Tip for gilders...

I like the gilding kits sold under the
brand name "Renaissance." But I usually
run out of the glue that comes in the
kits long before I use all the foil.
I know I can buy the glue separately
online - it's expensive - so I decided to try finding
something more accessible and cheaper
in Walmart. And after some experimentation
I am very happy with the result I'm getting
using "Bondex Seam Adhesive" which is
intended for wall papering use. It is a
water based glue that comes in large "studio
size" tubes.

It does NOT work like
the glue that comes in the kit. I apply
it with a brush and while still wet
I apply the foil onto it,
smooth it down, and leave it to dry
overnight. When the foil backing is
lifted, the gold layer remains and I
get a better looking result than I did
with the glue that came in the kit
that you have to rub the foil into once
it has dried.

Di Monbak wrote:
I like the gilding kits sold under the
brand name "Renaissance." But I usually
run out of the glue that comes in the
kits long before I use all the foil.
I know I can buy the glue separately
online - it's expensive - so I decided to try finding
something more accessible and cheaper
in Walmart. And after some experimentation
I am very happy with the result I'm getting
using "Bondex Seam Adhesive" which is
intended for wall papering use. It is a
water based glue that comes in large "studio
size" tubes.

It does NOT work like
the glue that comes in the kit. I apply
it with a brush and while still wet
I apply the foil onto it,
smooth it down, and leave it to dry
overnight. When the foil backing is
lifted, the gold layer remains and I
get a better looking result than I did
with the glue that came in the kit
that you have to rub the foil into once
it has dried.

Do you have any pieces done with this glue that have been around long
enough to tell whether it might discolor the metal? My one problem with
the Renaissance gilding kits is that since they're base metal (like I
could afford real gold!), they tend to tarnish over time, even with
several coats of sealant. I'mu curious whether the Bondex might react
with the foil over time to discolor it.

--
Pat Kight

In article , says...


Do you have any pieces done with this glue that have been around long
enough to tell whether it might discolor the metal? My one problem with
the Renaissance gilding kits is that since they're base metal (like I
could afford real gold!), they tend to tarnish over time, even with
several coats of sealant. I'mu curious whether the Bondex might react
with the foil over time to discolor it.

--
Pat Kight


I don't have anything that's more than a few
years old. I've not been using it longer than
that. So far I've not detected any tarnishing.
But what I'm doing is gilding over an
already painted acrylic surface. For example:
I make walking canes and hiking sticks that
are polychromed. I add the gold accents, then
I apply two finish coats of polyurethane
varnish for weather protection as well as to
protect the "art" work. Several of my hiking
sticks have been used - by me - for several
years and they are still holding up nicely.

The first hiking sticks I made were finished
with acrylic varnish but I found that it
does not weather well, nor does it hold up
well under sweaty palms. Same is true of
PVA glues that I used for attaching hand grips
to the sticks. When the PVA got wet, it became
glue again! Not much fun when your hands become
sticky from it while hiking. The overcoating
with polyurethane (or marine spar varnish) does
the trick for me.

I use this same method for decorating art
objects - highly decorated wall pieces and
3-D free-standing objects - that are not
intended for exposure to the outdoors. Acrylic
for the art work and polyurethane as the final
finish coat(s).