Gilding with gold leaf. Gilding with gold leaf and potal. What is gold leaf

Gold is a unique material that nature gave to man. Gold is both a mineral, an element and a noble metal.

Gilding or gilding, silvering - application of a thin layer of gold or silver (from fractions of microns to several microns) on an object for decorative, protective or protective and decorative purposes.

Gilding techniques

Fire gilding or mercury gilding

It is considered the most ancient technique of gilding. In Russia, this method was called burnt gold. It has been widely used in Russia since the 9th century. The method is the calcination of high-grade gold (amalgam) dissolved in mercury until the mercury is completely evaporated. This method allows the gold to bond firmly to the metal being coated. Usually such gilding lasts more than 100 years.

This technology was widely used in architecture, the method was used for outdoor gilding - gilding of domes, fountains, bridges and balcony railings. The most famous: the gilding of the domes of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg (1838-1841) and the spire of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg were fire-gilded in 1735 and 1744.

Another of the areas of use of fire gilding was the eponymous technique of icon painting on metal. One of the most famous monuments of this technique is the Golden Gates of the Nativity Cathedral in Suzdal.

Gilding in this way gives high corrosion resistance, but at the same time it has a very high toxicity.

Gilding, oil-based silvering

Also on mordan, on mixtien, on tack - it is used for gilding and silvering of metal surfaces (cast-iron and forged fences, domes, lead figures), plaster and stone surfaces, as well as for interior gilding. Today, mordan gilding is the most widely used method. It is used both in interior and exterior works. Gilding in a muzzle way gives the surface the effect of velvety and dullness.

Gilding on "gulfarba"

It is used on all primers on wood, canvas, glass and metal. Gulfarba is made from Mordan lacquer with an admixture of a small amount of orange krone, ground in linseed oil. The crown is mixed with the varnish as a lining for gold, so that it has a stronger and deeper tone. The place for gilding is carefully prepared so that the surface on which the gold will be applied is even and clean. Further, these places are painted over with a brush with a greasy layer of gulfarba and then dried. It is necessary to bring the drying of the gulfarba to a slight tack, then the gold will adhere well to it and will have a good shine. Gold is superimposed on gulfarba with lampemsel, which is slightly pressed over the fan with cotton wool. It is polished not with agate, like gilding on polyment, but by slightly pressing “tamping” and rubbing cotton wool with a swab.

Gilding, silvering on a clay basis

Also on polyment - it is used for gilding and silvering wooden surfaces (icons, frames) and only for interior gilding. This is the most time-consuming, lengthy and expensive type of gilding at all its stages. It is used only by highly qualified craftsmen. Polyment gilding is used in the decoration and restoration of furniture, paintings, other interior items, as well as complex moldings. This method is widespread in icon painting. Polyment is made up of burnt sienna, ocher and mummy diluted in water and ground. The dried mixture was soaked before gilding and diluted on stewed egg white. From the end of the 16th century with this composition, gesso (ground) was covered under gilding. In the 17th century polymer was prepared from red clay - bolus, soap, wax, whale oil and egg white. In order for the polyment to have a strong red-brown tone, they are painted over in one place two or three times. After drying, when the polymer becomes matte, it is washed with a clean cloth so that the polymer preparation becomes clean, even and shiny. Then the place on which gold or silver will be applied is moistened with a brush with forty-degree vodka, half diluted with water. Gilding on polyment gives the greatest artistic effect: the gilded surface has the brilliance of real cast gold with a glossy effect.

Water-synthetic gilding

Gilding with water-based products. It is used for gilding and silvering wooden, plaster, metal, polyurethane and stone surfaces, mainly for interior gilding. Using the materials of this system, you can quickly get the necessary “tack off”, and, if necessary, restore it with the help of a special activator. The surface after the application of synthetic materials acquires an excellent glossy finish, without requiring additional polishing with teeth.

"Garlic" gilding

One of the ancient Russian methods of gilding is called "garlic". Juice is obtained mechanically from fresh garlic cloves. For the convenience of applying gold to it, the juice can be diluted with distilled water. The juice is applied with a soft brush on the prepared surface in an even layer, when it dries, it is polished. The dried and polished layer is moistened with breath until tack appears. Then the gold leaf is transferred to the surface and pressed with a swab. The surface with such gilding acquires an unusual luster.

Materials for gilding

Gold leaf

Gold and silver leaf (leaf) - the thinnest sheets of pure gold, silver (about 0.1-0.25 microns) glued onto the product for decorative purposes. The use of gold leaf, silver is the only practical method of gilding and silvering various objects, especially large-scale objects like domes or statues. With the development of architecture and art, craftsmen have always used gold leaf as a special kind of decor. and furniture with gold leaf, silver, was used by gilders in the design of imperial palaces and mansions. This method remains popular today as it puts the master in complete control of the gilding process. Gilding with gold leaf has been an integral part of icon painting throughout its centuries-old existence. Starting from the first icons, the craftsmen used all the basic techniques of gilding. Wall painting in churches was combined with gilding; gilding and furniture painting, gilding and stucco painting were also used in the houses of the aristocracy. The gloss of the surface, its durability, as well as the gilding procedure itself and the set of materials depend on the chosen technique for applying gold leaf, silver. However, any method of gilding requires great skill in performing each operation. Skillful details are born after the meticulous work of a master gilder and can last for decades.

