Gold leaf and finishing

[Sheila White]

Hi,
I'm wanting to put a band of gold leaf on a piece. Do I put the gold leaf on before or after the finish? Would tung oil work as a finish or would something else better?
Sheila

[WildWashWoodTurning]

Sheila, I always put the gold leaf on AFTER the wood has been prepared for a final finish. The wood needs to be smooth & free of tool marks & readout. The wood grain needs to be sealed & fully cured. Then you put the adhesive on let tack up 20-40minutes depending on your environment) and apply the gold leaf. Hope this helps. Dane

And yes a polermizing oil works perfectly....raw Tung oil no.

[Sheila White]

Thanks. I had a shellac sealer on it before the gold leaf and used WIP for the final finish. Had tiny flecks of gold leaf throughout the piece that I couldn't get off ... wiping, blowing, tack cloth ... grrr. Oh well, my uncle's wife was still thrilled with the urn.