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IlERAMIC STUDIO 
MATERIALS. 
You will require i small palette knife to be used ex- 
clusively for gold; i No. o Red Sable Rigger for fine lines, 
tracings, etc.; 1 square or pointed shader for fiat surfaces 
(about 8 or loc.),; 1 small covered palette to be used only 
for gold, (costs about 75c.) ; i small thin glass for turpentine; 
I receptacle for alcohol, a wide-mouthed bottle, preferably, 
so that it may readily admit brushes and be corked when 
not in use ; pieces of cotton cloth which have been ' ' cut ' ' 
■ — not torn, and a box of Roman gold. 
For Roman gold, as usually sold: With a clean palette 
knife transfer part of your gold to your absolutely clean 
palette. Dip your palette knife into the turpentine glass, 
drop it off on to your gold, repeat, and mix to the consis- 
tency of paint for tinting purposes. After mixing the gold 
do not scrape your knife off on the turpentine glass — learn 
to work the gold off on a clean part of your palette. Gold 
is expensive and these little points of economy are well 
worth looking after. Whenever you wish to thin your gold, 
do it by dipping the palette knife into the turpentine ; never 
use brushes for this purpose, because you can not dry them 
out sufficiently to do good work afterward without wasting 
gold, and the turpentine is apt to ' ' run ' ' into the work. 
There are two good ways to apply gold to rims. Taking 
the plate with the right hand, support its base on the thumb 
and four fingers of the left hand. Having filled the brush 
with gold according to directions in October number of 
Studio (same as you would fill with paint) , rub the flat side 
of the gold filled brush along the edge, slowly turning the 
plate on the fingers. The hand with gold brush remains 
stationary, with elbow resting on table or not, according to 
the steadiness of your hand. Cover the rim so that it may 
be seen best by looking down at the plate or tray Many 
forget this and cover the rim so that it runs over the edge 
and shows most under side. The quicker way, however, 
to put gold on edges and to make it more even and true is 
to use one finger of the right hand . Dip the finger in the gold 
don't get too much on your finger nor cover too much sur- 
face on the finger, do it somewhat daintily. Apply the 
finger to the china, rubbing from right to left back and 
forth around the edge until the edge is uniform in width, and 
the gold becomes tacky, the rubbing back and forth makes 
it spread evenly. Do not bear on too hard. 
If the gold (pure gold) is applied too thickly in one coat 
it will scale off after firing, and is worse than not enough 
gold. If the edge of the dish is finger marked, sometimes 
the gold burnishes off after firing. You know how careful 
the dentist is in putting in gold fillings never to touch his 
fingers to the gold leaf. The same principle holds good in 
china, an imperceptible oil in the skin causes the trouble. 
So, before a piece is gilded, wipe the edges or handles, what- 
ever is to be covered, with a cloth moistened with turpen- 
tine or alcohol. Putting the cloth around your finger, dip 
it into the turpentine, sop it almost dry on a dry corner of 
the cloth and wipe the edge. If the cloth is too wet it may 
run on to your tint or design and spoil your work. Two 
thin coats are better than one thick one — always. 
It is better to have the gold as perfect as possible for 
the first firing, as usually the first firing is the hardest and 
you are sure of a good foundation which will not rub off. It 
is possible with practice and experience to put gold on 
edges, handles or surfaces so that they may come from the 
first firing absolutely perfect. Bear this always in mind — 
absolutely perfect. 
The object of gold work is to enhance the beauty of your 
piece, do it beautifully. Be not wasteful nor slovenly 
with an exquisite material. 
The directions for putting on rims or surfaces apply 
also to handles, except that 5^ou use your square shader to 
paint it on. For a broad band of gold, get the edges even 
first by means of the "lining brush" (red sable rigger), then 
fill in between with the square shader. In applying gold 
to large surfaces, as the inside of a punch bowl, lavender 
oil will be found an excellent medium to make it cover 
smoothly. Better yet, use liquid bright gold for founda- 
tion, being careful not to let it come quite to the edges of 
your ' ' gold surface to be, " as it " creeps, ' ' and if not en- 
tirely covered by Roman gold after — shows an ugly pink- 
ish edge. 
After putting on liquid bright gold, dry very hard in 
the oven, so that it will not "pick up." When it has 
cooled, apply an even thin coat of Roman gold, because it 
is much easier covered then, than after firing, when the gold 
has become bright, shiny and slippery. Dry again before 
firing. There is a saving by first using liquid bright gold 
on large surfaces — ^besides it makes a smoother foundation 
for burnishing. Line cups, salt dips, etc., this way before 
applying Roman gold. Do not use liquid bright gold on 
small surfaces or edges. It is risky, because it is difficult to 
handle neatly, and a slight accident in using it on a small 
surface would cost more than you could save. 
If the gold has become hard on the glass, with the knife 
drop on a bit of turpentine and apply a lighted match under 
the slab to warm it. Be sure to use turpentine first, else 
you only dry out the gold the more. Move the glass or the 
match around all the time (being careful not to ignite the 
top) else the uneven heat may crack the glass. This is one 
reason why it is better to remove to the larger slab only 
what you wish to use soon, as it is much more readily soft- 
ened on the small glass than on thecovered palette. 
If the gold has become old and ' ' fat ' ' use alcohol in 
softening and applying it. Never use alcohol with freshly 
made gold unless you find it too ' ' fat, " as it will become 
' ' mealy. ' ' A change back to turpentine will sometimes 
remedy this, or, possibly, addition of tar oil or lavender oil, 
but do not make yourself trouble by so doing unnecessarily. 
If the gold is fired properly it will come from the kiln 
pale yellow in color and dull in finish, according to the make 
and kind of gold. It is then ready, if you wish to be bur- 
nished. An agate burnisher makes the brightest finish. 
It is nice for rims of plates, also in etching or to make certain 
other finishes. Sand comes next, and used with plenty 
of water makes a soft prett)^ finish for handles, bands, etc. 
It is best for handles because with a wet cloth and a little 
sand you can get at places which another burnishing me- 
dium would not touch. 
Then comes the glass brush. It also makes a soft pretty 
finish, not so bright as either of the others, but oh — the trials 
to the soul caused by its tiny broken particles. It is apt 
to get in 3^our fingers — on your apron — on your palette — 
with no end of loss and discomfort entailed. On the other 
hand, if you wear an old pair of gloves when burnishing' 
burnish only over a paper which is afterward burned care- 
fully to avoid trouble, and wash the china in warm water, 
letting it run off into the waste pipes, it can be done with 
glass comfortably. If you get a piece of glass in your fingers 
hold under the hot water faucet, rubbing always the same 
way. It is very injurious to inhale the particles of glass 
which might possibly arise from too constant practice with 
a glass brush. To make the glass burnisher or brush 
