Thanks!
Yes it does need adhesive in this application. What I did was apply 3 coats of clear water based finish first. Don’t use oil based clear coat if your adhesive is water based. Paint the adhesive into the v carve working in sections. You don’t have to be perfect with the adhesive.
Applying gold leaf takes some practice and patience. Luckily imitation gold leaf looks great and is super cheap so mistakes aren’t expensive.
Now you can sand/scrape the surface to get rid of any rouge leaf and clean it up. Then take a exacto knife and lightly scrape the perimeter to make the edges nice and crisp. Finish up with more clear coat (you need it for imitation gold leaf or it will tarnish) and you’re done!