A recent test of oil size

About a month ago I decided to make some sample "chips" using 23ct Manetti patent gold leaf using 4 different sizes, all oil, to see any differences there might be. I used Rolco Quick (3 hr.) Rolco Slow (12 hr.) Rolco Artisans and LeFranc 12 hour, (the old formula with lead) which can't be bought any more. In appearance they were all similar except the Rolco Artisans. It left the leaf somewhat matte looking. Recently I gilded a 600 sq. ft ceiling using this oil size. It took about 16-18 hrs to get to tack, and had plenty of working time. Actually could gild for 8-10 hrs and it would show no signs of setting. I also noticed that days later you could touch the gold and it would still seem like it was not cured. Same thing with my sample chip a month later. So being a closet chemist, I just had to play. I mixed some japan drier in it and made another chip. Using the same gold leaf in the same climate, my studio/garage. Happy results followed as I found the gold bright, not matte and to the touch it felt cured or dry as the Rolco Quick and Slow were. The Artisans is a nice size, maybe a touch too thin, but I highly recommend testing it in your climate before jumping into a project. I know that any future work using the Artisans size by me will have a little bit of driers added.