Help with gold leaf

[beadammed]

I'm trying to add gold leaf to my lentil beads and encasing them in clear and have two problems: 
First -what does everyone use to manipulate the goldleaf?  I've become goldfinger and all my tools are now encased in gold.
Second-any suggestions on how to melt in the clear encasing glass without cooking the goldleaf undeneath? 
Pictures of your beads would be much appreciated.

[Shirley]

I have dry hands, so I pick the leaf up with my fingers, lay it on a marver and then roll the bead on it to pick it up. I burnish it in with the straight part of my tungsten pick.

To encase with clear I make sure I get a good blob of hot clear ready to go while keep the bead warm in the ambient heat from the torch, and then encase quickly. If I am doing a smallish round bead I use on wrap of glass to encase. On a bigger or longer bead I use a linear encasing, being very careful to keep the leaf out of the direct flame. I then melt the encasement slowly. There is usually some breakup of the leaf, but I like that effect.

[flame n fuse]

I've never used gold leaf, but when I use silver leaf, I dampen a finger and make finger mark on a graphite marver and put the leaf on top -  this is sufficient to hold the leaf in place, then I start to make the bead and roll the bead over the silver leaf on the marver, then burnish it out of the flame

[Redhotsal]

Get a piece of paper and lay it on the surface of the leaf. then tip the book of leaf over so that the paper is on the bottom and allow the leaf to fall onto it. Place another piece of paper on top of the leaf. You should now have a gold leaf "sandwich". This makes the leaf easy to cut to size - cut through the whole thing. Make sure your scissors are clean. It's worth rubbing along the blades with some sort of alcohol based cleaner then thoroughly drying them - nail polish remover is good, especially at this time of year when scissors are being used for sticky tape and Christmas wrap.

I find that the leaf is less likely to stick to wooden things - bamboo tongs (like you get in fancy Chinese takeaways) are good, as are bamboo skewers - so these can be used to move the leaf around when it has been cut. I find the perishing stuff will stick to anything metal, will always stick to me, even though I have skin like a mummified cat, and will float away if you even attempt to breathe at all while in the same room.

Don't even consider working with leaf anywhere near a fan heater. You must be very cold, very dry and without breath. Dead, preferably. 

[GaysieMay]

So funny, but true Sal 

[SilverGems89]

Wet toilet paper, stick leaf to paper, roll bead over to pick up  Just make sure your paper stays wet and you shouldn't have any fire problems

[Redhotsal]

Wet toilet paper, stick leaf to paper, roll bead over to pick up  Just make sure your paper stays wet and you shouldn't have any fire problems

...especially after a Meat Phall......... (sorry, I'll get me coat.....  )

[SilverGems89]

Wet toilet paper, stick leaf to paper, roll bead over to pick up  Just make sure your paper stays wet and you shouldn't have any fire problems

...especially after a Meat Phall......... (sorry, I'll get me coat.....  )

HAHAHA Sal! 

[The Tartan Trout]

Bamboo tweezers for me Helen Gorick has a lovely gold leafed pen

[Pat from Canvey]

I use a damp small paintbrush to pick up a piece of leaf once cut as Sal suggested. Then I can transfer the leaf to my slightly damp marver.

[Margram]

I'm posh, me. I use damp kitchen roll .  Will try the paintbrush technique, Pat 

[beadammed]

Thanks everyone.  Lots to be trying out.  Back in the shed so...

[Helen G]

Thanks Sarah  Yes it has a life of its own, bamboo tweezers and tissue paper to manipulate it onto a marver. It's when you've spent 20 minutes painstakingly placing several pieces on a marver for a set and then a teenager barges in shouting mum and said pieces of gold leaf waft around into the air and disappear, that you cry 

[Redhotsal]

It's when you've spent 20 minutes painstakingly placing several pieces on a marver for a set and then a teenager barges in shouting mum and said pieces of gold leaf waft around into the air and disappear, that you cry 

YES! 

[ROC]

This is the funniest thread I've read in a long time!

Has anyone used the vacuum box to hold the leaf?  http://lbazcreations.com/ps/lampwork-glass-tools/27-baz-box.html

Just wondering if it's worth the cost.  Thanks!