GILDING -does anyone know about it? Can you tell me the basics?

[BettySpaghetti]

We have an old reclaimed framed mirror (about 5ft x 4ft) that I'd like to gild.

Where do I start? What brushes and glues do I use?

I quite like the shabby-chic look so I'm not fussed about it having to be real gold and a perfect finish.

TIA

hi betty - try this website www.bluegallery.co.uk
i used to work there and we sold a whole range of gold[real and fake]leaf and gilding size and everything you'd need HTH

Thanks vInTaGeVioLeT -I'll take a look at that in a bit

Wonder if you've got going on your gilding project yet? i'm an ex-gilder (though still do the odd job) so ask away!!

I read this initially as GLIDING !!

How strange -back from a weeks holiday with no MN and this thread has popped up again!

lol at whizzz reading it as gliding

No, I haven't done anything about gilding the framed mirror I'm afraid -its still sitting in the garage.

peasoup, do you know of a website that covers the basics?

Betty - I think it's the wine

i read it as gliding as well and wondered how it was in A&C!!

Please do not try gliding with only the most basic of advice gleaned from a Mumsnet thread! This can only result in a visit to A&E or worse. As for gilding, not sure about a website for it but will have a look around. Is the mirror already gilded? or just plain wood? if gilded then a little complicated to restore it. If plain wood then paint then is it varnished or untreated? If untreated you can choose to gild it with oil based products or water based products. Oil more hard wearing, but smellier and more difficult to use. Water based easier but not such a great finish and not as hard wearing. Just like choice between emulsion and gloss when painting at home.
Anyway, oil based- paint with an oil based paint whatever clour you'd like it to have as a base coat-you know when you see distressed gilding it has the colour underneath showing through, usually a chnese looking red. Or yellow ochre will go a long way towards hiding the gaps in your gilding. Let it dry, obviously!! Then you can use oil size (a specialist gilding product; it's l;ike glue basically) It comes in 1 hr, 2 hr, or 12 hr size. This indicates the time it takes roughly from painting the size on to when it is ready to have the gold applied. Paint on a thin layer of it. After the allotted time check it is tacky but not still wet by touching it lightly with a fingertip. (should feel tacky but not leave a finger print. If it leaves a fibngerprint wait longer) then press down the transfer gold leaves onto the surface(again get from a gilding supplier -you can buy transfer real gold or transfer fake gold, called Dutch metal. Transfer means it's attached to a sheet of tissue paper to make it easy to apply; loose leaf is the other type but don't bother using this as a beginner) Rub the back of the tissue paer then peel back and the gold should stick to your surface. Rub lightly with cotton wool to polish.
Water based- but acyllic size, called Wundersize (gilding suppliers) Paint surface with water based paint. Apply wundasize. follow instructions on bottle, but i think it's ready to stick the gold to in about half an hour. apply real or fake gold (dutch metal) as above. Good luck. ama bit drunk so hope this makes sense. Got carried away.

Wrote that last thread last night but couldn't seem to post it so please don't think I'm pissed at 9am on a Sunday morning!!!
Not sure it made much sense. If the frame is varnished then you'll need to strip it or just sand it back a bit before gilding and you'll only be able to use the oil based gilding products. If it's untreated wodd then that's great. A few typos above. Ask if confused or step away from the gilding nutter.

Just noticed big typo in second line of my 8:51 post:
"If plain wood then paint then is it varnished or untreated?" I meant to say "If plain wood then is it varnished or untreated?"

peasoup -thank you! That certainly helps me know where to start.

Not sure when I'm going to tackle the project but expect a thread at some point in the future along the lines of "Peasoup, you gilding nutter, where are you? I need help!!"

lol at you "being pissed" before 9am on a sunday morning

Hmmm..just spent the day at the inlaws; perhaps i should have got hammered before 9am this morning! Might have made the day a little more bearable