Part 2

With the graduated glass measure, mix one part of alcohol with three parts of water. This solution, which is called _gin-water_, is the medium by which the gold leaf is applied and affixed to those parts which have been coated with the burnish-size. Lay the frame in a convenient position to work upon it, and have the gilding cushion, the knife, the tips and the gold leaf conveniently placed for use. The customary way of proceeding is to blow from the book on to the cushion as many leaves as it may be convenient to use. Some expertness is required to perform this operation successfully, and I believe that the time required to obtain this expertness is employed to better advantage in removing from the book, with the aid of the knife, a leaf at a time, when it is required to cut one into a number of pieces; or to cut the leaf as it lays in the book, either with the thumb-nail or with the knife. Of course, this will be a matter of choice with the gilder, as to how he will proceed; and he will be altogether governed by the greater facility with which he can work with either method. When the leaf has been cut into the required size for use, lift, by means of the tip, first drawn across the hair of the head, a piece of the gold leaf, and, after wetting thoroughly with the gin-water the portion where it is to be laid, using a camel’s hair brush for the purpose, apply the gold quickly.

There seems to be in the gold an occult attraction towards the gin-water; for the leaf is at once drawn to it, and care must be exercised to have the leaf applied at once as nearly right as possible, for where it goes, there it must remain. It must not be touched until dry; although a cyclopædia informs us that the leaf must be pressed down with a camel’s hair brush. Such a proceeding would result in anything but a nice state of affairs, as any one will find who might make the experiment.

14.—Never retouch the gold until dry. If the leaf cracks on going on, which it will do in inexperienced hands; do not mind it, but proceed to lay the gold where required. On moistening with the gin-water, be careful not to touch gold already laid, but wet close up to and adjoining it, and let the next piece of leaf lay or lap a little over the first. The moisture runs from the one into the other and makes the junction, when dry, complete.

15.—When the lay is completed and dry, proceed to patch up any cracks and imperfections. This is done by using the number 6 or 8 lettering pencil, and with its long and flexible point, filled with sufficient of the gin-water, wetting the cracks and imperfections one by one and applying pieces of the gold leaf of the required sizes to cover them up completely.

These pieces at once adhere to and join the lay perfectly, and, when they come to be burnished over, never show in the least where they have been applied, unless the burnish-size is too harsh and hard. In this case, the double layer of gold is brought out.

16.—In about an hour or so, for the flats and hollows, and rather longer for those places where the moisture settles and collects, and consequently remains longer, the lay will be ready to be burnished. The burnisher should be held at an angle, not too perpendicularly, and applied to the gold, finishing as you go along, and burnishing only a small piece at a time. Burnish right over the leaf, just as it has been laid, without brushing off the loose gold leaf.

17.—Burnish over the loose and the firm gold together. Sometimes, and most generally, there will be imperfections in the burnishing when first completed. These may arise from imperfect adhesion of the leaf, or from the leaf rubbing off when the burnish-size has been made too strong with glue, and so the surface has become harsh and hard. These imperfect places may be repaired by simply rubbing them with a wet rag to remove any leaf still adhering, and, when dry, going over them with a thin coat or two of burnish-size and relaying them with gold; but using the least moisture possible, or otherwise a stain will appear around the edges where the moisture has settled. Of course, such places must be reburnished. No moisture should ever be allowed to get on the leaf where another piece of gold leaf is not at once affixed, as otherwise a stain will be made which will mar the uniform purity of the burnish.

18.—Sometimes the surface will chip under the burnisher, particularly about an edge or corner, when too much pressure is applied. This may arise from several causes, but most generally does from the fact that the first and second coats of size have not been of the proper strength, and consequently have a tendency to crumble when the burnisher is applied with more than ordinary force.

19.—In very warm weather, gilders are in the habit of putting a piece of ice in the gin-water. The object of this is not particularly clear. It is claimed for it, however, that it causes the gin-water to lay better on the surface of the burnish-size.

