Heck, the info here is better than some books I've seen on gold leafing. I'll also share a few tips that I have found for urethane clearing over leaf. As I said, I use 1-shot size. uros and oil based usually don't like each other and will cause the enamel to react. Now since the enamel is covered by the leaf, there pobably is less of a chance that it will react, but nonetheless, I use a method that I also use when ever I have to clear over enamel pinstriping. Better safe than sorry. That method is simply spraying it with intercoat clear. House of Kolor SG-100 or PPG DBC500 are my choices, but alot of companies have it. Essentially, it is clear base coat. Since the base coat dries so quickly, it doesn't have time to react with the enamel. Anybody who has had enamel pinstripes react knows it doesn't happen immediately. You think everything is great, go clean your gun, drink a Coke, and come back and.....oh hell. The clear eats on it. But with the intercoat clear down, the uro clear never gets the chance to eat on the enamel. If I'm clearing over a large area of leaf (which I have to admit I've never done on a car, but have on goofy other projects) I spray a light coat of Bull dog (adhesion promoter) over the area, then mix a small amount of it into my intercoat. I will admit, all this does affect the luster of the gold, but in situations where the overall finish of the piece (i.e. high end show car) is more important than the luster of the gold, this is the best process I've found.
thats a good important point about the brushes there, in the gilding I have done we never use brushes for solvents that have been used for water stuff or vice versa, even if they have been cleaned up well. your brushes will gradually become ruined and there are cross contamination risks. nothing worse than laying on a load of oil and gold and finding some blemish or bogey of flaked acrylic stuck to the job ha ha
Another point to remember is that you need to make sure that you use surface gold as opposed to glass gold. It is a little thicker and easier to handle, and is better for engine turning, as it is less delicate.
Who sells "Surface Gold" and "Glass Gold" ??????? Never heard of it. Why is "Glass Gold" thinner if it is used on a flat surface ? --- Imitation Leaf is much thicker,and comes in larger sheets,than real Gold Leaf. Price is MUCH lower as well.
Glass gold is usually of higher quality with fewer pinholes. Usually applied with a gilder's tip. Surface, sometimes called patent, or transfer, gold may have some pinholes, or irregularities, but is mounted on powdered sheets and applied off the sheets by directly pressing it onto the surface. Less susceptible to tearing than glass gold. Check with a gold suppier for a more accurate deescription than mine. The heavier gold resists outdoor applications while the glass gold is under varnish, on the back side of the glass..
Don't clear coat gold leaf!. The beauty of gold leaf is it's lustre and it's durability. That's one of the reasons they gold leaf state house domes. If you clear coat it your putting an inferior product over a superior one.
Excellent point that was covered earlier in the post. Doesn't mean that it can't be cleared as part of a complete paint job, just that it is not necessary for the protection of the gold.
Composition Leaf, aka Imitation Gold, needs to be top coated, because it contains Copper, which will tarnish. Same thing with Varigated Gold.
Has anyone had problems with it bubbleing up or blistering under the foil? Painter at work is fighting a bubbling problem under his silver foil.
Where do you buy your leaf from. Ive been using some imitation gold leaf, I want the real deal. You cant turn the stuff Ive been using, its real weak.
I usually get mine at McLogan supply in Anaheim CA, but there are several sources available. I use 22k patent leaf for surface guilding, clear it with PPG 2010
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