6.—Some Glue, of the best white quality. Many gilders use gelatine instead of glue. For mixing with the burnish-size, the gelatine is undoubtedly the more desirable. The glue should be naturally white, not artificially so-colored; and it should be free from all grit and sediment. Cooper’s make, of both glue and gelatine, is undoubtedly the best, for all purposes of gilding. It acts more uniformly and is altogether the most reliable.
7.—Pipe Clay, for coating the composition parts of the frame. It usually comes in lumps and must be allowed to soak before mixing. The pipe clay has superseded the use of whiting for the two primary white coats to a frame. It is free from all grit, whilst whiting is not, and it gives a soft, smooth surface for the layer of gold leaf.
8.—Paris White, or whiting. This is used for stopping up holes and other imperfections in the frame. It has more body than the pipe clay, and for that reason is used instead of it. Paris white is simply whiting precipitated in powder, and it is consequently freer from grit and other impurities.
9.—Oil-size. This is used for giving the adhesive coat to which the gold is applied when laid in oil.
10.—Burnish-size. Used for giving the coat to which the gold is applied when a burnished surface is required.
11.—Cotton batting, of a good quality. This is used for pressing down the gold leaf when it is being laid in oil.
12.—Gold Leaf, of the best quality of deep-colored gold. The leaf comes done up in books of twenty-five leaves each, and made into packs of twenty books each.
13.—An Ox-Gall, strained into a bottle, with about two teaspoonfuls of carbolic acid to preserve it from decomposition. This, mixed with the white coat and the clear size, will prevent pin-holes and frothing. Some gilders use alcohol and even spirits of turpentine for this purpose; vinegar has also been recommended, but, after a thorough trial of all of them, I feel confident that the best results will be had with the ox-gall.
14.—Carbolic Acid. The crystallized form is the best to use. It comes in bottles of a pound weight. It must be melted by placing the bottle in hot water; and, when the fluid condition takes place, add some water, when the whole mass will remain fluid. This is a perfect antiseptic and very useful to mix with the glue and gelatine, which are thereby preserved from decomposition.
15.—Sand Paper; numbers 0, ½ and 1.