9. It is then varnished with a spirit of wine varnish; which is treated with the chafing dish as above described.
10. When this varnish is dry, two or three coats of copal, or oil varnish are applied, at intervals of two days.
11. Finally, the pannels are polished with a worsted cloth, imbued with tripoli and water, and lustre is given by friction with the palm of the hand, previously softened with a little olive oil, taking care not to rub off the gold.
In this country, Burnished gilding is practised by first giving a ground of size whiting, in several successive coats; next applying gilding size; and then the gold leaf, which is burnished down with agate, or a dog’s tooth.
Gilding in distemper of the French, is the same as our burnished gilding. Their process seems to be very elaborate, and the best consists of 17 operations; each of them said to be essential.
1. Encollage, or the Glue coat. To a decoction of wormwood and garlic in water, strained through a cloth, a little common salt, and some vinegar are added. This composition, as being destructive of worms in wood, is mixed with as much good glue; and the mixture is spread in a hot state, with a brush of boar’s hair. When plaster or marble is to be gilded, the salt must be left out of the above composition, as it is apt to attract humidity in damp places, and to come out as a white powder on the gilding. But the salt is indispensible for wood. The first glue coating is made thinner than the second.
2. White preparation. This consists in covering the above surface, with 8, 10, or 12 coats of Spanish white, mixed up with strong size, each well worked on with the brush, and in some measure incorporated with the preceding coat, to prevent their peeling off in scales.
3. Stopping up the pores, with thick whiting and glue, and smoothing the surface with dog-skin.
4. Polishing the surface with pumice-stone and very cold water.