repairing 20 year old gold leaf countertop

marilyn · Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 744 Location: Boston, MA

I've been asked to take a look at repairing a goldleaf bathroom countertop. They don't know if it is real gold or what kind of finish, just want me to "touch up" a 6 sq " area. She sent photos and I'm going to see it tomorrow. What do you think is the best way to analyze this surface?

1st year apprentice · Joined: 22 Jan 2010 Posts: 2055 Location: Scotland

Analise, Carrots Rabbit job. joking aside what surface this on how hard wairing, not that i think it would get much abuse in this area. how affected by water and temp.. will be interesting you assesment.

Brian

Pat · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:45 pm Post subject:

Red flag! I would be running, nah just kidding. Looking forward to hearing bout it.

lynne · Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 4972 Location: san francisco

it's definitely compo leaf. it will be hard to match because it has aged. I can't say how to fix it without being there but from first glance I'd say it's not worth the time to repair it, but maybe they got some use of it, so maybe you should sell them a new/more durable finish for this counter.

fontgeek · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:49 pm Post subject:

Take some close up photos of areas in good condition and of the areas in poor condition. Include a short ruler in each photo so that we have and idea of the actual sizes you have do deal with.
If you can repair it, I'd be tempted to re-clear the whole surface rather than just the repaired areas.

paintycait · Joined: 27 May 2007 Posts: 252 Location: Scotland

I have to say I wouldn't be thinking about repairing a compo leaf surface - a redo I would have thought. By the time you try and match it all in , a redo could be done and to be honest I think that the new stuff would age at a different rat from the old

marilyn · Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 744 Location: Boston, MA

When I looked at it, it looked like someone took some gold dust and tan paint and rubbed it over a 6" blob. It looked kind of cloudy too and the color looked suspiciously like the paint color that was on the window trim. She said nothing was done to the surface except someone had put rubbing alcohol and some windex and they rubbed some gold powder on it.

The photos she sent me only show the good part. Unfortunately she hovered over me the whole time I was there so I didn't take photos.

I tested the surface with denatured alcohol to see what kind of varnish it was. Denatured alcohol didn't do anything so I assumed it was an oil varnish. The gold powder came right off along with 20 years of dirt. It started to look much better. When I thought it looked as good as it was going to get she took out the magnifying glass and said she could still see some "lines". I continued against my instincts. As I continued all of a sudden these opaque pale blueish paint specs started appearing and then a paintbrush mark appeared. Looks like someone had tried to cover the mark up. So I showed her what was being revealed and she thought i had broken through past the gold leaf down to the base. I showed her with her magnifying glass how it looked like the paint was sitting on top of the varnish. She said nothing ever happened to the countertop, that it was sitting in a closet for 20 years before they began installing it a week ago.

So I told her at this point you have 3 choices. 1 is to continue with the solvent down to the varnish coat which should remove the opaque paint and is what I recommend first since there's nothing to lose at this point. 2 is to try to color with whatever materials nec. to camouflage but not exactly match the rest of the surface. But it will never age at the same rate and she will be looking at it every morning when she washes her face, 3 is to resurface the whole thing similar to the finish she had based on a new sample. I told her to sleep on it and let me know what she wants to do. I have to come up with a price for this finish. It shouldn't be too much though because it's a tiny bathroom vanity maybe 2x3', minus the sink so I think I will charge her time & materials on this one.

When/if I go back, I will take photos. Fontgeek, ruler is a great idea!

strongv · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject:

Sand it, reguild it.... then use one of those new high build technical pours on top...

This is a bar finish... encase the finish with epoxy after sealing it with MSA

and, it SO looks like composition leaf... I don't think it would be worth repairing when you could probably redo it for the same price or less.

tzan · Joined: 20 Aug 2010 Posts: 235 Location: Pittsburgh, PA

StrongV, what is MSA?

strongv · Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:54 am Post subject:

Mineral Spirit Acrylic

all the joy of an acrylic finish without the pesky water which might tarnish your finish.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/golden-msa-acrylic-varnish/?wmcp=google&wmcid=products&wmckw=00628-0059

one day I will remember that acronym without having to look it up again.

marilyn · Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 744 Location: Boston, MA

Pat, I have samples I did in the spring with gold leaf topped with epoxy. I sealed it with shellac first, then epoxy. It hasn't tarnished yet.