To make 100 grams of gold leaf, you need to melt more than 200g. gold, the yield of a pure product is only 45%. The cost of this material is very high. That is why the use of gold leaf and silver is often impractical. Moreover, instead of this expensive material, you can use its imitation - gold leaf.

potal

Potal is a material that imitates gold leaf, silver, but does not contain precious metals in its composition. Potal - a foil made from an alloy of metals, namely copper and zinc (gold color) or zinc, cupronickel, nickel silver with aluminum (silver color), imitates real gold and silver leaf, also looks expensive and spectacular. The main colors of sweat are gold, silver, copper and bronze. Gold comes in three shades: #2, #2.5, #3. There are also various oxides of sweat: gold, silver, copper and bronze. Potal is used to decorate both the room itself and elements of furniture and decor. Gilding and silvering with gold leaf are used by Italians when decorating furniture. When decorating stucco, gilding with potal is used, in combination with painting and patination of stucco.

Gilding with crafted gold

Gilding with crafted gold is often found on small antique items, especially murals. This method is necessary for the restoration of miniatures of a crushed drawing; it is widely used in icon painting. Gilders perform gold plating with artificial gold on polyment, but the operations are somewhat different from conventional glue gilding. Before polymerization, a solution is prepared on gelatin glue. And on the surface covered with polyment, bronze powder is applied in the color of gold and allowed to dry. Then, using a squirrel brush, cover the surface with a mixture of gum arabic and gold powder. Objects treated in this way acquire a soft, delicate surface, shining with gold.

Bronzing

Bronzing a part means coating the surface with a special metal powder - bronze powder. This solution is often carried out in a muzzle way, as well as with the help of other varnishes. When the necessary “tack” appears during the work, bronze powder is applied with a soft brush, which adheres well to the sticky surface.

Liquid metal

Liquid metals are becoming more and more popular in today's market due to the high quality coatings they provide to projects. This is a fundamentally new technology for coating any solid surface with natural metal. Liquid metal is a hard metal coating that is 95% metal powder. Metal powder and polymer binder are combined during a chemical reaction to produce a metal composite, a cold liquid metal. After curing, the product has all the characteristics of a cast metal part, including texture, gloss, thermal conductivity, magnetic properties, aging and oxidation effects.

Gilding, silvering, today this service is one of the most demanded, and this applies not only to plaster moldings and furniture, but also to many other things that surround us.

Modern gilding or silver plating is a technological and labor-intensive process that is constantly being improved to achieve the best result. The process requires professional skills of specialists, since the technology is very complex and consists of several complex stages. There are practically no mistakes made here, because the materials used in the work are very expensive and require an impeccable result the first time.

The cost of each order is agreed individually with the client after the product is measured and the complexity of the coating is determined.

/ Technology of gilding with gold leaf using oil-based products (for mordan, for mixtien)

Technology of gilding with gold leaf using oil-based products (for mordan, for mixtien)

The surface gilded in this way has the appearance of polished metallic gold. The main advantage of oil gilding is its exceptional resistance to moisture, due to which this method is actively used in outdoor gilding, for example, for gilding domes.

Which mordan (mixtien) to choose?

There are 3 types of oil-based gilding products:

LEFRANCE gilding agent 12 hours
LEFRANCE gilding agent 3 hours
gilding agent ROLCO (USA) 1-1.5 hours

The indicated time is the time that must elapse between the application of the product and the application of the gold. This time may vary depending on climatic conditions. For example, in dry climates, you can apply gold 1 or 2 hours earlier than the time indicated on the product.

The imposition of the gold leaf can also be done an hour later than the time indicated on the gilding agent.

LEFRANCE gilding agent 12 hours suitable mainly for large surfaces, for outdoor work, in dry climates and in places where the concentration of dust is not very high.

The result obtained with the 12-hour gold-plating agent will be better than the 3-hour gold-plating agent (shine and depth). The stability of the gilding agent for 12 hours will also be higher.

Means for gilding ROLCO 1-1.5 hours and LEFRANC 3 hours used mainly for smaller surfaces, for interior work and when circumstances do not allow the use of a 12 hour gilding agent (humid climate and high concentration of dust).

Never burnish agate on a gold leaf that has been applied with a gilding agent. The lacquer remains elastic and the stone can tear the gold leaf.

Materials and tools:

Gold leaf in sheets or gold leaf
Gilder's knife
Gilder's pillow
Lampenzel (Paw) - flat squirrel brush
Mordan brush
Cotton swab for polishing and smoothing gold
Levkas
Shellac
Dye
Top coat (if needed)

Gilding technique:

Before applying gold, it is necessary to prepare the surface well. Good preparation is the key to excellent and high-quality gilding.

