Foiling

[TRITON]

"Foiling"
I'm not even sure if thats the right term.

Criteria -
What I want to do is create a picture, to use as inlaid panels in a mantelpiece im making.

I have seen many years ago a guy who created these panels using either superglue or hot melt glue to make the picture - Birds, flowers etc, then overlaid it in thin copper foil which he then vacuum packed so the glue left an imprint of the picture. Relief picture I think. Or the other one, leaves it proud.

My idea was, though looking through you tube I can find nothing that relates exactly, was to take a ply panel, draw the picture in glue so it stands proud, then coat the entire thing in pva and place a thin copper foil over it, pop it in the vac lamination bag so that it presses on leaving the glue outline thus creating the picture.
You then burnish it to give it more definition.
Likely to be quite the trial and error as I can see maybe the foil tearing or not stretching across the outlines exactly.

Anyone any idea what this technique is or have tried such themselves ?. If I know the name of it, i'll know what the search for for some visual instruction - do's/don't's

The mantle is in solid Maple, which is a bit bland, although I'm intending on tapering fluted columns and a wee bit of carved scrolls, but all the same just the single colour. I thought if I could make up some panels i could mount in recesses it would break it up a bit more. Say on the uprights of the back board and across the top or the sticky out bit.
sorry for my terminology I've done a couple of them, but still no idea what all the component parts are named.

 

[Alpha-Dave]

I think you are describing a form of guilding, which would appear to be the correct term for using other metals as well as gold.

However, normally the metals are so thin that they can be made to conform to the form without the need for a vacuum bag. Also they have a special adhesive called ‘size’ that dries to just the right consistency very quickly, and applies well so you can gild the areas you want without over spill.

Apparently there is different costs for the materials, and aluminium, particularly coloured is available as a low cost option to gold.

 

[Alpha-Dave]

If ‘forming’ a thicker metal sheet, then ‘beating’, with a hammer and chisel is also called ‘embossing’ or ‘chasing’.

Vacuum forming (generally used for plastics), could also be what you want.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repoussé_and_chasing

 

[TRITON]

Sorry should have said, not as thin as gold leaf. More tinfoil thickness or slightly thicker.

A quick google on copper foil rolls gives a thickness of .15mm with options of 0.1, 0.2 or .0.5mm(Although I think the.5mm t0o thick.. Thick enough not to tear, but not too thick it wont form around the shapes.
I was thinking copper as this is the material the print maker i first saw the technique using.

I think it best I experiment and post results. I see 1mx100mm.0.2mm is about a tenner, so not too much to try it out with.

Tinfoil is " heavy duty household foil is typically 0.024 mm thick " Though that sounds a bit thin.

At least experimenting it wont annoy the neighbours

 

[Dee J]

Repoussé is the classical way of working a relief design directly in thin sheet metal. Gilding is a way of covering a pre-existing relief pattern. Never heard of vacuum forming a metal sheet onto an underlying pattern - would be interested to see that. I wonder what thickness of what metal would work with the available 15psi?

A bit of searching comes up with vacuum foiling where the applied material is a plastic film with a metallised coating - rather like the interior of crisp packets or like metallised Christmas wrapping. Is that it?