Previously on Hand Carved Signs, John asked about carving the beads. Which came first; the scratch stock or the gouge?
Actually, I didn’t force fit either. I used a previously made scratch stock and happily I had a gouge that matched well. I picked up a cutoff and made these photos for a tutorial better than words alone.
Yes, we end up with facets … the things that distinguish hand carved from CNC milled junk.
If you like beads, see Mary May’s lesson about a stunning beaded fireplace panel. I’m stealing that one for an upcoming sign!
Hi-
I’ve been fooling around with gilding, although not in signs. A friend who does restorations of gilded antique frames uses gesso as a base material which he then re-guilds with size and then new gold leaf. Sepp, who offers gold leaf in it’s many types, also offers gesso and size.
Art
Thanks for the suggestions Art.
John, the fellow I made this blog entry for, also makes gilded art frames and uses gesso beneath the gold. I’ve considered it, but haven’t yet tried it. I imagine it will work OK for lettering, although I wonder about obscuring detail for finer carving work.
Thanks again. I’ll try it sometime.