Sign in to follow this  
repodon

gold/silver leafing

Recommended Posts

and also i have found a site as well about the lighting of a sand balsted iteam not sure how this works but i am reading more and more of it thanks all

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've never done it but i think i'ts using glue/size to bond gold leaf or really thin gold sheets to a surface then brushing away the excess. I'm sure someone here knows more

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I used to goldleaf but their were so few calls for it, it wasn't worth the effort.

For glue the old, old method was beating egg whites with water to make the gold adhere. Then you can take the gel from drug capsules, dissolve some in hot water and use that for a glue.

Hobby lobby sells a spray on glue but you have no control over that.

Use your browser and punch in: How to gold-leaf and there ARE instructions out there.

BTW, its best to practice with cheap stuff first until you get it down pat.

Hobby Lobby and others offer the imitation gold, silver etc.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

thanks chop i was just reading about the gold leaf stuff and waS interested in it but thanks for letting me and every body know that there isnt a need a high demand for it thanks

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

As a decorative painter I do gilding (gold leaf) all the time.  I do it on furniture, ceilings, windows, store fronts and in reverse mirror embedding.  In fact that is what first got me to buy a plotter as with the plotter I could cut designs and then remove the silvering from the back of the mirror and inlay different colors of leafing best known as gilding.  Below are a couple of pics and if you would like I will go deeper into detail on the entire process.

In total there is over 350 sheets of composition leaf which are 5"x5" layed individually over the back of the mirror once the entire process is layed out.  I did not buy the mirror however the mirror cost the customer $600 and I spent 14 hours of my time on it and charged him $2900 for the finished piece.  I am known in Chicago for my mirrors but not so much in here in Florida as this little po-dunk area I live in is about 35 years behind the times...  I do mirrors all the time and actually invented MSR which is the chemical the removes the silvering from the back of the mirror.  Since I bought my first plotter I have just about tripled my ease of operation and it has given me a real capability to design in secret without having to hand my ideas to someone else to cut in hopes that they will not steal it from me.

post-0-12986523461778_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523462053_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523462365_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523462882_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523481284_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523481452_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523481626_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523481816_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

hey schramm that is sick you should give a brief rundown on how to do that i just got so many ideas looking at that  ;D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

kenimes and all,

Never done it like that before with vinyl as the black but insted use 1 shot paints made for sign lettering.  Very nice presentation on a how to though.  I do window glass as in the pic below and use Rolco or Wunda size, I have never gone through the trouble of mixing eggs or whatever as described in the post by CHOPS but I can tell you that there is very little known about this art form as most that do it dont talk about it.  I dont have time right at this moment as I am in the process of moving to Illinois in a couple of days from the crappy state of Florida so as you can tell by the limited time I have spent on the board.  I would be happy to explain the process with pic as soon as I get a chance so dont think that I am blowing this post off but just very very busy.  Once I do explain it chops the only thing that you will beat eggs for is an omlet.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

Ok here are some more examples of what can be done to mirror or glass as the one with Antiques with the red is simple glass which shows the ability to sign paint using the stencils that you design.  I will tell you upfront, that this is a very hard skill to master as you have to train yourself to think everything you know into a reverse way of thinking.  The last pic is the chemical that I designed that allows you to remove the silvering from the back of the mirror to clean out your design.

I will try to post more in a little bit!!!

post-0-12986523463204_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523463568_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523463817_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523464055_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523482024_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523482169_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523482328_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523482485_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice posting Schramm. Leafing is an art form as any other. Hands on is the only way to learn this as it is with airbrushing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

Chops,

I would love to shortcut some stuff but for me it never works and I play all the time trying to figure out faster ways but for me it would have to be a faster way that lasts as my customers pay for it.  Vinyl is great and though it makes a good looking sign, to me nothing beats the look of painted signs.  In compairison when they are both new they can look equally good, but as a few years passes the painted sign looks even better not to mention that you can power wash a hand painted sign.  Either way we all are going to do it our way.  I really liked the link to the tutorial on doing numbers with leaf and vinyl, but want to add a key componient to backing gold/composition leaf and that is sealing it.  Leaf needs a good base which is normally an oil size to bond but also to seal, equally important is the backing, I use one shot in either black or leather red depending on the client but vinyl will not seal it so the leaf will actually tarnish which may or may not be what the customer wants but if it is not then there would be a problem as it would happen within 3 months.

Now there are many types of leafing you have traditional gold leaf in 18 and 24K which is extreamly expensive especially with todays metal prices and they are 4"x4" squares.  What I use which is a lot more affordable is composition leaf, with compo leaf insted of it being gold you get a combonation of brass, zink and copper.  The leaf comes in 5.5" x 5.5" squares and they are extreamly thin and fragile.  Now I will also tell you this, my 8 year daughter does it so dont be afraid to try.  If you want to buy some and try the leaf go to http://www.easyleaf.com/

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Or, one can just use SignGold, if one doesn't want to take the time to learn the art of gilding. Hey, Schramm, I take it the silver removing stuff is for sale at stickystencils? I would like to try doing a mirror, or two. Thanks Mike

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

It is actually available at www.foileffects.com but the store will close on Monday afternoon and will not re-open until Sept 15th as I am in the process of moving back up to Illinois so next week will be tooooooo hectic to pack any packages but my own.  The store is able to take the order and when you check out if you pay with GOOGLE CHECKOUT I can it out to you on Monday.  I have dropped the normal price from $19.99 which is retail to $10 which is wholesale on the product.  Grab it while you can for now and when I re-open the store on the 15th it will be back to $19.99.

Just a note on the product, a little goes a LONG way!  You should be able to clean out about 100 designs in mirrors with this one 16oz bottle.  The mirror below is what an image looks like if you just clean out the image and then spray it black.

post-0-12986523525314_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986523537116_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this