PREPARATION:

absorbent surfaces(wood, plaster, papier-mâché):

1. Levkas. On absorbent surfaces, it is recommended to use levkas when preparing the surface.

It is good to use automotive primers when gilding with gold leaf (imitation of gold leaf). gold leaf gilding is not very expensive work and it is most often not profitable to use labor-intensive preparatory work because of the duration of their implementation.

2. Paint. A layer of paint, for example, acrylic, is applied to a carefully prepared Levkas. After drying, the paint is polished.

3. Shellac. Several layers of an alcohol solution of shellac (“polish”) are applied to the paint, approximately in a ratio of ten parts of alcohol to three parts of shellac. Alcohol must be at least 96%, otherwise the solution will be cloudy and, when applied to the surface, will strongly matte the surface. Each layer is also sanded with micron sandpaper.

4. Mordan. After drying the last layer of varnish, the surface is covered with muzzle.

With a normally dried varnish, a fragment of a leaf of gold is firmly and tightly glued, has a good shine, and does not come off with strong rubbing with a swab. With insufficiently dried "greasy" glue, gold is washed out - "sinks", or its surface becomes matte, but not evenly matte, but in spots. If gold "baths" i.e. "floats" it is necessary to wait with the overlay of gold, because. The adhesive has not yet reached working tack. If the glue is dry, then the gold does not stick, it comes off. In this case, the gilding should be suspended and, after the final drying of the mordan, the gilded surface should be covered again with glue.

Non-absorbent surfaces (metal): liquid can be applied immediately.

GOLD APPLICATION:

Gently transfer the sheet of gold from the book to a special pillow, to do this, carefully turn the open book onto the pillow and wait until the sheet of gold under its own weight "falls over" onto the pillow. IMPORTANT: in no case do not take gold with your hands, it will immediately break. Gilding work should be carried out indoors without drafts, the gold will fly away from the slightest breath.
Prepare a paw (lampemzel): rub a small drop of cream on the back of your hand (you can use petroleum jelly), then go over the oiled area with the entire plane of the paw, as if wiping off the oil, while making sure that there is not a lot of cream.
Gently place the foot on the sheet of gold, the gold should stick to the foot.
Take the foot with the sheet of gold and calmly lower it onto the golden surface, when the gold moves to the adhesive surface, remove the foot and rub the gold with a cotton swab. IMPORTANT: the cotton swab should not go on the glued surface, otherwise pieces of cotton wool may remain on the glued surface, and it will be impossible to remove them without breaking the adhesive layer. Gold is applied to the adhesive surface with an overlap of approximately 1-2 mm. It is necessary to grind gold in the opposite direction of applying sheets of gold. After you have gilded the entire surface, the resulting cracks, gaps, under-gilded places "flicker", i.e. gild again, for which the intended areas are smeared with a well-wrung out (semi-dry) cotton swab moistened with muzzle, and when a tack appears, they are gilded.
After drying, the gilded surface is treated with a topcoat (potal is a must, gold is only if the gilding is often touched by hands (for example, on furniture, a frame, etc.) in other cases it is not recommended, because the shine will fade) . As a topcoat, you can use "Polish" or a regular topcoat.

Restoration of cultural heritage sites is a rather complicated process that requires highly qualified craftsmen who carry out the work. Coming into contact with history, and recreating its lost fragments, it is important to make it the way it was in the original. Do not spoil anything and do not make your own adjustments to bygone eras. Together with all the complexity, restoration, among other things, is a very interesting process that combines many directions. Today we will talk about gilding, in particular about leaf gilding.

What is gold leaf and the benefits of using it.

Gold leaf is the thinnest sheets of gold of the highest standard applied to the surface of restored or decorated items. This type of gilding is very popular in the restoration and restoration of interiors and exteriors. The classic and noble technique of gilding with tinsel was invented a long time ago. To be precise - 1700 years ago. Nowadays, this technology has been somewhat modified, but has not lost its popularity and is widely used in interior decoration and restoration of antique items. This method of restoration and decoration is quite expensive, because real precious metal is used for gilding.

What is gold leaf made from?

Thin sheets of tinsel are made from gold of the highest standard. Depending on the application and to give the necessary properties and shade, various metals can be added to gold leaf: silver, aluminum, copper and others. The shade of gold leaf is chosen depending on the ideas of the restorers and the wishes of the customer. For example, an alloy with copper is used to give a red tint. To get a greenish tint, an alloy with silver is used.

The main advantages of using leaf gilding:

real gold is used;
gives the product or interior an expensive and unusual appearance;
does not oxidize;
does not fade;
does not lose its properties over the years.

Original and "gold substitute"

Depending on the cost and the quality achieved, 2 main types of gilding are used:

Expensive and high quality:

Gold leaf - gold of the 96th test is made by forging and fits into books of 10 and 60 sheets. The sheets are very thin and measured in microns, so gold leaf is distinguished by the weight of the book. It requires careful and correct surface treatment and extensive experience of the gilder-restorer.

