Variegated Gold Leaf How To by ChefChris 2/6/2011

Materials Needed:

Spray Adhesive, 3M is best
Gold Leaf Sheets, variegated or solid, can be found at most large craft stores
Gloves
Foam Brush, 1”
Plug, Painted
Wooden Skewer
Paper Plate
Spray Sealer

Gather all materials, and put down newspaper or placemat. On Top of that put a paper plate, this will be used to catch all the excess and flake leaf.

Start with a sealed plug, I paint my plugs copper, gold or yellow for two reasons, 1 if you rub thru the leaf the painted body will hide mistakes, 2 it makes the leaf really pop and gives more depth of colors. Give the plug a light sand with a sanding sponge.

I positioned the plug on a wooden skewer inserted into the thru hole and held in place with some masking tape if needed. I use a foam block to hold the skewer and plug in between sheets and spraying.

Spray the plug with spray adhesive and give it a few minutes to set up.

While the adhesive is setting up pick out a sheet of leaf, they have two sides flat and gloss, you want the flat side facing up.

Let the plug touch the leaf leaving about ½” overhang on the nose, the plug should be top down with the belly facing you. You want to center the plug as much as possible.

Gently lift the plug and leaf, now working the side closet to you slowly and evenly rub the leaf onto the plug from center to each end, don’t worry about getting it 100% flat, completely rub the leaf on both sides.

If the leaf makes it all the way around the plug, just rub the seam where the two pieces meet, the excess will tear away from itself, leaving a clean seam. Do NOT rip the leaf with your fingers, it will tear off in chunks.

If the leaf does not make it around the plug, just rub it down leaving the belly uncovered.

Repeat the process on the tail end of the plug allowing for over hang to cover the end of the plug.

Now if you need to a piece to cover the belly if the leaf was too short, use an excess piece from the rubbings, making sure gloss side is facing you. Gently the piece fall onto the plug and slowly rub it down just like the other pieces, again where the seams are will rub away from itself and you will have a clean seam.

Make sure to get the nose and tail sections too, if needed use excess pieces and repeat the process.

Areas that will be covered by hardware such as lips, grommets, eyes, etc don’t need the leaf.




Now that the plug is completely covered slowly burnish the edges and seams using a gloved hand, using light pressure going back and forth working small areas will remove the excess leaf, be careful not to apply too much pressure as the leave rips easily.

If you do rip the leaf or find a spot that was missed use scrap piece to fill it in.

Allow the plug to set up for about 24 hours, I usually give it a few days or more depending on my schedule. Here you are allowing the adhesive to bond fully to the plug and leaf.

Give the plug a light coat of leaf sealer, usually sold by the same company that makes the leaf. I’m not sure if you can use regular spray sealer, I use the one the manufacture recommends.

Give the plug a thin coat of epoxy and allow to cure fully.

If you epoxy with the plug not wired, then give it 3 to 5 coats of epoxy, sanding in between each coat and allowing to cure too. Once done assembly as usual.

If you wire your plugs before epoxy, then assembly and thru wire the plug as usual, then give it 3 to 5 coats of epoxy, sanding in between each coat and allowing to epoxy to cure in between coats as well.

Then its done!!

Here’s some notes:

This is a time consuming process not so much the applying of the leaf but all the coats of epoxy. I usually do these plugs first in the beginning of my building season and just give them a coat of epoxy every time I do my other plugs.

Go slow!! The leaf is very thin and tears easily.

Keep any fans off , stay away from open windows or doors, the leaf will easily blow away on you and makes a mess.

I wear gloves the whole time I’m applying the leaf, if I get adhesive on the gloves I change them so they don’t stick to the part I’m trying to rub down.

The leaf comes in all sorts of colors, gold, silver, copper, red, green, black and blue variegated and bronze.

It usually takes me two full sheets to do a plug this size.

Here is the red leaf and green leaf.

Great job Chris!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

I saw something about refinishing historic art that show squirrel tail brushes were ideal for application of gold leaf.:)

Yikes, cool stuff. Thanks for showing it. A question though.
Are these plugs primarily for display or do you actually fish them? If the latter, does the leaf/primer bond hold up to water penetration once hook swing cuts through, or does the leaf and epoxy all lift?

Numbskull, I fished a pencil and a Danny last season. They lasted thru the season.

I only put 2 coats of etex, so now with putting more coats and working out some bugs with the etex they should last longer.

If the epoxy breaks thru the leaf usually will lift off in sections. :(

They do make great display plugs or gifts for people, but are 100% fishable
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How much are the sheets of leaf Chris?

How much are the sheets of leaf Chris?

Not sure this is the stuff Chris uses:

$12.90


Amazon.com: Dutch Gold Leaf (Imitation Gold) Book of 25 Leaves each leaf 5-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches: Kitchen & Dining (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007W6QCM/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000BLS10O&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0S0431VWWKHZGNC37H0J)

chefchris401 FANTASTIC step-by-step, MORE to do this is never ending:smash:
GOOD LUCK GOOD BUILDIN:uhuh:

How much are the sheets of leaf Chris?

The ones at the large craft stores are usually about 6 dollars for 6 sheets, but use the 40 percent off coupon and save some cash.

I have bought books online from craft places, much cheaper, about 10 dollars for 25 or more sheets.
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Cool/nice work.............you have it bad dood.

Pro stuff thanks Chris