Types and brands of adhesive glues, DIY recipes
Potal is a decorative film that imitates a surface of gold, silver, bronze. In appearance, it does not differ from gold foil, but it is several times cheaper. Material release form - sheets, flakes, strips. Means for applying potali - adhesives on various substrates. Adhesives are used by professionals and amateurs to decorate home interiors and everyday life.
Primary requirements
The metallized sheet of aluminium, an alloy of copper and zinc, is several microns thick. The plaster is used for the creation and restoration of art products, the decoration of bas-reliefs, gratings. When working with gold foil, precise application is required, as trying to attach the foil will cause it to tear. The sheet is held in place with glue.
The adhesive composition must have good adhesion to the material on which the gold leaf is applied, and retain its properties for a long time in the solid state.
Which adhesive is suitable
Gilding glues have a general name: Mordan. The second name used by manufacturers is mixtion.
In terms of composition, these are:
- alcohol;
- water-acrylic;
- oil.
The choice of adhesive depends on:
- in the field of decoration;
- basic material;
- external working conditions;
- the location of the artistic element;
- experience with adhesives.
Properly selected glue is the main condition for the high-quality implementation of a creative idea.
water-based
Cheap universal glue has 3 types:
- water-acrylic;
- pasty;
- solid.
The water-acrylic composition can be mainly aqueous or acrylic. The water-based glue is used for gilding 15-60 minutes after applying to the surface. In half an hour, it loses its stickiness. The specific conditions of its use depend on the temperature and humidity of the room, the thickness of the layer and the type of material. Water-based adhesives are used only indoors, in the absence of dust and high air dryness. The tools are practical and easy to use for decorating small objects and small surfaces. Do not let the composition penetrate the front side of the pot.
Acrylic-based adhesives retain their sticky properties for 1-2 hours, have better adhesion than milk. When working with wood, gypsum, before applying glue, the surfaces are impregnated with a special varnish. On varnished synthetic materials, the glue is applied after degreasing and dusting. Restoration work with its help is carried out both inside and outside. The solid form is in the form of a pencil. A pencil is the most convenient form for working with gold leaf glitter.
Pasty glue is used to decorate porous surfaces (gypsum, wood) and does not require a primer.
Oil
Pot oil glues are produced on the basis of natural oils (for example, linseed) or animal fats (most often rabbit). Adhesives are used by professionals when carrying out internal and external restoration work. Oil-based adhesives dry completely after 10-12 hours. Layer thickness - no more than 1 millimeter. To reduce viscosity, it can be diluted with turpentine in a 1: 1 ratio. To achieve a strong bond with gold leaf, the surface to be decorated undergoes preparation careful preliminary.
A mixture of natural oil, fish glue and chalk is applied to wooden and gypsum elements. After drying, the surfaces are painted with acrylic paint, then sanded, varnished with shellac. This technology provides a high quality gold leaf coating for a long time. Depending on the thickness of the adhesive layer, the characteristics of the material, the temperature and the dryness of the air, mixtures of 3 and 12 hours are used (i.e. the time interval during which glue can be applied).
Alcoholic
Alcoholic blends are among the most popular among home-made enthusiasts. Depending on the modification, they retain their sticky properties from 2 to 24 hours. The drying time is 30 minutes. The adhesive can be diluted with ethyl alcohol.
Appropriate brands
Emulsion adhesives are most in demand for performing work with glazing.
Size Kolner Permacoll
Water-acrylic adhesive from a German manufacturer. The moisture-absorbing substrate (wood, gypsum) is primed with Sealer-123A varnish. Repellent surfaces are primed twice, varnished, synthetics are covered with mordan after cleaning and degreasing.
Kolner Permacoll Size is available in two colors: pink and white.
The pink color is more convenient to use to control the thickness of the applied adhesive. When dry, it becomes colorless. Adhesive composition is most convenient when working with transfer sheets. The composition is applied once. Once the glue film has dried, the gold leaf is applied.
Main Application:
- gilding of icons;
- ornaments;
- stage set;
- store stained glass.
Sealer-123A varnish is applied to protect the coating.
Tair Transfer Glue
Water-based Mordan, which includes:
- latex emulsion;
- glycerol;
- stabilizer;
- conservative.
The glue is suitable for all types of gilding. Package volume: 100 milliliters, 20 milliliters.
Decorated surfaces:
- in wood;
- metal;
- glass;
- Plastic.
The surface is smeared with glue with a brush. After 3-10 minutes, when the applied composition becomes colorless, the pot is glued. Excess composition is removed with a dry brush. Smooth the film with a soft brush or a cotton swab, without pressure. The leaf is fixed and protected by a layer of varnish.
Mordan Ferrario
Medium for gold leaf gilding from the Italian company Apa Ferrario. Aqua-glue is designed for a large amount of work, it is available in a package of 1000 milliliters. The drying time depends on the thickness of the applied layer, the humidity rate and the temperature and varies from 1 to 12 hours.
How to do it yourself
Adhesives are quite expensive. For home crafts, you can create a composition from improvised means.
First recipe
Starch, sugar, vinegar and water are used as components of the emulsion. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to a glass of warm water and bring to a boil. Then pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar and let it boil.Measure potato starch and dilute with warm water: 1/3 cup - 1 tbsp water. Pour the prepared slurry in a thin stream into the boiling syrup, stirring constantly until bubbles appear. The cooled adhesive composition should resemble sour cream in consistency.
Second recipe
The method consists of thickening the cream with cognac. The same amount of cognac is added to 100 milliliters of heavy cream. Stir without beating. The finished composition is applied to the prepared surface and kept for about an hour, after which the pot is used.
How to stick the transfer sheet
The transfer sheet is a tape from which the spray is transferred onto an adhesive base. This type of pot is denser than leaf and in the form of flakes it can be taken by hand, cut with scissors. The method of application also differs.
You can stick the transfer sheet on water-based varnish and mordan to get shiny surface or plain patterns. The alcohol-based varnish evaporates quickly, so that the entire ink layer of the ribbon is partially transferred to the surface.
The water mixture dries longer and has a more viscous consistency. The composition is applied to the entire area to be decorated or, using a brush, draw a pattern with glue on a stencil. After 15-20 minutes (according to the instructions), a piece of adhesive tape is applied to the surface with the matte side and smoothed with a finger / brush / cotton swab, depending on the area of the decor. After 2-3 minutes, the tape is removed, leaving a layer of paint on the surface. To fix it, after the final drying of the glue, an alcohol-based varnish is applied.
Additional tips and tricks
Gold leaf should be glued with gloves so as not to leave fingerprints on its surface. The flakes are taken with tweezers or an electrified brush. In the first experiments, it is better to replace professional formulations with homemade glue. This will allow you to become familiar with gold leaf without expensive mordans.