Alternatives to Gesso for Water Gilding

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Prospero is absolutely correct. The corner cracking is mainly due to wood shrinkage. More pertinent however is to consider the huge force gesso imparts on the wood. A thick coating of gesso on the wood will squeeze it hard as it dries and force it to shrink in all directions, so opening the corners of the frame. Underpinning and gluing might hold the frame together but to counter the shrinking force of gesso, the frame needs to be tight band-clamped with a high-quality glue such as Titebond. Do that and you shouldn't have to bother with silk on the corners.
 
I have read this series of answers, and need to ask a question. I have all of the items for guilding but have never used them. Now, I am painting, and want to gild on canvas over some sculpture putty with imitation sheets, knowing that the finished product needs to be sealed. The wilding would be as accents. I would like to use texture, and gild over that. Do I need to seal the putty, or just use guilding glue, then the golden sheets, then seal again?
 
Yes, you do need to seal the putty. What you will be doing is called 'oil-gilding' and this is where the leaf is fixed on to the surface by a thin film of adhesive oil, which then dries to a hard finish.
The best results come from using a long 3 hour oil size. This means you leave the oil to set for 3 hours before applying the leaf and you also get around 3 hours open or working time before the size dries hard.
Sealing the putty ensures the oil size is spread evenly over the surface without soaking in on random areas.
Use a shellac sealer, dilute it 50:50 with methyl alcohol, and apply two coats.

For applying the oil size, use disposable gloves and a clean cotton rag. Apply the oil size generously over the area to be gilded, then using the same brush, wring out the bristles in the cotton rag before using the brush to lift off as much of the size as possible. The aim is to create the thinnest film of size on the surface. Repeat 2 or 3 times, wringing out the brush as you go. This also prevents the size puddling in the crevices of your textured putty.

After the 3 hour drying time. lay on the leaf and use a soft brush to push it into the texture. Apply more leaf where needed.
Then leave it all overnight before painting over with a further diluted coat of sealant.
 
I realize I'm very late to the conversation, but I'll share my two cents. I have had experience both in building gilded frames and buying them from professional framers/gilders. I am an artist first and built my own frames early on to save money. As my paintings became more in demand and prices began to rise, I began to purchase my frames from professional builders. I first started buying my professionally built frames from a framer/gilder in New England. I lived in Texas. Both climates are fairly humid and the frames had no cracking issues. As soon as I moved west (where I am originally from) where the climate is very dry, the gesso began to chip and flake off. I had thousands of dollars of frames that were essentially worthless now. I could not use them.

I found a few framers in Colorado and Utah who use Insta-clay. I have never had issues since. I've been using them now for over 15 years. I will say that the level of burnish is slightly less with insta-clay. And I mean SLIGHTLY less. But with good technique, the level of burnish is still great and results is a beautiful frame. If you build your frame in a humid climate and the frame stays in a humid climate, then sure, rsg and bole is slightly better in terms of burnish. But with age, it still can potentially flake or crack. If the frame ever ends up in a dry climate, rsg will be the end of your frame.

To the traditionalists out there, not only do I have first hand experience with the cracking / flaking issues of rsg, I have seen it on many frames in museums around the world in all climates. Rsg is an inferior product, but has characteristics that gilders like. Don't be so close minded to modern products that overcome the shortcomings of rsg. Sure, insta-clay cannot match the level of burnish to the same extent, but it comes very close. And considering the benefits of not flaking off or cracking...it's a pretty damn good product with great results. Again. My two cents worth.

Ps. I have recently begun building my own frames again because my son wants to learn and I'd rather pay him than a framer anyway. I'm using insta-clay this time around instead of the rsg and bole I used when I first started years ago. I'm having more success and only a professional gilder would know the difference. I promise you, most non-gilders can't see the difference.
 
As a person who started gilding the late 1980's and lives in Michigan where the indoor relative humidity is very low in the winter we have very dramatic changed in the RH every year. I have not found a problem with RSG. It could be the recipe of the gesso that your supplier used in that they omitted linseed oil. Linseed oil gives some plasticity to gesso. There are many recipes for gesso. I knew the founder of Gold Leaf Framemakers in Santa Fe, NM. (Marty) from my days with being on the board of directors of the Society of Gilders and they are not exactly in a wet environment. His son now runs the business.

Yes, I learned to make his gilded Manhattans / Martinis (your choice)
 
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