Edge Gilding with Real Gold Leaf; John Mitchell Approach // Adventures in Bookbinding

In this video I'll follow the #edge #gilding technique described by John Mitchell in his GoBW Standards of Excellence video from 1995. The main points are that he burnishes the edge before apply gold, uses starch size, uses brush/hair tips to handle the gold, and uses both a dog tooth and flat burnisher for final burnish.

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DAS Bookbinding YouTube Channel guide
https://dasbookbinding.com/2019/12/14...

00:00 Edge Gilding; John Mitchell Approach
00:45 Making starch size
02:10 Ploughing edge
02:40 Talc edge
03:15 Smooth edge with scrapper and sandpaper
04:10 Apply bole and burnish
05:50 First coat of size
06:10 Load hair tips
08:30 Second and third coat of size
09:00 Final coat of size and placing gold on edge
10:00 Set the gold
11:40 Burnish with agate burnishers
14:40 Shameless Patreon plug

John Mitchell's Standards of Excellence video
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/95gbw2

Agate burnisher
http://www.hewitonline.com/product_p/...
https://www.talasonline.com/Agate-Bur...

Bole
http://www.hewitonline.com/Red_Bole_p...
https://www.talasonline.com/Armenian-...

Gilder's knife
https://www.talasonline.com/Gold-Knife
https://www.stonehouses.co.uk/stainle...

Loose gold leaf
https://www.goldleaf.com.au/gold-and-...
https://www.talasonline.com/August-Ru...
https://www.hewitonline.com/Gold_Leaf...

Brush tips
https://www.talasonline.com/Gilders-Tip
https://www.goldleaf.com.au/brushes#/...
https://www.hewitonline.com/Gilders_H...

Wheat Starch
https://www.talasonline.com/Wheat-Sta...

Other relevant videos
Edge Gilding; Jen Lindsay Approach
   • Edge Gilding; Jen Lindsay Approach //...  

Starch Size Recipe
Makes 175ml of starch size
Mix 1 level teaspoon of refined wheat starch to 25ml of water - mix well
Add 150ml of boiling water while mixing
Bring just to the boil either on the stove or in the microwave, stirring regularly
Let cool
Keep covered and strain before using
John uses laundry starch. I use Silver Star laundry starch. Many powdered laundry starches have additives which you don't want, so check the label. Silver Star has been used by bookbinders in Australia for decades for paste and size. However, it is now almost impossible to get and I suspect about to be discontinued. Any of the refined wheat starches available from bookbinding supply stores would be perfect.

More detail list of steps
Make size and let cool
Dress the top of a pair of gilding boards
Cut the edge of the book to be gild (guillotine or plough)
Fan the edge to be gilt and talc
Put book between gilding boards and place in lying press
Remove marks in the edge with card scrapper
Final smoothing with fine sandpaper
Clean away dust
Strain sufficient size for the edge
Thin layer of bole on edge
Brush burnish with soft bristle brush
Lightly burnish with cleaned flat agate burnisher across the edge
First coat of size with soft size brush
Prepare enough brush/hair tips with gold to cover edge
Second coat of size
Third coat of size
Put loaded tips near book in the correct order
Final coat of size
Place gold on edge while the edge is wet
Wait until no liquid is under gold
While edge is still moist under gold set with wad of cotton wool
Set edge with fleshy thumb through silicone baking paper
Optional wait for edge to dry a bit more
Final set with agate burnisher very gentle through baking paper across the edge
Wait for edge to dry – 30 to 60 minutes
With cleaned dog tooth burnisher burnish along the edge in 25mm/1in sections
Repair any breaks
Apply thin coat of bee’s wax
Repeat burnish along the edge with dog tooth burnisher
Repeat applying bee’s wax and burnish along with dog tooth at least once more
Apply bee’s wax and burnish across with flat agate burnisher
Remove book from press and open book

The tools and materials I use can be purchased from specialist suppliers and manufacturers in my suppliers list. If you are in Australia I have a limited range of items I supply by mail or by pickup from the bindery in Brisbane.
https://dasbookbinding.com/shop/
https://dasbookbinding.com/2020/03/27...

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English Closed Caption titles by Carrie Snyder. Thank you!!