Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

applied only to highlight areas (Figure 14.8).
The second bole was usually a darker colour,
such as red, orange, plum, but sometimes
blue, grey or even black. The application of
the darker bole should be studied very
carefully because there are several different
approaches to it. French gilders often applied
a solid coat of bole only to areas that were to
be burnished and only a thin, transparent coat,
if any, to areas that were to be left matte.
These details should be reproduced accurately
in restoration treatments. The dark bole may
be applied with a flat sable brush held at a
low angle to the work, so that it is applied
only to the high spots. Two or three coats are
required for areas that are to be burnished.
The end result is a pattern of the yellow bole
in the depths with the dark bole lying over it.
Once completely dry the clay must be
polished to remove any grit or dust to prevent
raised particles being dragged across the
surface and causing scratches and holes when
the gold is burnished. The finished bole can
be lightly buffed or polished with a very stiff
brush (Figure 14.9), 0000 oil-free wire wool or
a chamois leather. If the surface is very gritty
or rough, a very fine abrasive paper (1000 grit)
may be worked lightly over the clay to ensure
a smooth surface. A Perspex/ Plexiglass
scraper can also be used for this purpose and
may give greater control (Figure 14.10). As
well as smoothing out irregularities, the
abrasive paper will also buff the clay to a satin
finish. On carved areas, a hessian or cotton
cloth may be used to remove any dust particles
before using a bristle brush to buff the
areas that are to be burnished. Finally, the
bole may be degreased with alcohol before
gilding. Care must be taken to keep the work
clean during all of these steps, but especially
after the bole has been applied.
14.2.14 Laying the leaf
Gold leaf is applied to the surface after wetting
it with ‘size water’. This is usually comprised
of clean water with a small quantity of methylated
spirits (denatured ethanol) and either
rabbit skin or parchment size. The quantity of
methylated spirits (denatured ethanol) and size
added to the water may vary according to the
work and the behaviour of the size water on
the surface – for example if the size water is
Introduction to traditional gilding 657
Figure 14.8 Applying a darker bole to highlights of
the carved surface
Figure 14.9 Denibbing and buffing dry bole with a
stiff brush
Figure 14.10 Smoothing bole with a Perspex/Plexiglass
scraper shaped to fit the profile of the moulding
wetting too quickly, reduce the quantity of
methylated spirits (denatured ethanol), or if
wetting too slowly increase the methylated