2. Cheap and cheerful:

Potal (hype) - metal foil or a substitute for gold leaf. It is made from inexpensive metals, so it is cheap. One sheet of hype is several times thicker than the original gold leaf. This simplifies the work of the gilder and does not require his high qualification. Books of 25-30 sheets.

Technologies for applying gold leaf in restoration.

Depending on the material of the treated surface and its location (interior / exterior), three main methods of gilding are used:

oil,
adhesive,
Polyment.

Oil gilding. It is used for the restoration and restoration of objects subject to atmospheric influence. These are church domes, lattices, fences, roofing. Material requirements: metal, plaster, papier-mâché, wood, glass, porcelain.

Oil gilding technology:

First of all, the drawing is cleaned and the surface is prepared by filling defects in the form of depressions, cracks, cracks and scratches. After thorough drying, clean the putty. Further, depending on the granularity and porosity of the surface, several layers of soil are applied, at least three layers. The ground can be tinted with different colors to give the desired shade of gilding. When the soil is dry, it is treated with sandpaper and the drawing is cleaned. The next step is 6 to 10 coats of polish, with sanding after every 2 or 3 coats. This is followed by polishing the surface to a shine and coating with oil varnish. The last stage is the coating with gold leaf or gold leaf of the restored surface.

The use of oil gilding technology allows you to get different types of gilding - matte, matte velvety, grainy and glossy gilding.

Adhesive gilding. It is used in the restoration of interiors and interior items, mainly for gilding wooden products. Glue gilding is also used for the restoration of gypsum, papier-mâché.

Adhesive gilding technology:

By analogy with oil gilding, the surface is first prepared and the pattern of the ornament is cleaned, filling large depressions, crevices, cracks, and scratches with putty. Further, on the dried surface, the putty is cleaned and the skin glue is applied to it. After - cover with gesso - a mixture consisting of glue and chalk. Approximately 9 layers are applied with intermediate grinding and ornament clearing. The last layer is treated with fine sandpaper and polished. Places of gilding are moistened with vodka or alcohol, diluted to about 25 degrees, and sheets of gold leaf are carefully applied. The dried surface is carefully swept over with a soft brush, removing excess. When using the glue gilding technology, gold becomes matte. However, using other adhesives, gloss can also be obtained.

Polymer gilding. Used for the restoration of interior items. This method is several times more expensive than the previous ones, as it requires additional surface treatment and gold polishing. However, the resulting gilding effect is superior to all others as the gold is polished. Polyment is a specially prepared composition, the main component of which is a fine-grained fatty clay of dark red color (bolus).

Technology of polymer gilding:

It repeats the technology of glue gilding up to the stage of applying gesso from the grinding of layers, then there are changes. The last layer is treated with fine sandpaper and the prepared polymer mixed with egg white is applied (5-b layers). After complete drying, the polymer is polished with a bristle brush or cloth. Further, as in glue gilding, the places where gold is applied are moistened with vodka or alcohol diluted to about 25 degrees and leaves of gold are carefully applied. After the surface has dried out a little, gold is polished with an agate tooth or a stone of similar properties, after which the gold begins to shine.

The task of the restorers.

As we can see, there are several technologies for gilding restoration, and their choice is determined by many factors. However, the achieved effect depends not so much on the master's knowledge of technologies, but on the experience of performing such work and qualifications. Our restorers have restored a large number of products and premises that required the restoration of gilding, including ancient objects from various historical eras.

There are many gilding effects that can be obtained: matte, with the effect of aging, glossy, gilding in various shades. Our restorers will accurately reproduce the gilding effect used to create the item. Therefore, the gilding will look the same as in the original.

The task of our restorers is not only to recreate the lost gilding, but also to make the traces of restoration invisible. The task is not easy. An inaccurately applied coating worsens the appearance of the product, and it is sometimes almost impossible to correct something that has been done incorrectly. Therefore, it is important to entrust the restoration of gilding of interiors/exteriors only to experienced and qualified craftsmen.

Materials and tools:

Gold leaf in sheets or gold leaf

Gilder's knife

Gilder's pillow

Lampemsel (foot) - flat squirrel brush

Mordan brush

Cotton swab for polishing and smoothing gold

Top coat (if needed)

GOLDING TECHNOLOGY

Before applying gold, it is necessary to prepare the surface well. Good preparation is the key to high-quality gilding.

PREPARATION:

BUT. Absorbent surfaces (wood, plaster, papier-mâché):

1. Levkas. On absorbent surfaces, it is recommended to use gesso to prepare the surface. It is good to use car primers when gilding with gold leaf (imitation of gold leaf), since gilding with gold leaf is not a very expensive job, and it is most often not profitable to use labor-intensive preparatory work because of the duration of their implementation.

