Painting a gold leaf frame

[snafu]

I have a customer that wants to paint the LJ frame below. Are there any issues that he need to be aware of? like does the paint stick to the greenish gray powder in the grooves? Will he need to sand & seal the frame first?

What is the greenish gray powder called? He ask me, I didn't know

 

[Joe B]

Paint will not stick to the grey powder (rottenstone powder). The powder can easily be scrubbed off with a little detergent water and a fingernail brush. After cleaning and brushing down the frame removing the rottenstone, I believe you should be able to prime and paint it without to much problem.

 

[wpfay]

A coat of shellac will make a neutral base for pretty much any finish. Other than that, what Joe said.

 

[Prospero]

I have done a lot of this. Give it a light roughing up with medium-grit sandpaper and do what Wally says
and give it a coat of shellac. The grey bit won't be real rottenstone and won't be dusty, just some sort of paint.
De-gloss the shellac when dry and apply a primer coat of any old domestic emulsion. You can check the adhesion
when this is dry with the old fingernail test.