise, easy to understand and you are very pleasing to listen too so thank you. I am fairly new to gilding , both water and oil (Love both!) so there's a few topics I would love to hear your thoughts on. 1, antique gold frames, how to tell if they are gilded or painted. 2. what solvents are best to clean with ( I saw your video on cleaning but was not sure what solution you were using) and 3. what materials and techniques do you use for antiquing . Thank you again
Thanks, glad you like the videos. The cleaner I use is Vulpex. When I started out I couldn't tell the difference either, so good video idea. Aging the gold will be part of my teaching payed for videos. I'm planning the videos at the moment, just need to get on and make them.
@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you for the info on the cleaner and I really look forward to your videos I will be purchasing those for sure.
@@RuthTappinGilder How will we know when you post pay-for videos? Will you post a video with the signup info? Thanks.
@@willw.6639 don't worry, I'll be shouting it from the rooftops 😁 wish I could give you a date but at the moment I'm trying to find the right frames to work on.
Fantastic work Ruth! Your tenacity is applaudable. What is that gesso putty made of?
Same as gesso just different ratio. I will make a video at some point.
@@RuthTappinGilder Aha! I thought so. Thanks!
I had the same question!
I have a question about the clay bole you used. What was your reasoning in choosing the black/grey clay bole on one and using the dark red/brown colored bole on the other frame? Love your videos! Thanks
I was using the bole colour from the period the frame was from. So the Georgian frame got the red/brown and the Regency frame got the purple/gray.
Question: on projects like these, do you use a protective clear coating or is the final finish just the gold leaf surface?
@@sooth15 I never seal the gilding. It's nearly pure gold so it won't tarnish. Sealing makes it look cheap somehow.
Would love to learn from you
😊 I'm currently filming some online courses.
How did you remove the gold to get down to the gesso? I really enjoy your videos. Thank you for sharing your methods and tips.
If it's oil gilding you can use paint stripper but that won't remove water gilding. So you will need to sand it off or use wire wool and methylated spirits.
How do you make the gesso putty you use as a filler ! So nice to have found your vlogs ! Thank you best wishes xxx
It's a thicker gesso mix. I'll be making some teaching videos next year that will include making gesso putty
@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you Ruth, as I work you will be 'tappin' on my shoulder ! So generous of you to take the time to explain work that you so obviously love doing. I acually love preparation more than the actual finish. I love stripping off an old armchair and taking out the million tacks or staples ! Tomorrow I am going to Venetian plaster a bathroom ceiling and above the tiling so I am preparing myself psychologically for that. I just reputtied six windows and built a radiator cover so I should be ok, fingers crossed ! Having no TV helps a lot but YT is a great source of info, thanks to artisans like you, happy holidays xx
So are you using silicone moulds and 'acrylic' compo not whiting and hide glue please?
Yes silicone moulds and it traditional compo.
I love your videos, I'm learning so much! Is gesso putty the same as your gesso recipe, just with more whiting in it?
Yes lots more gesso and less water.
I was completely unaware of the way mercury mirrors can shed that stuff. Continue to use all possible caution when dealing with mercury mirrors. Out of an abundance of caution, perhaps you should consider restricting your shop, barring children and the pregnant.
Thanks for your concern. My workshop isn't open to the public. I let the customer who owns a mercury mirror know how to handle it etc. And joke if there is a fire in the house not to stand next to it.😁
I don't handle it, and its not often it happened like the one in this video.
I'm binge watching your videos, great job!! Why do you use different color bole on different parts of your projects? Like the rectangular mirror frame. Do the different boles affect the reflection quality, like one is more of a matte finish while another is really shiny?
Different countries have different bole colours, like French frames have red bole. The mirror in the bole video is English Victorian so it's yellow, pink, black. Yellow is always oil gilded.
@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you very much. I'm just getting into gilding and have a few projects in mind for gifts. I'll be working on some champagne glasses first but there are some wooden projects I intend to do later where I'll need the gesso, bole, rabbits glue, etc. That's a lot of material and tools that I'll need to get at that point and I just wanted to make sure I get the right stuff.
Please send me link to buy tools and your gold stuff thank you.
www.goldleafsupplies.co.uk/
Excellent Ruth. Not possible to assimilate all the information in one viewing. Every dinner time for the rest of the week should see the bulk ensconced. Work of reference should I be tasked with restoring a similar mirror 🪞. What am i saying????? Could never leave the greasey kitchen ceilings and dog 🐕hair ridden stairs that are my forte.
All the best Mike
Holy SHIT!
😊
Please can you tell us What is the white dough ?
It's called compo. (Composition)
So mercury is pretty safe to handle for short periods of time. Even submerging your hand in it or fine as long as you don't have cuts etc. It only really dangerous is gaseous form. But yeah it's still a good idea to be careful
I do think of my safety because I do often have little cuts on my hand. Also when I had the dog. Its mostly a problem if it gets on the gold. It turns it a silver colour.
@@RuthTappinGilder yeah, I saw the end of your video. Definitely worth trying all of it! Really enjoyed your video. I'm a restorer myself and will be attending a gilding course in the near future as it's something I'm looking to branch out into and your videos are a great motivator.
Mercury seems to have a special nose for gold. It always finds it.
Ruth do you make any money it looks like it takes weeks of many hours work nice job though well done
Thanks 😊. Well let's just say you don't become a restorer to make lots of money. 😬
Paint thinner won't remove watergilding because rabbit skin glue is a water soluble material
What gets me is that paint stripper will remove oil and water based paints but only removes oil gilding. Would be great if it didn't remove any gilding
Murray would have absorbed some of you gold I think
I do not understand why cloth is not applied to these frames and other element. The gesso detach from them. But in paintings, a cloth is glued on the wood, and the gesso will never detach! A lot of money and time can be saved by this small addition. Maybe there is reason?
It sometimes is over joints in the wood. But the gesso can still detach over time.