removing paint from gilded boiserie
Can it be done without causing damaging the gilding?
I NEED ADVICE. I know what I know, but I also know what I don't. And I do not know the best way to remove paint from gilded furniture, frames or boiserie. I am, therefore, requesting guidance from my readers.
I was fortunate enough to buy some beautiful 18th Louis gilded XVI panels a few years ago. It is composed of five main panels ranging in size from 34"x30" to 50" x 30". It had one serious problem, it had all been painted, completely covering the gilding. Surely there is a level in hell reserved for the person who made this decision.
I have begun, using trial and error, to remove the paint. There are two layers - a thin grey coat and a thick beige. Here is what I have tried so far:
1) CHEMICAL STRIPPERS. - These were a disappointment. I tried both the environmentally friendly and the hazardous. They remove the grey paint but turn the beige into a thick tar-like mud. Trying to wipe away this sludge results in some of the gilding wiping off as well. Worse, after it dries, the underlying beige paint can no longer be chipped off.
2) CHIPPING - So, the paint has become fairly brittle. Using a plastic scrapper or a wooden shim, the painted can be flaked off. This is a slow process. The problem with this method is that it takes a layer of gold off as well. Apparently, there are multiple layers of gilt and the top layer is stuck to the paint. This top layer of gilding seperates fairly cleanly from the layer beneath.
The results of chipping are shown below, with some left to do. Some small carved sections separated from the panel during cleaning and will be reglued.