2. Dye. A layer of paint is applied to a carefully prepared gesso - for example, acrylic. After drying, the paint is polished.

4. Mordan. After drying the last layer of varnish, the surface is covered with muzzle. With a normally dried varnish, a fragment of a leaf of gold is firmly and tightly glued, has a good shine, and does not come off with strong rubbing with a swab. With insufficiently dried "greasy" glue, gold is washed out - "sinks", or its surface becomes matte, but not evenly matte, but in spots. If the gold is "bathing" (i.e. "floating"), it is necessary to wait with the overlay of gold, because. The adhesive has not yet reached working tack. If the glue is dry, then the gold does not stick, it comes off. In this case, the gilding should be suspended, and after the final drying of the mordan, cover the gilded surface again with glue.

B. On non-absorbent surfaces (metal) the adhesive liquid can be applied immediately.

GOLD APPLICATION:

1. Gently transfer the sheet of gold from the book to a special pillow. To do this, carefully turn the open book over onto the pillow and wait until the sheet of gold under its own weight "falls over" onto the pillow. IMPORTANT: in no case do not take gold with your hands, it will immediately break. Gilding work should be carried out indoors without drafts, the gold will fly away from the slightest breath.

2. Prepare a paw (lampemzel): rub a small drop of cream on the back of your hand (you can use petroleum jelly), then go over the place smeared with oil with the entire plane of the paw, as if wiping off the oil, while making sure that there is not a lot of cream.

3. Gently place the foot on the sheet of gold, the gold should stick to the foot.

4. Take the foot with the sheet of gold and calmly lower it onto the golden surface. When the gold has moved to the adhesive surface, remove the foot and rub the gold with a cotton swab. IMPORTANT: the cotton swab should not go on the glued surface, otherwise pieces of cotton wool may remain on the glued surface, and it will be impossible to remove them without breaking the adhesive layer. Gold is overlapped on the adhesive surface by about 1-2 mm. It is necessary to grind gold in opposition to the imposition of sheets of gold. After you have gilded the entire surface, the resulting cracks, gaps, under-gilded places "flicker", i.e. gild again, for which the intended areas are smeared with a well-wrung out (semi-dry) cotton swab moistened with muzzle, and when a tack appears, they are gilded.

5. After drying, the gilded surface is treated with a topcoat (potal is a must, gold is only if the gilding is often touched by hands (for example, on furniture, a frame, etc.), in other cases it is not recommended, because shine fades). As a top coat, you can use a regular top coat.

GILDING ON METAL ON OIL VARNISH MA-594

BUT. Preparatory work

1.1. During the production of work in atmospheric conditions (gilding of domes, roofs and other details) it is necessary to arrange special shelters - booths or tents to protect the golden surface from dust, dirt, rain and wind.

Shelter is constructed from plywood, nailed to wooden frame bars, which are reinforced on scaffolding racks.

If the woods are metal, then the bars are attached with special clamps. With small areas of gilding, a plywood tent can be replaced with a shelter made of tarpaulin or other material.

For lighting, windows are cut through the plywood sheathing of the tent.

All cracks in the tent must be sealed to prevent drafts.

The design of the shelter is developed in relation to a specific object.

1.2. Before proceeding with the preparation of the surface for gilding, it is necessary to clean it from corrosion, check the condition of the structures, and carry out all plumbing and roofing repairs.

1.3. When removing old gilding, made hot ("through fire") or galvanized, attention should be paid (especially at the joints of sheathing sheets) to the quality of cleaning so that there are no gaps.

1.4. The gilding is removed by hand. The surface is treated with a waterproof sandpaper, periodically wetting it with water. In places where it is not possible to remove the canvas with sandpaper, steel scrapers are used.

1.5. The cleaned surface is cleaned with a waterproof sandpaper (medium grain), washed with a clean

water, wipe with a clean cloth and degrease with white spirit.

B. Priming and puttying

1.6. A primer of red lead and YAN-54 varnish is applied to the cleaned surface in a ratio of 1:1. Red lead is mixed with varnish and filtered through a No. 3600 sieve before use.

The primer is applied 2-3 times with a thin layer with a soft bristle brush with intermediate drying of each layer. Dry each layer of soil for at least 24 hours at an air temperature of at least plus 14-16°C.

1.7. Before applying the next layer of primer, the dried surface is polished with a water-resistant sandpaper of medium grain. The polished surface is washed with warm water and wiped with a rag.

1.8. Putty is prepared from YAN-54 varnish and red lead.

1.9. After drying the first layer of soil, the surface is puttied as necessary from one to three times. Putty is applied with a layer no thicker than 0.5 mm.

Putty only seams, cracks, potholes. If the seams are deep, then they should first be sealed with tow impregnated with minium lead on YAN-54 varnish.

1.10. Dry each layer of putty for at least a day. After drying the last layer, the putty is cleaned with pumice stone and sandpaper to an absolutely smooth surface. At the end of puttying, a second layer of soil is applied.

