Brian Considine
Abstract
The step by step process of casting, chasing, gilding and finishing a set of mounts for a piece of furniture from the Rococo period was photographed. This presentation illustrates each of the steps, from the preparation of the sand molds, the casting, the deburring, the filing, the chasing, the cleaning, the preparation of the mercury/gold amalgam, the gilding, the evaporation of the mercury, the burnishing, and the finishing. This technique, which is still practiced in the original manner, is described in detail as are the tools and equipment that are used.