Gold paint or gold leaf?

[Barnacle Bob]

I have a Bertram Eagle with rope and star design on the transom of my cruiser. It is apparently made of plastic and is 3 diminsional. It was originally gold. It is now covered with a peeling white paint. I want to strip it down and then paint it or leaf it in Gold again. What do you recommend and how do I do it? Where do I get the gold leaf or paint?

[paladin]

iF YOU ARE IN jAPAN HAVE A LOCAL GOLD LEAF IT....THEY WILL DO AN EXCELLENT JOB CHEAPER THAN YOU CAN. cHECK ONE OF THE LARGER CUSTOM FRAME SHOPS OR gOLD SHOPS...

[Buddy Sharpton]

Both.What I do is get some sign painter's imatation gold lettering paint.Iy comes in very small 1/4 and 1/2 pint cans. I'm talking about a yellow orange oil based enamel paint here, not a metallic paint with brass or bronze powder in it. That will only turn gree/ brown n in salt water. Paint on one or two coats to get coverage. Then put on one more coat using the same paint instead of the "size" or varniah used by the framer's gilding process. When paint is tavky, pat on the sheets of gold leaf. Real gold here, not the imitation foil, because again that will tarnish rapidly in salt environments. Do not over varnish the gold leaf. It will kill the luster and look just like gold paint.

You'll end up with something that will really hold up well, and age gracefully. When the gleam is finally too gone, simply reapply one coat of lettering paint and then a new layer of gold leaf

[Bernadette]

Buddy, thaks for your very timely suggestions using paint and gold leaf. Very soon we will be carving the name and home port and scroll work into the hull. I had fancied using gold leaf but the 'others' here have poo pooed the idea. I don't mind the extra work and I can see that by using the gold coloured paint instead of 'size', it would make for a better base colour etc. Thanks again. By the way, do you think the gold leaf would adhere as well to the paint as it would to the 'size'?. Bernadette.PS Isn't it necessary to protect the gold leaf with some sort of coating?

[ 08-23-2002, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: Bernadette & David Hedger ]

[Dave Fleming]

IIRC, Gold Leaf holds up pretty well in the elements. Yes a top coat of something is done many times but I cannot say personally whether it is absolutely necessary.
Has to be someplace on the web for info on this. Seen too many 'trailboards' with gold leaf over the years for it not to be addressed somewhere.

[SBH]

when i restored the nameboard for my boat, the best source i found for imitation "goldleaf" paint was at the local artist supply store. they had a wide selection of little tiny bottles of gold paint in various shades, specifically manufactured for outdoor use. the one i used was water based, and it's holding up well. it looks great (people often ask me if it's gold leaf), and it was a lot cheaper and easier than the real thing.

(i went to Seattle Art Supply (http://www.seattleartsupply.com/). You could also try Daniel Smith (http://www.danielsmith.com/).)

-sbh

[Mandoliniment]

I just got WB's Painting and Varnishing book - it has a short section on gold leaf, probably enough to get it done.

I personally like to cover the entire boat in macaroni and then spray paint it gold. But that's just me...

[Dave Fleming]

Mando...
YOU spent too much time in playschool!
LOL!

[Buddy Sharpton]

Y3s the gold paint sticks as well as size whicj=h is usually varnish with a tad of yellow added so you can see where you're putting it, especially if you are freehand lettering. I have not seen imitation gold leaf that was not some kind of foil whose metallic particvles would not quickly corrode in salt air. There are metalized ( on the "back side" self adhesive polyester films for cut lettering that will hold up in the salt air if you seal the cut edges with varnish to prevent tarnish beginning at the edges where the spray can creep in. I haven't seen any such imitation leafs, only foils, but there may be some.

Gold is the most anoble metal (that's why gold is gold and so valuable, duh) and so won't form metallic salts or oxidize. It will slowly wash or wear away, but is not effected by UV rays. It is self protective. That's why it is practical to gold leaf domes ofimportant buildings, that's why gold is put on the visors of soace helmets to protect eyes. Any clear coating will dull the glow, and as the clear coating is degraded by UV rays. it will breakdown and fall away carring away the leaf stuck to it. That's why we like to cover the size or whatever completely with leaf, to protect it. In picture frames and such, it is customary to use a red ground, tehn size, leaf, and scratch away to show some red underneath for an artistic effect. Thats why the size is less durable than the ground. On a boat or sign for gold lettering, that's supposed to be gold,gold,gold, that's why you use the non tarnishing mustard gold enamel paint underneath and as the adhesive instead of size. The gold leaf is precious thin for any mechanical abrasion so a scratch might remove the gold but not the paint underneath so the work will age gracefully and will not cloud over and flake away as the clear coating fails so much sooner getting double whammied, once by the light passing thru, reflecting off the gold, and twice,passing thru again on the rebound. It's why you see all the sunburned peeling on m,etallic colored clear coated car finishes. The UV does it..

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

If working indoors, or if you can guarantee a flat calm, go for gold leaf.

If working outdoors in a breeze, paint.

This is the Voice of Expensive Experience!