If a chip should occur in a prominent flat, there is no remedy but to wash off the gold leaf with a wet rag, and down to the hard finish, and to re-do the side entirely over. When not too prominent, fill up the chipped place with Paris white, and when dry, scrape smooth with a penknife, and after giving two or three coats of burnish-size, re-lay the gold and reburnish.

Be careful, when burnishing edges and corners, to bear as lightly as possible with the burnisher, in order to avoid chipping.

20.—Marks in the burnish sometimes appear which seem to be stains, and which branch off in many ways. Such defects are most probably caused by the gin-water being too strong.

21.—The next step will be to apply the oil gold-size to these parts which have been left bare of gold and which have been thoroughly sized with the clear size. It is customary to previously go over with clear size these places which have been touched with burnish-size and which have not received any coating of gold; otherwise the oil-size would be absorbed and would leave no tacky surface to which the gold leaf would adhere. Sufficient of the gold-size should be taken from the can containing it, after first stirring the gold-size up thoroughly, so as to mix it completely with the oil which generally settles on top of it. A piece of tin or glass is the best thing to work from, and the bristle brush with which the size is to be applied should be well rubbed on it from time to time, to distribute the size thoroughly through the brush.

The size must be applied thoroughly to the frame, not too freely, so as to run and settle in hollows, but just enough to cover the surface with a complete coating. Be particular to work the size into all corners and crevices. The brush should not at any time be overcharged with the size. If the size is not evenly distributed over the frame, those places where it settles will simply coat over with a film, leaving the size underneath still fluid, and when the gold comes to be rubbed in with the blender, the film will quickly rub off, and the gold leaf will consequently not adhere.

If any of the oil-size has got upon the burnished parts, which in spite of all care will occur at times, it must be rubbed off with a chamois-skin and if such places are still dingy after the oil gilding, they will admit of considerable polishing with the chamois.

22.—The coat of oil-size must now be allowed to dry. The time required for this purpose depends altogether upon the drying quality of the size. It is generally made to dry in about ten hours and to retain its tacky surface for several days. It is well to allow it to stand for, at least, from twenty to twenty-four hours; particularly in the winter time, as the more thoroughly dry it is, the brighter will the gilding appear when completed.

When this coating of oil-size has dried sufficiently, it will be ready to have the leaf applied. The leaf, as it is applied, is pressed down gently with a pad of cotton batting. When the frame has been completely covered, take a soft fitch blender and with it distribute the gold thoroughly into corners and depressions. Be careful not to rub too hard, or the gold will be either rubbed off or assume a greasy appearance. If this be all properly done, the gold will have almost as bright and polished an appearance as if it had been burnished.

23.—After dusting the frame well, to remove as much of the dust and particles of leaf as possible, proceed to give these portions only of the frame which have been gilded in oil a coat of finishing-size, which is prepared in the following manner:

Take one part of the melted gelatine or glue, as already prepared, and add to it four parts of water. Now, with a camel’s hair brush, apply this finishing size, hot, or nearly so, very sparingly, but very thoroughly. This finishing size may be colored, if desired, so as to deepen the shade of gold; using for that purpose, dragon’s blood, gum gamboge or aniline yellow. Only one coat of this size should be applied. This finishing-size serves to give a uniform appearance to the gold, slightly matting the metallic lustre of it, and having the effect also to absorb and remove the loose gold dust and particles still remaining. It also protects the surface from becoming dingy from smoke or other impurities which frequently prevail in rooms.

24.—If it should be desired to render the appearance of the gold still duller or more matted, a very thin coat of the ormolu, which is hereinafter described, should be applied instead of the finishing-size. The more matted the appearance of the surrounding gold, the brighter and more lustrous will be the burnished part. This is altogether a matter of taste and fashion, sometimes a preference for one effect and sometimes for another, prevailing with the public.

25.—Before the application of the finishing size, any imperfectly covered places must be regilded, using for a size the Japan gold size. This size sets in about an hour, and for that reason is preferable to the ordinary oil-size. The places to be regilt should be first gone over with shellac varnish. Whenever gold is to be regilt, it must be gone over with shellac, as otherwise it will have a greasy appearance.

