The Framers Forum

I'm about to attempt applying layers of gesso onto a frame for shellac and gold leaf. Can I apply gesso over Ever Build wood filler? Likewise would any spots of PVA wood glue repel gesso?

The gesso should cover most small repairs such as 2x part wood filler and any PVA over-spill.

The wood filler shouldn't cover an area larger than 1cm sq. and maybe sand back any large area of PVA showing on the surface.

Two part wood filler will take most finishes after is have been sanded smooth. The sanding paper provides a good key for most other finishes. While we are discussing this, I often build out the backs of frames to make deeper frames and I take a thin slither of the outside end of the mouldings to level everything off., it's often the easy way out , when making deep ready made frames this way to stipple a thin layer of extra thick acrylic medium of this face of the moulding to lose any remaining visibility of the join between both pieces of wood and the add a final finish over that.

It also seems to work with acrylic texturising gel as well. I make little display cabinets with internal shelves. The shelves are sometimes made from plywood, stippling the end faces of these shelves with extra thick acrylic medium and then sanding them down produces a nice smooth edgeand helps to hide the fact that the shelf is made of plywood. Obviously, I have to hand finish the shelf afterwards to hide the sanded down extra thick acrylic medium, but it's a quick and easy fix.