I have a couple of pool cues that I'd like to emboss with the owners'
names, and fill the letters with gilt leaf or a plausible facisimile.
Can anyone suggest a kit for such work and where to find it?

Thanks!

David Hakala
Denver, CO

On 6 Apr 2006 12:06:41 -0700, "Dhakala"
wrote:

I have a couple of pool cues that I'd like to emboss with the owners'
names, and fill the letters with gilt leaf or a plausible facisimile.
Can anyone suggest a kit for such work and where to find it?

I've never seen a good "kit" for this, but the materials are generally
easy to find. A decent artist's supplier will have it all.

You need "oil size" for gilding, gold leaf and blonde shellac to protect
it afterwards. Depending on the surface you might also want gesso or
bole in red or yellow (buy this ready made up).

Leaf needs to go onto a perfect surface. This is important. Use the
gesso to give a good smooth surface, and the underlying colour can be
important too. Yellow is good because it also hides any future wear.

Use oil size to stick the leaf down. You can also use water / alcohol
size, but they're harder to use.

Leaf should be gold-coloured aluminium - the most common sort, or maybe
brass / schlagmetal. Don't learn with real gold leaf.

Most of the technique is well described in many places. Try the SCA
"florilegium" too. The _best_ book I've ever seen on the subject is
'Framing & Gilding' by P Curson. Hard to find, but the Australian
publisher sells direct quite easily.

For tooling you need the usual basics, also a wide, soft brush to handle
the gold (a cheap artist's "hake" can work). It's also worth making a
gilder's cushion with a cardboard windshield around it. Mine is just
the back of an old glove, stuffed with fabric and gaffer-taped to a
piece of plywood.

If you're using gold, or maybe schlagmetal, but not aluminium, then
you'll also want a burnisher. Haematite rings are cheap and smooth
enough, or you can get an agate stone.