26.—Old frames that are to be regilt, should be first washed clean and free from dirt, and then be given a coat of shellac before the oil-size is applied. Where any burnish has been, it must, of course, be washed off before the reburnishing can be done.

Some gilders use shellac varnish in place of the clear size, to size the frame for the oil gilding. It works well enough on the composition parts, but on the flats and hollows it dries so rapidly that it leaves ridges and inequalities to such an extent that the smoothness of the work is spoiled. For quick work, however, and by using the shellac very sparingly and giving two coats of it, very good results are to be had.

27.—Flats are generally matted. Occupying, as they do, a prominent and conspicuous position, being next to the picture which is to occupy the frame, they require to be very perfectly done, and they are therefore done in _water-gilt_, and subsequently matted with a coat and sometimes with two of ormolu. The flat to be matted is proceeded with as follows:

After all imperfections have been removed, it must be rubbed smooth with very fine sand paper and polished with a moist rag. Three coats of burnish-size are then applied very evenly and smoothly to it, avoiding all marks of the brush where possible; or two coats of yellow clay, prepared in the same manner as the burnish-size, and afterwards two coats of burnish-size, are given. When the final coat is sufficiently dry, the flat must be polished with a piece of coarse paper, or it may even be burnished, when time is no object. If the inside edge should be intended to be burnished after being laid in gold, that part must not be polished, nor receive the coat of very thin glue water, which is to be applied after the polishing process to all that part which is to be matted. This coat of glue water must be applied very evenly and freely to the flat, avoiding bubbles if possible. When dry, the flat is all laid in gold in the same manner as proceeded with when laying the gold for the burnish work.

28.—The best plan to lay a perfect flat is to double-gild it, which consists in simply laying on another coat of gold after the first has dried. The first coat when dry, as well as the second, must be rubbed smooth with a wad of cotton batting. Care must be exercised during this process, in order to avoid, as much as possible, disturbing the lay. To lay a second coat over the first, the gin-water must be washed over at once, so as to avoid washing up the gold leaf.

29.—After the gold has been rubbed smooth with the cotton, a coat of ormolu must be applied to the unburnished part, to impart to it the matted appearance required. The ormolu should be applied warm and by means of a camel’s hair brush, and the application must be very nicely and carefully done.

30.—The following is the manner in which the ormolu is prepared:

Take a teaspoonful of either the tincture of gum benzoin or of white shellac varnish, and mix it in a cup with about twice or three times its bulk of the highest proof alcohol. Now have ready a hot solution of glue or of gelatine, of about the same strength as that of the finishing size. The quantity should be about one-half a teacupful. This must be poured quickly and all at once into the solution of the gum benzoin or of shellac, and the result will be a perfect emulsion of the gum, which will be of a milky white appearance. This, of course, should be strained, and is to be applied as already described. If the first coat should appear spotty and streaky, a second one will be necessary. In applying either the finishing size or the ormolu, it is well to have a lump of alum convenient, to which, from time to time, the brush may be applied. This will, in the case of either, cause it to go on in a better manner and to lay more evenly.

The ormolu, as prepared by the above method, will keep for any length of time. It may also be slightly colored, if it be desired to give the gold a deeper tinge.

31.—The frame will now be about finished, as far as the gilding is concerned. The sections must now be returned to their respective places and securely nailed together.

The outside edge of the frame, if it has been burnished, will require no further preparation, but if it has been gilded in oil, or if it has simply been laid in water, it should have a coat of white spirit varnish applied with a camel’s hair brush. This coating of varnish will render the layer of leaf sufficiently hard to be handled without injury to it.

32.—When the edge has not been gilded at all, it is the practice to give it two coats of yellow ochre, mixed about as strong as those of the pipe clay and applied with a bristle brush. The yellow ochre should be strained before being applied.

