3566. To Burnish Gold

3566.    To Burnish Gold. When the work is covered with gold, set it by to dry; it will be ready to burnish in about eight or ten hours; but this will depend on the warmth of the room or state of the air. When it is ready, those parts which are to be burnished must be dusted with a soft brush, and, wiping the burnisher with a piece of soft wash-leather (quite dry), begin to burnish about an inch or two in length at a time, taking care not to lean too hard, but with a gentle and quick motion apply the tool till it is equally bright all over.

3567. Matting, or Dead Gold

3567.    Matting, or Dead Gold. Those parts of the work which look dull from not being burnished, are now to be matted, that is, are to be made to look like dead gold; for if left in its natural state it will have a shining appearance, which must be thus rectified. Grind some vermilion, or yellow ochre, very fine, and mix a very small portion either with the parchment size or with the white of an egg, and with a very soft brush lay it even and smooth on the parts intended to look dull; if well done, it will add greatly to the beauty of the work. The work must be well cleared of superfluous gold, by means of a soft brush (a hat brush answers the purpose well), previous to burnishing or matting.

3568. To Finish Gilding

3568.    To Finish Gilding. It is now only necessary to touch the parts in the hollows with a composition made by -grinding vermilion, gamboge, and red lead, very fine, with oil of turpentine, and applying it carefully with a small brush in the parts required, and inserting suitable bits of gold leaf with a camel's-hair brush. Sometimes the finishing is done by means of shell-gold, which is the best method; it should be diluted with gum-arabic, and applied with a small brush.

3569. To Make Shell-Gold

3569.    To Make Shell-Gold. Take any quantity of leaf-gold, and grind it, with a small portion of honey, to a fine powder; add a little gum-arabic and sugar candy, with a little water, and mix it well together; put it in a shell to dry until wanted.

3570. Oil Gilding

3570.     Oil Gilding is that which is designed for out-door work, to stand the weather and wash, and is performed with oil and varnish. Where the object is to give a high finish, paint the work with a color composed of the finest white lead and yellow ochre, in such proportions that the color shall be as near as possible to the color of the gold to be employed, mixed with oil (not boiled), and turpentine, till of the consistence of thin paint; this to be laid on evenly, and allowed to dry thoroughly, then repeat it for 5 or even more coats, till it is perceived that the grain or roughness of the object to be gilt is entirely hidden. When the last coat is dry it must be rubbed perfectly smooth, first with pumice stone, and finished with a piece of woolen cloth and finely pounded pumice; and lastly, with putty powder, till it is smooth as glass. It must then be varnished over with fine lac varnish several times, applying a slight degree of heat after each coat. This may be done by holding a hot iron near it till the varnish has flowed smooth and even over the surface. When the last coat of varnish is quite bard it must be polished; this is done by putting on a horse-hair glove, and rubbing the surface with this first, then with Tripoli, applied with a piece of wet woolen cloth; and lastly, by wet putty powder, first applied with woolen cloth, then with the bare hand, till it is as bright as glass. It must then bo varnished over with a thin coat (the thinner the better) of gold size, and when sufficiently dry the gold is to be applied, beginning at the part that is dryest. When gilt, it is to be allowed to remain for two or three days, and then brushed over lightly with a camel's-hair brush to remove superfluous gold. It is next to be varnished with spirit varnish, applying heat as before, then varnished with copal varnish two or three times, allowing it to become perfectly hard between each coat; after the last coat of varnish it is finished by polishing, first with Tripoli, applied with a soft cloth and water, and then with the bare hand and a little oil, and wiped dry.