M.A.T.'s Beads: Gilder's Paste

Interested in Gilder's Paste, but now quite sure how to use it? Follow on to learn how!

Things you'll need: paper towels, old cotton t-shirt, gloves, paint brush/cloth/fingers, metal item, mineral spirits, Gilder's Paste

With every purchase of a can of Gilder's Paste we include a free horse hair brush. I like to cut the bristles down so that I can use the brush more like a stencil brush. I believe the correct term is pouncing the brush straight up and down.

I pour a little mineral spirits into a small cup. I dip my clean brush in the mineral spirits, then into the Gilder's Paste and swirl it around a bit.

If your GP get's dried out and cracked like this; don't worry! It's fine.

Pour some mineral spirits in and rub in. Presto. Like brand new!

You can apply your GP in many ways. You can use your fingers, a paint brush, an old tooth brush, a rag, a paper towel, etc. You'll have to experiment and see what works best for you and for different items.

Now a little note about preparing your piece. Before you do any type of patina, your metal piece should be clean of any debris or oils, like from your fingers. Dawn works great as well as Fantastik. Here's a tip I learned from Judy, the jewelry teacher at BCC, if your metal piece is flat, run it under water and hold your piece level. If the water beads up, there's grease remaining on your piece. If the water lays in a sheet covering the piece you've cleaned it successfully. You may also abrade the piece some with something like steel wool, a brass brush, pumice, scrubbing w/a scotch brite pad, to name a few. This last step is especially important for GP. It does not adhere well to a smooth, satin surface. It likes to lay in crevices. Lastly, your piece should be completely dry.

Here I've applied verdigris to etched brass washers.

Here I've applied slate to etched copper washers, a hammered & stamped disk and a etched copper rectangle that's riveted to a hammered steel 3/4 ring.

Next, I've applied iris blue to the ring on the left and black to the one on the right. You may also mix your colors and play w/different combinations. GP is very concentrated and may be thinned at any point w/a little mineral spirits.

Once you've applied your GP, let it sit for around 10-20 min. It is then dry to the touch. It takes 24 hours for a full cure. Once your satisfied, to wipe off the excess and bring the color to a satin shine, buff w/a soft cloth. Here I'm using a paper towel, but I've found an old cotton t-shirt works the best.

So what to do if you don't like the way it came out? If the color mostly wipes off, you can reapply and let it sit longer before buffing. You can also apply multiple layers, building up the GP.

Or, apply mineral spirits to remove the GP, and start over. Like pictured below.

Apply mineral spirits and wipe off.

I liked the color, but not the blotchy look that was achieved with the paint brush. So I reapplied w/my finger. Giving it a more even application.

You can also mix colors by layering. On this ring I began w/black. I let the black dry for a 1/2 hour or so then buffed. Here I'm apply copper over top. I often finish my pieces w/a metallic color. The metallic colors have more shine, while the rest give a more matte finish.

You may finish and seal your piece w/a clear spray or Renaissance Wax to ensure color fastness. I have no problem w/GP coming off unsealed. I also always buff my pieces well. If you've applied multiple layers or lay it on thick then I'd seal my piece.

Here's some pics of finished pieces.