33.—Before anything has been done to the frame, and after the sections have been taken apart, it is well to protect the outside corners with pieces of wood securely fastened to the back. This will prevent them from being injured while being gilded. Gilders generally suspend a frame when not being worked upon, to some projection, to keep it out of the way of injury; but, with the corners protected, it may be stood anywhere with safety.

34.—In the foregoing description of the process of gilding, the burnished part has been described as being done before the oil gilding. The oil gilding may, however, be done first and the burnishing afterwards. This manner of proceeding is generally practiced in Europe, but not so much in this country.

However, when much burnishing is to be done, this method is recommended. All those parts of the frame which are to be oil gilded must be coated with the oil gold-size; and wherever this size has got upon places to be burnished, it must be scrupulously wiped off. Then, after the size has set and before it has been gilded, all these parts which are to be burnished must be gone over with a coat or two of pipe clay, to which has been added an extra quantity of ox-gall, in order to cause these coats to lay perfectly over any spots which the oil-size may have touched. Then apply the burnish-size, as previously described. When burnishing, be very careful not to touch with the burnisher those parts which have been oil gilded, and do not burnish too close to them.

35.—Sanded work is used very much in combination with composition on picture-frames. The sand, or crushed quartz, is made to adhere by means of glue. Such sanded work must have a very thorough coating of Paris white before being gilded.

36.—Plain wood, where the grain is to be shown after being gilt, must be well treated with shellac before having the size applied.

THE BRONZING PROCESS.

I.

The implements and materials required for the bronzing process are the same as those required for gilding, with the exception of the gold leaf, the cushion knife and tips; and with the addition of the BRONZE POWDERS of the necessary colors, and of COPAL VARNISH. These may be obtained from any dealer in art materials; but, of course, those of the best quality only should be used.

II.

1.—The frame which is to be bronzed must be proceeded with in the same manner as described in the gilding process. That is to say, all imperfections must be first remedied and the frame put in perfect order.

2.—Two coats of pipe clay are then to be applied to all of the composition work, using a bristle brush for that purpose. The pipe clay is to be prepared as already described for the gilding process.

3.—Two coats of burnish-size must next be applied all over the frame, using a bristle brush instead of a camel’s hair brush on the composition parts. For the smooth parts of the frame, a camel’s hair brush may be used, as a more even surface may be obtained in that way. The burnish-size should be applied very sparingly, so as not to clog up the ornamental parts of the frame. After having given the frame two thorough coats of the burnish-size, a third and final coat of the same size must be applied. To this final coat, before being applied, should be added a small quantity of powdered lamp black. The addition of the lamp black is not absolutely necessary, however, as the object for which it is used is simply to give a darker appearance to the final coat, which, in the crevices and hollows, when the whole work receives the varnish coat, then assumes that antique appearance. The lamp black rather impairs the burnishing quality of the size, though not to any serious extent.

4.—After the final coat has been applied, put some of the bronze powder which is to be used into a small saucer. A very little bronze powder will go a great way. In another saucer, pour a weak solution of gelatine or of gum arabic. This must be just sufficiently strong to hold the bronze powder on the frame. The usual way of proceeding, in order to apply the bronze powder, is to dip the fingers first into the gelatine or gum arabic, and then into the bronze powder, and proceed to rub it on to the work to be bronzed. It may be applied with a bristle brush, and, where the powder is to be inserted into cracks and crevices, it must be so applied. The object of using the fingers is, that with them a smoother and thinner coat can be obtained; and the smoother and thinner the coat, the better will it burnish.

5.—When the frame has been completely covered and the coating is sufficiently dry, all the flat and smooth parts of the frame, and all those parts of the composition work also which are in relief, must be completely burnished. This part of the work requires a great deal of patience and time; but one is fully repaid for the labor bestowed, in the brilliancy of the work when done.

6.—After the frame has been burnished sufficiently, a thin coat of copal varnish is to be given all over it. The varnish is intended to protect the bronze from tarnishing through contact with the air, as well as from any moisture which might accidentally get on the frame, and which, of course, would remove the film of bronze.

=Transcriber’s Notes=

● Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. ● Typographical errors were silently corrected. ● Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book. ● Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).