CBH Oil gilding the case top mouldings

• Always read the accompanying technical description!

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Carey Beebe demonstrating oil gilding of the harpsichord case top mouldings.

The mouldings have been painted and varnished along with the case, and brought to their final smoothness. A uniform coat of size is applied using a piece of buckskin with a beveled end. After some time, the size can be checked for readiness. When it barely pulls the little hairs on the back of a finger, the gold can be applied without drowning.

Here, genuine 23K gold leaf from a 13mm wide roll is used. The roll is unwound while the gold is lightly pressed onto the tacky size. A fingernail creasing the backing paper helps ensure gold coverage in the quirks of the moulding. A light brushing with a soft camelhair mop then pushes surplus leaf onto any remaining bare areas of the almost-dry size.

Overflow on the painted case top rim can be removed with another piece of leather lightly dampened with White Spirit. The next day, the mouldings are lightly polished with a cotton wool ball to remove any flake residue (not shown). Nothing goes on top of the leaf.

Photos of this instrument as work progresses can be found here: http://www.hpschd.nu/wip/53.html

Ruckers Double Harpsichord, Carey Beebe, Sydney 2010
commission for Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore.

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[hpschdnu]

The mouldings of this type of instrument are cut into the top of the various case parts before the case is glued together.

[LeithMusic]

For me the most mysterious element of the building of these instruments is the moulding along the edges. Imagination escapes me, I doubt they could be planed out or cut with a knife or sent through a miller ; please explain this.