SECTION VIII;
Of gilding of glafs annealing or burning.
GLASS may be gilt, by applying as a cement any gold fize, or other fize, gum water, or varnifh; and, when it is of a pro- per degree of drynefs, laying on the gold as in
the other methods of gilding : and poliihing it alfo in the fame manner, if the burnifht ap- pearance be defire’ll: but where that is in-tended, it is proper .to add . bole armoniac,
chalk, or other fuch fubftance to the cement.
When drinking glaties are to be gilt, without burning, the cement ihould be either ibme gold Cize formed of oil, or fome kind of var- ni£h compounded of the gym refine, that will not diffolve in water; but require either fpirit of wine or oil of tuipentine for their folution : at prefent, neverthelefs, this i$ not only neglected by thofe who gild drinking glades for iale; but glades gilded with gum arabic, or the fizes which will difiolve in water, are im* pofed upon the public for the German glades gilt with the annealed gold; and fold at a dear rate under that pretence; though after they have been ufed for a very fhort time, the gold peals and mbs off in fpots when the glades are cleaned; and renders them very unfighdy. As die glades with gilt edges are at prefent much in fafhion, and the true kind are brought from Germany or elfewhere, the ‘ incitement of the cultivating this branch of gilding here would not be an unfit object of the premiums of the worthy fbciety for the encouragement of arts: fince for the doing this work in perfection, there is nothing mere wanting than that dexterity of the manoevre, which arif^s from a little pra&ice in matters of this kind ; as I have before (hewn in treating particularly of this article p. 320, the general method, and explained fully there and elfewhere, the nature of the fubflances proper to be employed as far as refoe&s this operation.