Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

658 Conservation of Furniture
spirits (denatured ethanol). Recipes vary but a
common one uses approximately one-quarter
of a teaspoon of glue size mixed with onequarter
of a pint of water and one teaspoon
of methylated spirits (denatured ethanol)
(Wetherall, 1992). A little more size may be
added to the water and alcohol mixture when
matte gilding. Five per cent is usually considered
the upper limit because more may cause
the gilding water to pull and adhere the gold
leaf to the surface too quickly, resulting in
webs or unwanted overlapping of the gold.
Size water will stain previously laid gold.
It is important to carefully plan the order in
which parts are gilded and to burnish work as
a project progresses in order to avoid water
marks. The size water run off necessitates
working from the top down, because any
water that flows on leaf will leave a mark.
Care must also be taken that size water does
not sit on the preparation as it will dissolve
the gesso. If there is a place where it collects,
absorb it frequently with a dry brush or surgical
cotton. The insides of the legs of a chair
and then the insides of the arms, for example,
are gilded first and then the back, the aprons
and the outsides of the legs.
With the matte and burnish scheme decided
upon and the colour of the gold leaf chosen
from the many that are now available, the
actual laying of the gold can proceed. Laying
the gold requires dexterity and concentration
and it takes much practice to perfect the
technique. Draughts must be excluded and
breathing directed in such as way so as not to
disturb the flattened gold leaf on the cushion.
Place the work on a tilt so that when the
gilding water is applied it will run away from
the piece of gold that is being laid. Gather
together all the tools and materials that are
required, i.e. the books of loose leaf gold, a
gilder’s cushion and knife, gilder’s tips, lip
salve, a selection of mops for laying on the
gilding water, cotton wool or squirrel dabbers
for tamping down, and a jar of gilding water.
It is almost impossible to describe how to
handle gold leaf without a practical demonstration.
There are a variety of techniques that
may be used. In addition to the method
described, some gilders strap the book of gold
directly onto the back of their cushion,
without the parchment wind screen, and work
directly from the book, although this may
present some difficulty when handling off cuts.
Some gilders dispense with the gilder’s
cushion altogether and take the gold directly
from the book, using a small finger ring knife
to cut it. The gold is taken out from the back
of the book to the front, and a piece of
cardboard is put under the sheets that are
being cut to stiffen the book as this is done.
The gold may then be moved directly from the
book to the sized surface.
The directions that follow will be most useful
in conjunction with a demonstration by a
practising gilder. Place the gold leaves onto the
back on the cushion, where they are protected
by the parchment shield, by holding the book
of gold by the spine with one hand and
flipping the leaves open one by one with the
thumb of the other hand (Figure 14.11). If the
leaves do not fall easily onto the cushion shake
the book a little or gently blow onto the leaf.
If working on a large project, a book of gold
may be emptied into the back of the cushion.
If right-handed, take the cushion up in your
left hand and hold it by means of the thumb
loop attached beneath. Rub a little lip salve or
Vaseline either onto the wrist of the hand
holding the cushion or onto the right cheek.
Take a leaf of gold with the flat of the knife
from the back of the cushion to the front and
with a short sharp puff of breath to the centre
of the leaf, blow it flat. It is important that the
leaf lies flat and evenly stretched onto the
cushion otherwise it will not cut neatly. The
leaf may be manipulated on the cushion with
the knife, which must be kept very clean
Figure 14.11 Transferring gold leaf from a book to
the gilders cushion