Help, gold leaf bonded to book paper

[mdimatteo]

I have a book of gold leaf where a lot of the leaf has bonded to the booklet paper. Has anyone had this problem? Can I still use the leaf. Do I just use it and burn off the paper or will hat burn the gold? Any help will be appreciated. And by the way, anybody know why this happened? Is it the heat and humidity in sunny Florida or something else?
Thanks for any help.
Mary

[SuzyQ]

I would guess the humidity. Do you have a room with a dehumidifier? You might want to try to dry out the book of leaf and see if it will separate. In my experience gold burns off quickly and I would be afraid the gold would burn off right along with the paper. Let us know if drying it out works. Just in case I am in the same situation :) What a bummer.

[Holly]

I had that happen with a book of silver leaf. I did use it with the paper attached but it was a hassle so I didn't use much. The smell of burning paper was nasty too. There was no effect on the silver from what I could see.
That was only $10 down the drain. For gold leaf I might use the whole book that way. :)

[mdimatteo]

SuzyQ, I'm thinking the humidity too. I may not deal with this until I get back from the B & B show. Gosh, I hope I can use it. At the price of a book of gold lead I'm willing to work pretty hard at it.
Holly, thanks. That at least gives me some hope. When you used it, did you put the paper against the bead and have it burn away leaving the silver or did you put the silver against the bead?

[WeeMary]

I sometimes lay my gold leaf on a wodge of wet kitchen paper, I roll the bead directly on it (stops it blowing away). Maybe you could get the gold leaf to transfer to the wet kitchen paper, let you peel the transfer paper off?

[SuzyQ]

Well what if you just roll the bead on the paper with the gold facing up? You might get just the gold and not the paper.

[Holly]

SuzyQ, I'm thinking the humidity too. I may not deal with this until I get back from the B & B show. Gosh, I hope I can use it. At the price of a book of gold lead I'm willing to work pretty hard at it.
Holly, thanks. That at least gives me some hope. When you used it, did you put the paper against the bead and have it burn away leaving the silver or did you put the silver against the bead?

I laid the silver face up on a marver and laid the bead on that. I don't think it matters really.

Mine was bonded when my big FAT cat laid on the book. The whole book was ruined. :lol:

[Holly]

Maybe you could get the gold leaf to transfer to the wet kitchen paper, let you peel the transfer paper off?

I tried this with the silver and it didn't work. The leaf is too thin.

[Sue in Maine]

I cautiously let the paper burn... I have some silver that's stuck to the paper. I just make sure it's on a flame proof surface and have no breeze. Just set my hot bead on it and let the paper toast, marver the whole thing to the bead and cross my fingers.

I'm not a firebug but the cost of the silver? I carefully am using the silver up.

Sue

[mdimatteo]

I feel better knowing I'm not the only one this has happened to. Not that I'd wish it on anyone else but sometimes you wonder "Do the glass gods hate me?". Thanks for the idea Mary and Thanks for telling me it doesn't work Holly. I'm going to try to burn it off the paper. I may get in some torch time this weekend while my daughter visits friends. If so I'll try this and report back. Any other ideas are certainly welcome. Cross your fingers for me please.

[Pat]

What if you wet a tile or piece of graphite, lay the paper side down in the wet and try rolling the hot bead on the gold. Worth a try I suppose.

[Canyon Echoes]

I have a book like that and it was supposed to be for gold leafing letters onto paint. Rub the back of the paper to transfer it. I just lay the whole sheet on a wet paper towel and roll my bead. PITA

[tammydownunder]

What if you wet a tile or piece of graphite, lay the paper side down in the wet and try rolling the hot bead on the gold. Worth a try I suppose.

I tried this and it did not work. Instead, I have gold permanently bonded onto my graphite marver.

[mdimatteo]

Johanna,
PITA, You said it!!

[one hot beader]

I have a book like that and it was supposed to be for gold leafing letters onto paint. Rub the back of the paper to transfer it. I just lay the whole sheet on a wet paper towel and roll my bead. PITA

Yup that's what I do...or if I'm feeling lazy just whack the bead onto the gold and let the paper burn, then worry about putting it out if it actually catches rather than just smoulders.

[Lisa]

You might try putting it in the fridge while you're gone - it'll dry things out!

[mdimatteo]

Lisa, it's worth a try. Thanks for the idea.

[Starrr]

Take a piece of printer paper, fold it in quarters and get it wet. Lay your sheet of gold leaf on the wet printer paper with the sheet its stuck to facing down which will leave your gold leaf facing up. You now will have a sheet of leaf attached to the printer paper and you can lightly mist it with water before you roll your hot bead on it. The key is to always have the printer paper wet when you roll your bead on the foil.

[mdimatteo]

Thank you Starr. I hope these tips work. After I've used them, I'll report back.

[G.L.McBead]

put it on top of the kiln,that should dry it.
G.

[mdimatteo]

Good thought, G.L. First I'll try drying it. If that doesn't work I'll try the other suggestions. Thanks everyone for taking the time to comment.

[beadbroad]

I have a book like that and it was supposed to be for gold leafing letters onto paint. Rub the back of the paper to transfer it. I just lay the whole sheet on a wet paper towel and roll my bead. PITA

Yep, there's a name for it. Patent? (as opposed to loose). Comes that way.

[penny5658]

Hi
I have some of this and it comes this way. I used is when making cards and such. You put glue down(it's a special glue made for this) the let it dry till it is tacky. You then lay the gold leaf face down and rub it onto your surface. I don't know the brand name. I'm pretty sure this is what you have.
penny5658

[mdimatteo]

actually, the leaf was loose when I got it and in some places it still is but I think this method will work just the same. Unfortunately, I can't try it yet as I have company and am trying to work out some adobe elements problems with pictures. YIKES!!

[Moth]

wet the paper