B. Paint application and varnishing

1.11. The primed and dried surface is sanded with a waterproof sandpaper, washed with water, dried and covered with finely grated lead crown diluted on YAN-54 face or YAN-153 (YAK-1) amber varnish. The crown is filtered through a No. 3600 sieve.

Due to the fact that crown has a greenish-yellow tint, it should be mixed with red lead. This combination gives a pleasant warm tone. The paint layer of the crown diluted on YAN-54 varnish is dried for at least two days, and on YAN-153 varnish for at least five days.

1.12. Before applying the first layer of varnish, the surface is ground with pumice powder and felt and wiped with white spirit in order to improve adhesion, followed by a varnish coating.

1.13. Oil varnish YAN-54, YAN-153 or GF-166 is applied twice in thin even layers without streaks.

Lacquer YAN-153 is diluted with white spirit or purified turpentine by 20-25% before use, so as not to get a thick film.

After drying the first layer of varnish, the surface is polished with pumice or tripolite powder, sifted through a No. 3600 sieve. Polished on felt or felt with water.

The polished surface is washed with clean water, wiped with a rag and covered with a second layer of oil varnish.

1.14. Each layer of YAN-153 varnish is dried for at least 5 days; the first layer of varnish GF-166 - not less than 10 days, the first layer of varnish YAN-54 - not less than a day, the second - from three to five days.

If YAN-153 varnish is thick, it should be diluted with white spirit or purified turpentine by 15-20% before use so that the varnish film does not turn out to be thick.

1.15. A well-dried lacquer film is polished with pumice stone and soapy water. With this type of grinding, the surface is perfectly leveled, but acquires texture, which subsequently enhances the matte effect of gilding.

To obtain glossy (“poler”) gilding, the matte glossy surface is again varnished and not polished with pumice, but polished to a shine with tripoli.

1.16. Before applying MA-594 varnish, remove dust from the surface (wipe with a rag). The varnish is applied with a brush in an even layer and rubbed with a cotton swab to a thin layer (dry). Cotton wool for each rubbing is taken clean. Waste cotton wool is poured with water in a bucket or a metal can and removed from the place of work to avoid a fire.

G. Gilding

1.17. Gilding is started 10-12 hours after coating with MA-594 varnish. This interval is determined for each individual case, depending on the air temperature and humidity in the room. Samples are placed immediately before gilding (see paragraph 4.38). Only the area that is intended for gilding during the working day is varnished MA-594.

Gold has been applied to the varnish MA-594 that has reached the working touch.

1.18. For the procedure for checking varnish and laying gold, see paragraphs. 4.35 - 4.39.

1.19. After the overlay, the gold is pressed, then polished with a cotton swab; in deep places of the relief, they are trimmed with a soft brush ("butt").

Gold is always applied overlay, the places of breaks and cracks "flicker".

1.20. Upon completion of gilding, the MA-594 lacquer must harden within 20-25 days before the gilded object (object) is put into operation. Otherwise, gold, which does not adhere well to fresh varnish, can be damaged or erased.

You can order this product in our online store.

Restoration and restoration

GILDING WITH GOLD LEAF AND POTAL

There are several methods of gilding, but the most widely used and available today is the coating of a specially prepared surface with gold leaf or potal. This gilding technique is not easy to master, but even with little experience, you can apply it with pretty good results. However, to achieve perfection in working with potal or gold leaf, a wealth of experience is required. This technique, due to the delicacy of the material (the thinnest sheets of gold leaf or gold leaf), is quite difficult, but extremely exciting.

The gilding process involves several steps that may take you days before you see the finished work, but the result of the gilding will certainly reward your patience. Especially when it comes to restoring a piece of art that you can breathe new life into. The gilding process has remained unchanged since time immemorial, with the only difference being that modern technologies have made it possible to produce gold leaf sheets not by hand, using wooden beaters, but on an industrial scale using modern high-tech equipment. Gold is increasingly being replaced by potal, which is sheets of other metals or alloys that mimic gold (for example, copper with zinc or aluminum to replace silver).

