I've bought a picture in a "gilt" frame. It has
some orangey paint showing through. What can I
use to cover these patches up?

I've bought a picture in a "gilt" frame. It has
some orangey paint showing through. What can I
use to cover these patches up?


Reply


Years ago, I bought some stuff in a tube called 'Golden Finger' -
squeeze it out like toothpaste and apply it to the fiddle bits of the
frame with your finger - worked for me.

"Homer2911" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've bought a picture in a "gilt" frame. It has
some orangey paint showing through. What can I
use to cover these patches up?


Reply


Years ago, I bought some stuff in a tube called 'Golden Finger' -
squeeze it out like toothpaste and apply it to the fiddle bits of the
frame with your finger - worked for me.


You can buy gilding sheet, it's available from arts and craft shops. You
paint on some
size then stick some sheet on when it goes tacky. You then peel the excess
off.

Alternatively, you can but highly metallic gold aerosol paint nowadays, I
have gilded a
mirror frame that way. Look out for an aerosol with a convincingly bright
metallic lid.

The only problem I foresee is that the gilding on your present frame may be
a slightly
different colour: I've found that there is more than one version of
'gilding'.

Andy.

On 28 Jul 2005 14:38:28 -0700, "Homer2911" wrote:

Years ago, I bought some stuff in a tube called 'Golden Finger' -

Screwfix do a decent one as "gilt wax". They used to do silver as well,
now they just seem to have the gold. Easy to use and a good result. You
may need to matt a painted surface with 00 wire wool before applying.

Don't use metal leaf for gilding unless you've practiced with it a bit
and don't begine with a narrow, moulded picture frame. Aluminium leaf
(in several colours) and oil size are the cheapest and easiest to
practice with.

These are done with the silver wax and gold-coloured aluminium leaf.
http://codesmiths.com/shed/things/knives/wasters/

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On 28 Jul 2005 14:38:28 -0700, "Homer2911" wrote:



These are done with the silver wax and gold-coloured aluminium leaf.
http://codesmiths.com/shed/things/knives/wasters/

Nice - and a nice site.

Mary

Screwfix do a decent one as "gilt wax". They used to do silver as well,
now they just seem to have the gold. Easy to use and a good result. You
may need to matt a painted surface with 00 wire wool before applying.

I've used that for a few picture frames and it's really good stuff. I even
used it once to gild the wooden finial of a garden obelisk, only because I
was in a hurry and the tin of gold paint had dried up, still looks good 2
years on.

I once saw a resource on how to make your own with IIRC bronze powder and
various waxes available from specialist hardware outlets. Can't remember if
it was online or in a book.

Henry

Making your own is a real pain. You need to ball-mill the powder in the
smallest possible quantity of emulsified wax or miscible oil before
mixing it into the main wax, otherwise it ends up streaky.

Many creamed waxes also use ammonia as an emulsifier and this will
corrode many "bronze" powders, as they're actually anodised aluminium.
Check for compatibility first.

Making your own is a real pain. You need to ball-mill the powder in the
smallest possible quantity of emulsified wax or miscible oil before
mixing it into the main wax, otherwise it ends up streaky.

Many creamed waxes also use ammonia as an emulsifier and this will
corrode many "bronze" powders, as they're actually anodised aluminium.
Check for compatibility first.

Interesting points, I couldn't be arsed to **** about with it anyway :-) I
think Liberon do a range of similar products.

Henry

The better arts shops will be able to kit you out with proper gilding
equipment. A standard artists brush, a squirrel-hair brush, the
adhesive (a sort of varnish whose proper name eludes me) and a book of
gold leaf (there are quite a number of shades so bring the frame along.
Gold leaf comes in at about 20 quid (about enough for an area A4 size)
and the rest is about 15. Brush on the adhesive in a thin coat (it is
quite runny) with the ordinary brush and allow it to go tacky, about 15
minutes. Then apply the gold and remove the backing paper. Any scraps
can be used to make good small areas. With the squirrel-hair gently
persuade the leaf down. Allow about 5 minutes and then buff gently with
a yellow duster. If the gilding will be subject to wear, A coat of
shellac (art shop again) over the gilding will protect it. Quite a few
years ago the spikes on top of the railings at Buckingham Palace were
gilded. Because gilding has an outdoor service life of about thirty
years and gold paint only five it was the economical solution. I find
that gilding is rather a relaxing process.

John Schmitt

wrote:
The better arts shops will be able to kit you out with proper gilding
equipment. A standard artists brush, a squirrel-hair brush, the
adhesive (a sort of varnish whose proper name eludes me)

glair?

I thought egg white was the stuff to use.

Owain

glair?

I thought egg white was the stuff to use.

The stuff I use is solvent-based. Another adhesive is based upon
garlic. I'll try to remember to look at the bottle tonight.

John Schmitt

On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 13:29:43 +0100, Owain
wrote:

wrote:
The better arts shops will be able to kit you out with proper gilding
equipment. A standard artists brush, a squirrel-hair brush, the
adhesive (a sort of varnish whose proper name eludes me)

glair?

I thought egg white was the stuff to use.

Glair _is_ egg white (and a few other things, including earwax)

Neither of these are really right for picture frames though. You don't
need to faff around with leaf gilding on picture frames (for 99% of the
cases) and in those few cases where you do, then you will be needing to
use water gilding (which is dificult) rather than oil-size gilding.
Oil-size gilding is fine (and easy) for gilding flat areas, but it just
doesn't cut it on complex moulded work.

if you _really_ want _the_ book on picture frame restoration, in
particular on gilding and compo work, then look for 'Framing & Gilding'
by P Curson. It's Australian, Amazon haven't heard of it, but you can
get it from the publishers at skillspublish.com.au A very good book,
if incredibly specialised.