Laying & Ordinarily a form should not require trimming,
Burnishing though if its edges have accidental roughnesses, these

Gold may be trimmed a little with the pen-knife.

Damping the Size.—The breathing tube is about
I inch (or less) in diameter, and 6 inches or more

in length; it may be made of paper or cane. One

end of the tube being lightly held between the lips,
the other is moved about over the size, which is
gently breathed upon (fig. 102). The breath con-

h placed cm
size immedi¬
ately after breathing

Fig. 102.

densing on the surface of the size, moistens it and
renders it sticky. The amount of moistening re¬
quired depends on the condition of the size.

Care has to be taken that the breath does not
condense in the tube and drop on to the work.

Laying the Gold-Leaf.—Immediately that the size
has been sufficiently breathed upon, the piece of
paper with gold-leaf adhering (held ready in the right
120

hand) is placed upon it, gold-leaf downwards, care Laying &
being taken to place it steadily down, and not drag Burnishing
it across the size (fig. 103). Gold

Fig. 103.

The Rubbing Paper—a convenient piece of thin
but tough paper (held ready in the left hand)—is
immediately laid above the gold-leaf paper, and is
then rubbed over firmly with the finger-tip, in order
at once to attach the leaf to the size (fig. 104). It
is then quickly rubbed with the soft pencil or chalk

\ The burnisher ls si

here - held in the riqht hand - ready for the
next operation ,—Fiÿ.io6.& loy.

Fig. 104.

121