MATERIALS FOR GOLDING

Gold leaf and potal. "Leaf" comes from the word "leaf" - "face", front side, surface. Real gold leaf is obtained by beating a stack of thin gold squares laid with the inner shell of bovine intestines on a smooth granite slab with a slightly convex hammer, achieving the required thickness of individual sheets, and then “forging” between two layers of skin, which makes it very thin and easy to handle. The tone of gold will depend on the color of the background on which the sheet is located, the color of the bolus (primer). Boluses can be used in yellow, red or black. Gold leaf comes in booklets of 25 sheets 9x9 cm. Ideal for restoring and gilding wood products. Potal is an imitation of gold leaf and is made of an alloy of copper with zinc or other metals. Supplied in books of 25 sheets 14x14 cm.
Use of gold leaf and sweat.
There are various systems for working with potal or gold leaf. The easiest way for beginners is to put a special leather pillow on top of an open book, turn them over together, and then remove the book, after which a leaf of sweat or gold leaf will remain on the pillow. You can also turn the open book upside down on a leather pillow, making sure that the sheet does not fall out, and remove the book. However, this method requires some skill.
One more way. Open the book, place the knife on the middle part of the sheet, and blow softly at a slight angle so that the loose part of the leaf or gold leaf wraps around the knife, then transfer the sheet of sweat or gold leaf to the pillow. After a sheet of sweat or gold leaf lies on the pillow, you can cut it into pieces of the required size and proceed with gilding, transferring gold particles to the prepared surface with a special lampenzel brush.
Bologna lime (gypsum) is a well elutriated chalk (hydrated calcium sulfate), which is characterized by a special grain fineness, due to which it has exceptional plasticity and softness in work.
Fish glue (gelatin) is made from the swim bladder of some fish species, such as sturgeon, as well as from other fish raw materials. Gelatin is usually sold in the form of flakes, which must be soaked in water for about 24 hours before use. After softening, it is necessary to finally dissolve the glue in a water bath. Unlike other adhesives, when diluted with water, it slightly increases in volume. Gelatin is used to stick the gold leaf onto the bolus.
A bolus is a clay that specifically serves as a base for gold. On the old gilded surface, it is easy to see the base on which the gold was applied. This can be a red (red clay), yellow (natural sienna) or black bolus. Before use, the bolus is injected into a solution previously prepared in a water bath with rabbit skin glue (300 grams of bolus in 900 grams of solution), and a light, uniform texture is achieved. The bolus is applied with a soft brush (sable is ideal) with light movements.
Rabbit skin glue. This glue is obtained from the skin of a rabbit, immersed in a bath of lime water. This glue has been known since ancient times, perhaps earlier than hot bone glue. It is the ideal adhesive for delicate surface preparation. Rabbit skin glue is dissolved in water and heated in a water bath at a ratio of 1 to 10 parts of glue to 1 part of water. Glue is used hot, but it should not be brought to a boil.
Steel wool. Composed of fibers of very thin steel wire. "Steel wool" is used for polishing various surfaces (wood, plaster, metal, stone, etc.), and in many restoration finishing works. Ideal for removing hairs that form when sanding some types of wood. Mostly "steel wool" is used for very fine work of cleaning and polishing the surface to get the perfect surface for better paint adhesion. You can use "steel wool" whenever you don't want to risk scratching the surface.
brass screen. This is a thin brass mesh (thickness 0.12mm). Ideal for precise surface grinding when preparing a primer for gilding with gold leaf or gold leaf. The brass screen can also be used in the gilding restoration process, as it allows you to work on a small surface element without damaging existing gilded surfaces.
Paint for aging. It is a liquid concentrate based on extracts of bituminous resins, which gives the surface a reddish-brown coating that imitates antique wood or antique gilding. Ideal for giving an "antique" touch to gilded surfaces.

TOOLS FOR GOLDING

GOLDING TECHNIQUE

The greatest difficulty in the work of the master when gilding is depending on the timing of the work and the conditions in which he works (the air in the room should not be dusty). The surface on which the gold leaf or gold leaf will be applied must be constantly clean and degreased.

The gilding process can be divided into the following stages:

Preparation of the base (soil);
Bolus application;
Application of gold leaf (sweat);
Polishing (finishing);

Ground preparation with Bolognese gypsum

Soil preparation must be thorough, with strict adherence to technology. The success of gilding and the result of the work will depend on this.

We begin the preparation of the primer for gilding with the preparation of glue from the skin of a rabbit. We take 100 grams of rabbit skin glue and add it to a bath with one liter of warm water. Glue with water should be allowed to stand for 12 hours to allow the glue to absorb water, after which it is necessary to heat the solution in a water bath and, stirring, to achieve complete dissolution of the glue. After that, it is recommended to filter the resulting solution. Thus, we get the basis for the ground for gilding. After 2 hours, we introduce 350 grams of Bolognese gypsum into the solution, mix thoroughly, and apply it hot on a dry surface, cleaned of dust. After we have completely covered the surface intended for gilding, we apply the second layer (if necessary, up to 5-6 layers of primer can be applied), each time making sure that the applied solution is hot enough.

Each layer must be treated with coarse sandpaper (120-180) to remove any imperfections on the surface. And, finally, when we get a sufficient layer of primer for gilding, the latter, after rough processing, must be polished. In an effort to restore the accuracy of edges and grooves, as well as to give jewelry a perfect look, scraper sets are used so that it is possible to select a scraper as closely as possible in shape adapted to the surface to be treated. Ideally, the craftsman needs to have scrapers of all types and shapes to prepare the surface for gilding.

After completing the coarse carving, it is necessary to sand all surfaces again, each time using finer and finer grit sandpaper (280, 320, 400, etc.). At the finishing stage, "steel wool" is used to obtain a perfectly smooth surface, "ivory" quality. A brass mesh screen is used to protect elements adjacent to the treated area. The purpose of this preparation of the primer for gilding is to isolate the sheet of gold leaf or gold leaf from the wood, as well as to obtain an absolutely smooth surface of ivory quality in order to obtain a perfect result during the laying of the gold leaf.

