The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Furniture Finishing
Laying the Leaf.—The actual laying of the leaf is delicate work, because of its extreme fragility; clumsy handling will break it and the operator's breath or a draft of air may carry it away or perhaps displace it on the work. The general method is to rub the special camelhair brush or gilder's "tip" on the sleeve or back of the hand to magnetize the hair, then with the tip lift the leaf by one corner and lay it on the tacky size; it will then de-magnetize so that it may be smoothed out with cotton wool if on a smooth surface, by stippling with a dry duster if on an irregular one. For small work cut the leaf gently to size with a razor blade before tipping on; such minute pieces are sometimes first wet with a mixture of alcohol and water to give weight.
The leaf will stick only where it overlays the sizing. Any laps should be allowed to remain until the size is hard dry, when the surplus pieces may be gently wiped or brushed off, these "tailings" being deposited in a box for future use. A new way of laying metal leaf is to cut a piece of waxed paper slightly larger than the leaf, rubbing it first with the hand to magnetize it. It is then placed over the leaf which will adhere, thus being carried to the sized portion of the work. This is especially convenient for round or shaped surfaces and the transparency of the paper enables the user to see exactly where the leaf is being placed. Once on, the leaf is smoothed out by holding in place with one hand and rubbing on the back with the other which will release the paper.
Burnishing and Glazing.—Once smoothed and trimmed, the leaf is ready to be burnished if high lights are desired, usually on corners, buttons and scroll edges. This is done with an agate tool, a sort of dental instrument which may be obtained from any paint supply house, but practice with it is advisable for the beginner, for not only must the leaf be smooth, but best results are obtained over a japan gold size and a hard surface. Watching an expert is undoubtedly one of the best ways of initiating oneself into the entire process.
Ordinarily, of course, metal leaf is not painted over—it is too expensive to hide. However, it is frequently antique glazed or spray-shaded as described in Chapter II, the work being done exactly as over paint and with the same materials. This serves to soften the metallic lustre and provide an aged effect, especially in crevices, but is naturally omitted from the burnished portions which are intended to catch the light. These high lights are thereby accentuated.
