Gold Leaf How To, with pics

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While the adhesive is setting up pick out a sheet of leaf, they have two sides flat and gloss, you want the flat side facing up.

Let the plug touch the leaf leaving about ½” overhang on the nose, the plug should be top down with the belly facing you. You want to center the plug as much as possible.

Gently lift the plug and leaf, now working the side closet to you slowly and evenly rub the leaf onto the plug from center to each end, don’t worry about getting it 100% flat, completely rub the leaf on both sides.

If the leaf makes it all the way around the plug, just rub the seam where the two pieces meet, the excess will tear away from itself, leaving a clean seam. Do NOT rip the leaf with your fingers, it will tear off in chunks.

If the leaf does not make it around the plug, just rub it down leaving the belly uncovered.

Repeat the process on the tail end of the plug allowing for over hang to cover the end of the plug.

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Now if you need to a piece to cover the belly if the leaf was too short, use an excess piece from the rubbings, making sure gloss side is facing you. Gently the piece fall onto the plug and slowly rub it down just like the other pieces, again where the seams are will rub away from itself and you will have a clean seam.

Make sure to get the nose and tail sections too, if needed use excess pieces and repeat the process.

Areas that will be covered by hardware such as lips, grommets, eyes, etc don’t need the leaf.




Now that the plug is completely covered slowly burnish the edges and seams using a gloved hand, using light pressure going back and forth working small areas will remove the excess leaf, be careful not to apply too much pressure as the leave rips easily.

If you do rip the leaf or find a spot that was missed use scrap piece to fill it in.

Allow the plug to set up for about 24 hours, I usually give it a few days or more depending on my schedule. Here you are allowing the adhesive to bond fully to the plug and leaf.

Give the plug a light coat of leaf sealer, usually sold by the same company that makes the leaf. I’m not sure if you can use regular spray sealer, I use the one the manufacture recommends.

Give the plug a thin coat of epoxy and allow to cure fully.

If you epoxy with the plug not wired, then give it 3 to 5 coats of epoxy, sanding in between each coat and allowing to cure too. Once done assembly as usual.

If you wire your plugs before epoxy, then assembly and thru wire the plug as usual, then give it 3 to 5 coats of epoxy, sanding in between each coat and allowing to epoxy to cure in between coats as well.

Then its done!!

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Here’s some notes:

This is a time consuming process not so much the applying of the leaf but all the coats of epoxy. I usually do these plugs first in the beginning of my building season and just give them a coat of epoxy every time I do my other plugs.

Go slow!! The leaf is very thin and tears easily.

Keep any fans off , stay away from open windows or doors, the leaf will easily blow away on you and makes a mess.

I wear gloves the whole time I’m applying the leaf, if I get adhesive on the gloves I change them so they don’t stick to the part I’m trying to rub down.

The leaf comes in all sorts of colors, gold, silver, copper, red, green, black and blue variegated and bronze.

It usually takes me two full sheets to do a plug this size.

[chefchris401]

Here is the red leaf and green leaf.