15. Mending; that is moistening any broken points with a brush, and applying bits of gold leaf to them.
16. The vermeil coat. Vermeil is a liquid which gives lustre and fire to the gold; and makes it resemble or moulu. It is composed as follows: 2 ounces of annotto, 1 ounce of gamboge, 1 ounce of vermillion, half an ounce of dragon’s blood, 2 ounces of salt of tartar, and 18 grains of saffron, are boiled in a litre (2 pints English) of water, over a slow fire, till the liquid be reduced to a fourth. The whole is then passed through a silk or muslin sieve. A little of this is made to glide lightly over the gold, with a very soft brush.
17. Repassage; is passing over the dead surfaces a second coat of deadening glue, which must be hotter than the first. This finishes the work, and gives it strength.
Leaf gilding, on paper or vellum, is done by giving them a coat of gum water or fine size, applying the gold leaf ere the surfaces be hard dry, and burnishing with agate.
Gold lettering, on bound books, is given without size, by laying the gold leaf on the leather, and imprinting it with hot brass types.
The edges of the leaves of books are gilded, while they are in the press, where they have been cut smooth, by applying a solution of isinglass in spirits, and laying-on the gold when the edges are in a proper state of dryness. The French workmen employ a ground of Armenian bole, mixed with powdered sugar-candy, by means of white of egg. This ground is laid very thin upon the edges, after fine size or gum water has been applied; and when the ground is dry it is rubbed smooth with a wet rag, which moistens it sufficiently to take the gold.
Japanners’ gilding is done by sprinkling or daubing with wash leather, some gold powder, over an oil sized surface, mixed with oil of turpentine. This gives the appearance of frosted gold. The gold powder may be obtained, either by precipitating gold from its solution in aqua regia by a solution of pure sulphate of iron, or by evaporating away the mercury from some gold amalgam.
II. Chemical Gilding, or the application of gold by chemical affinity to metallic surfaces.
A compound of copper with one seventh of brass is the best metal for gilding on; copper by itself being too soft and dark coloured. Ordinary brass, however, answers very well. We shall describe the process of wash gilding, with M. D’Arcet’s late improvements, now generally adopted in Paris.