Kolner Miniatum

[Moya]

I have a bottle of it at home, and some real gold leaf (not the schlagmetal I've been using!) and it's GLORIOUS.  I'll try to post some photos tonight!  The difference between the smooth mirror finish miniatum and the crinkly other size I've been using is like night and day.

But, I can't get it quite to a mirror finish - and I think I just need practice. However, the lazy person's shortcut to practice is:  ask the Forum for tips!

Has anyone else used Miniatum with 23K gold leaf?  Raised and/or flat?  What did you find worked best for you in terms of drying times, room temperature, burnishing?

[Scarlet Blue]

I've only done it flat... bit of a trial and error sort of thing... and I have only used the 'ink' version, which means that you can write with it and then add the gold.... I don't leave it that long... 15 to 20 minutes... if longer then I roll up a sheet of paper and breathe down this to warm the size up... this makes it sticky again... does that make sense?!
Also, after the gold is applied you can polish it gently with a cotton wool ball.

[Estefa]

I don't understand exactly a lot of what you both wrote here, but Moya, your IG post looks amazing!!

[Moya]

Thank you Stef! I think I'm getting the hang of it - it's a tricky thing but I feel like I'll have it down pat soon. (I hope I will!) 

Scarlet, thank you thank you!  I like the cotton wool suggestion - my agate burnisher is just not working. I think I'll just keep trial-and-erroring-away and stealing all the tips I can find along the way

[Blotbot]

There is someone who posts on the cyberscribes list serve on gold leaf.  Something Tresser I think.  Maybe post your question there... 


Here we go-- Jerry Tresser http://www.jtresser.com/ONLINE-GILDING-SUPPLIES.html

[Moya]

I am a member of CyberScribes, but I'm a bit scared to post to it.  I'm not sure why - I think maybe because I don't even know who's in the group, or how many people my sad little n00b email is going out to.  Flourish feels ... friendlier? I don't know...

Mr Tresser definitely seems to know everything there is to know about gold, but I think he generally recommends his own sizing? I'd hesitate to ask him about how to use someone else's product, anyway, I feel it would be a little rude.  Like going over to Brian Smith and asking him to adjust my Weidmann penholder ... you'd certainly get answers, but you'd leave people wondering whether you had any manners at all!

[Blotbot]

Well, if you posted the question to the group in general, you wouldn't be asking him directly.  If he believes only his product will work, then he needs an Australian distributor!  There must be other gilders there since he uses it to communicate.