Now we come to the delivery of the bolus.

Bolus administration

Dissolve the 300 gram bolus in 900 ml of water and mix thoroughly, ensuring that the mixture has a uniform texture without lumps or inclusions, and is not too watery. The bolus, as well as the primer of Bolognese lime, is applied hot with a fairly thick brush, making sure that the brush does not leave streaks. We recommend using a squirrel or sable brush to apply the bolus. If you have diluted the bolus in the correct proportion, after applying the first coat you should be able to see the white color of the primer through the bolus layer.

After 4 hours, you can apply a second bolus coat, being careful not to get too thick of a coat, as this can adversely affect the surface quality during the burn-in process of sweat or gold leaf. Particular care must be taken in building up bolus layers in corners and internal cavities. It usually takes a few hours for the bolus to dry completely, however this may vary depending on the season, humidity and ambient temperature of the room where you are working.

If you want to end up with a high-gloss gold finish, you should polish the surface of the bolus with agate before laying down the sweat or gold leaf to make it perfectly smooth.

Finally, all the preparatory work is completed, and you can proceed directly to the application of sweat, or gold leaf.

Application of gold leaf (sweat)

Let's start.

Carefully open the book with potal or gold leaf, transfer one leaf for gilding to a special leather pillow in one of the above ways.

Remember! Potal or gold leaf should only come into contact with a knife or a brush during work, but never with your fingers, otherwise you will simply destroy your work, since sweat particles from your fingers are detrimental to sweat and gold leaf.

Using a special steel knife, divide the sweat sheet into small pieces that are convenient for you. This will facilitate the process of transferring the gilding leaves to the surface to be gilded and the gluing of the gilding to the surface will be more accurate. The knife with which you will separate the sheet of sweat or gold leaf must be made of steel, and at the same time be sharp enough. In the place where you are going to cut the sweat leaf, you need to make a small movement back and forth. Be careful not to cut the leather pad you are working on. After the leaf has been divided into pieces, use the lampenzel brush to transfer the leaf to the surface to be gilded.

For gilding, you can use special commercially available adhesives or varnishes, or make your own gelatin-based glue. Gelatin is pre-soaked and then heated in a water bath. Hot glue is applied with a soft brush to the bolus in one pass. Before the adhesive is absorbed by the surface, use a lampenzel brush to transfer the prepared pieces of sweatshirt or gold leaf onto the surface. It's great to see how pieces of gold leaf lay on the surface, and are attracted by the electrostatic effect. Continue this operation until the entire surface is golden.

A few tips:

Support with your left hand your right hand, in which you hold the brush when applying sweat leaves;
When applying gold leaf or gold leaf to curved surfaces, make sure that the size of the stacked pieces of gold leaf or gold leaf is not too large;
When applying the bolus, make sure the paste is not too runny and allow it to dry thoroughly before applying the gold;
Avoid drafts when working;
If the sweat leaf does not stick very well to the lampensel brush, run the brush over the hair or face from time to time (there is always a thin layer of fat on the face, which will be enough to apply to the brush);
Forget about time (never work in a hurry);
Sheets of sweat or gold leaf should always be laid with an overlap of at least 2 mm (especially at the corners) to avoid tearing;
Never touch the gold surface with your fingers, even after the base is completely dry and it becomes one with the gold surface;
Any additions to missing parts or reapplying the gilding in certain places must be done after the gold surface has completely dried with the greatest care (because on an already existing dry gilded surface, the glue may leave white marks);
Never work with potal or gold leaf at night if you want the best results.

Polishing (finishing).

And now we have reached the last (but still no less exciting) stage of work: running in sweat or gold leaf using a tool based on agate stone. In the process of burnishing from the golden surface, they achieve perfect smoothness and brilliance, similar to the radiance of the sun. Also, this operation has the function of complete merging of leaflets of sweat or gold leaf with the surface on which they are laid.

When working with agate, it is necessary to make translational movements along the gilded surface in different directions with the same pressure so that when the work is completed, you will not see traces of movements. Now let's take a piece of wool and “heat up” the gilded surface with quick movements, which gives the gilding a finished and very effective look.

After work with gold leaf or gold leaf is finished, they proceed to the final stage - protecting the gilded surface from oxidation (this is especially important for surfaces where gold leaf was used instead of gold leaf) and scratches. Shellac is ideal for this, but other types of varnishes can be used.

To give the gilded surface a more realistic aged look, we recommend the use of an aging paint based on bituminous oils, which can be applied directly concentrated or diluted depending on the desired aging effect. With a brush, the paint is applied to the gilded surface, and then immediately removed with a cotton swab or swab so that the paint remains only in the depressions and inside the bends. This will allow you to get a very realistic effect of the aging of the gilded surface.