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Imitation leaf on glass
I have been trying to glass guild with imitation leaf and it works fine with the water size and I use 1shot letter enamel for backing up the guild. But when I try to remove the leaf outside the enamel is it very difficult to remove and most of the time the letter enamel is destroyed removed too.
Is it the wrong enamel I’m using for backing up the guild or is it impossible to use imitation gold for glass sign guilding?
I’m a beginner and I have just tried what I have been reading on the web.
Hope you understand my bad English.
-Lars, Denmark
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10 Replies
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And by the way, I am using a wet cotton ball to remove the leaf outside the enamel.
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Hi Lars,
You can water gild with imitation leaf but I would’nt recommend it, it will tarnish and turn dark if not black in time. Gold is about the only metal that won’t tarnish. Silver also tarnishes so 12k white gold is used in it’s place for a silver or mirror look. It is half gold and half silver. If your going to do a two tone, or what we call a "boston gild", water gild as usual with real gold and back up with back up enamel on the outline only. Then use an oil size for the center and surface gild that, backing it up as well with back up enamel.
The problem you are having with the imitation leaf (otherwise known as dutch gold or composition leaf) is backing it up with lettering enamel. You need to use whats called "back up enamel". It’s a very tough oil based enamel that usually comes in a screen printing ink type of consistency. You’ll want to thin the back up enamel, or any other lettering enamels with turpentine when working on glass. Paint thinner is oil based and can cause tarnishing. Turps will not cause any tarnishing.
When cleaning the glass before gilding it has to be cleaned at least 3 times with Bon Ami soap for good adheasion and proper size flow. There are other cleaning products that will work, but only a few. It sounds like you’ve got the cleaning process covered though. Seems to me like your water size is way too strong. For imitation leaf to even stick it has to be double strength because it is so much thicker, and you where having a hard time getting it off. For real gold use 2 capsuls per pint of distilled water, or if your using gelatin diamonds, 4 diamonds per pint of distilled water. for imitation leaf double this.
Hope this helps,
Jerry -
Oh yea,
The cotton ball is good. You can use rapid tac or any similar vinyl app spray to clean up with, works great.
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Thanks for the answer and thanks for understanding my bad English 🙂
I use water and chalk to clean the glass before guilding because I cant get Bon Ami. I normally order from stonehouses.co.uk – There are many types of varnish but I don’t know which one to order to backing up the guild? I only order from europe because last time I ordered from USA I had to pay alot of taxes to get my stuff unfortunately.
I think i maybe just need the right tools to make a good job. Like the right vanish, the right brushes and the right gelatin. The gelatin I use is normally for food.
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hi – Happy New Year
I would steer well clear of the imitation leaf! – It will go black in weeks
I would think that your gelatin mix is far too strong, Try using empty medicine capsules – 1-1.5 per Pint of distilled water the weaker the better
The Gold will stick and the lustre will be better, Try Upselling to real leaf not a huge difference in price over the course of a job
kind regards
mike -
The imitation leaf is only for practicing because the real gold leaf is very expensive here in Denmark. Last time I bought real gold leaf, 23,5k, 25 pcs, 8x8cm it cost me about 60 GPB. Now I know its much more cheaper in England.
So this is my ‘what to buy’ list:
Real gold leaf, loose.
Gelatin capsules.
Back up varnish. (Please link me to a webshop from UK or another place in Europe where I can buy it because I can’t find it) -
hi Lars,
We pay under 30 euro per book normally. – I use a good yacht varnish
never had any problems
cheers
mike -
On stonehouses I can find these 3 from yacht but no one called good yacht. Do you think I can use any of these?
http://stonehouses.co.uk/categories.php … 2d05cf1b5a
http://stonehouses.co.uk/categories.php … 2d05cf1b5a
http://stonehouses.co.uk/categories.php … 2d05cf1b5a
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Hi Lars, try http://www.goldleafsupplies.co.uk
Neil
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There’s alot of different types of varnish. I don’t know whats good and whats bad? Please tell me which one I should order?
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