Yet another Gilding Question

[Woodworks by John]

How important is it that your gilding area be dust free? The reason I ask is that the last 2 frames I gilded had very little specks all over them which weren't there before I applied my size, Rolco Slow set. I apply them in my woodshop the night before I plan to gild and then place them under a tent of polyethlene which is clamped to make a somewhat dust free area. There is air movement as it is my garage. The only other thing I wonder about is my brushing technique, is it possible to over brush the size in an attempt to make a thin, even coating? If you have a similar problem or suggestion I'd appreciate hearing from you.
Just a note if anyone uses biscuits to join their frames. My molding is about 1 3/4" x 4" so I use a #20 biscuit. It's made of basswood and I had a hard time aligning the pieces once the glue was applied. What I discovered is that the basswood "fuzzes" so as soon as the glue hits the slot is too small to allow movement and adjustment before clamping. I solved this problem by making an additional pass with the joiner, readjusting the fence so that I end up with a cut slightly wider. If you have this problem email me and I'll give you specifics. John

 

[josephforthill]

Yes, you do need a clean area for this type of work. By leaving something out with tacky size overnight you can pick up anything, from dust to bugs. Other hints:

- Are you sealing and/or basecoating before putting on the size? I not, you may be getting stray bits of sawdust/sanding crud.

- If you are you getting little specks stuff as soon as you apply size, it may be bits of dried size coming out of your brush, if it was not thoroughly clean.

Joseph

 

[BILL WARD]

get ahold of an airionizer(such as oreck)...they make/help the dust particles to 'fall out of the sky"!!!! really works. can be a little pricey but they 'can'be talked into selling the shop demo for @ 1/2 price!
or simply try to rig a matboard cover???

 

[Whynot]

See, this time you had addressed the right people. PFM online forum is for beginners only. Not only that, but it is rather empty in there too.
To answer your question, I'd say:
1. Read Joseph's post at least three times over.
2. Why would you need to work with slow size? I think that you are a beginner at gilding and your projects are nither large enough nor so demanding as to require using slow size.
3. If you do slow size oil gilding, at least give yourself a better place than your garage is. Your kitchen or livingroom for instance. Doing gilding in your garage is like attempting sign making in the bath thub with yourself plunged into hot, bubling water.

 

[Woodworks by John]

Ouch!!, you're right I am a beginner but always jump into any project with eyes wide shut and with both feet. Even in my "inexperience" I've found the slow size to give a superior finish. Besides, as a beginner it takes me about 2-3 hours to do a 20x24 frame with 4" wide moldings. I'll take the advice though about using a spare room in the house and setting up an air filter/purifier. As a furniture builder I stay away from surface coatings because of the dust problem and only hand rub multiple coats of my oil/turpentine/polyureathane mixture. In any case, I'm confident I'll achieve success because every frame teaches me a new thing to do or not to do. Appreciate all of your comments and hints.
John
www.woodworksbyjohn.com