Have a qustion for how has ever messed with this. I just tried messing with the stuff. When do you turn it?? I tried it and it pealed a lil off the tank i put it on.. any help i thank you..jones
Never done it but I have heard to do it after it is set and dry... Then do it with very LITTLE pressure!! -COS
How long did you let the Size dry before applying the leaf ? Real Gold leaf, or imitation ? What kind of Size are you using ?
You should use a piece of cotton wrapped in a piece of velvet to do the turning after the sizing is dry. Gently
Most "Silver Leaf" is actually Aluminum. Real Silver is harder to find, and prone to tarnishing. If your leaf is tearing, sounds like the Size is too wet, or too much pressure.
I think Safariknut did a how to post here, on leaf. Timing is very important, especially when spinning.
i've used a hardner in my size to make it kick off a little sooner....waiting isn't one of my strong points....
Yea, i'm interested too. How about some step by step from some of you guys that are really good at it. Thanks
Like Ian said a big thing to consider is the leaf your using, quality and thickness can vary a great deal.
If you don't have patience, you shouldn't do gold leaf. There are two types of surface size, short and long (timewise). If you have a lot of lettering, you should use the long oil size, as the window of opportunity is not long. Most people starting out apply the gold too early. You have to catch it just as it is almost dry. Too early and you kill the shine and it will be too tender for turning. The old test is to touch a knuckle to the size and listen for the thunk sound. Barely sticky, almost dry. It requires a experienced touch to do it right. Put a circle of paint off to the side to test for the correct readiness and then you can remove it.
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