Antique Restoration Products

General Recipes

Hide Glue

(135 gram strength)

65 g      Water

35 g      Hide glue

Soak dry hide glue granules in water for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Melt in a double boiler before use.

Shellac

1 oz      Shellac flakes

1 cup    Ethanol

Combine dry shellac with ethanol. Stir occasionally for a few hours until dissolved. It is normal for some sediment to occur. Strain through fine cheesecloth before use.

Recipes for gilding

Rabbit Skin Glue Size for Gesso

1000 ml            Water

90 g                  Hide glue (originally 45 g Rabbit skin granular glue)

(Or: 150 ml with 13.5g glue; 0.5 c. water with 4 flat tsp glue)

Soak until fully swelled, then cover and heat in double boiler until completely dissolved. Refrigerate and test consistency after completely cooled down. The glue should spring back when pushed on with your finger.

Gesso

Put glue size in bowl, sift the whiting in until all liquid is absorbed. Gently stir with finger. Strain.

Bole

Put clay in rubber bowl. Add equal amount of water, stir with finger until smooth. Add water until just drips off brush, keeping track of the quantity. Add same quantity of glue size to mixture.

(or: put clay in rubber bowl, add water until desired consistency; add same amount of glue size)

Gilder’s Licquor

10p                   Cold water

2p                     Ethanol

1p                     Stock size