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Burnished Gilding

This style of gilding is adapted for fine work, such as picture frames and other fancy furniture.

We shall endeavor to give the necessary instructions, in the following receipts, to those who wish to undertake this kind of work, and with care and practice they may perform the operation successfully. or three times more, and, when quite dry, brush the whole with a stiff brush, to remove any roughness. The work is now ready for applying the gold. The parchment size should be of such a consistence, when cold, as the common jelly sold in the stores; for if too thick it will be apt to chip, and if too thin it will not have sufficient body. 3565. To Apply Gold Leaf to Picture Frames and Other Wood Work. This is the most difficult part of the operation, and

3559. To Make Size for Preparing Picture Frames and Other Wood Work requires some practice; but, with a little caufor Gilding. To pound parchment shav- tion and attention, it may be casily performings, or cuttings of white leather, add 3 quarts ed. Turn the gold out of the book onto the water, and boil it in a proper vessel till re- cushion, a leaf at a time; then, passing the duced to nearly half the quantity; then take it off the fire, and strain it through a sieve. Be careful, in the boiling, to keep it well stirred, and do not let it burn. 3560. To Prepare or Whiten Picture gilding-knife under a leaf, bring it into a convenient part of the cushion for cutting it into the size of the pieces required; breathe gently on the centre of the leaf, and it will lay flat on the cushion; then cut it to the proper size Frames or Wood Work. First, with the by sawing it gently with the knife till divided. above size alone, and boiling-hot, go over the Place the work in a position nearly horizonframes in every every part: then mix a sufficient tal, and, with a long-haired camel's-hair pencil quantity of whiting with size, to the consist- dipped in water (or with a small quantity of ency of thick cream, with which go over every brandy in the water), go over as much of it as part of the frame 6 or 7 times, carefully the piece of gold is to cover; then take up letting each coat dry before proceeding with the gold from the cushion with the tip; the next; this will produce a white ground, drawing it over the forehead or cheek will nearly or quite 16 inch in thickness. The size damp it sufficiently to adhere to the gold, must not be too thick, and, when mixed with which must then carefully be transferred to the whiting, should not be put on as hot as the first coat is by itself. It will be better to separate the dirty or coarse parts of the whiting by straining it through a sieve. its place on the work, and, gently breathing on it, it will adhere; but take care that the part to which it is applied is sufficiently wet; Indeed, it must be floating, or the gold will be apt to crack. Proceed in this manner by a with putty powder, till it is smooth as glass. little at a time, and do not attempt to cover It must then be varnished over with fine lac too much at once. Be careful, in proceeding varnish several times, applying a slight degree with the work, if any flaws or cracks appear, of heat after each coat. This may be done to take a corresponding piece of gold, and ap- by holding a hot iron near it till the varnish ply it immediately; sometimes, also, it will be necessary, when the gold does not appear to adhere sufficiently, to draw a pencil quite filled with water close to the edge of the gold, so that the water may run underneath it.