As some of you may have seen my past posts and pictures, I just recently purched a 322 year old colonial. An historic house that needs a serious amount of work. One of the minor issues that will be time consuming is removing very old seriously cracked glazing from each and every widow pane in the house. the windows are 12 over 12 and theres a reallllllllll lot of em. I saw a product called putty chaser or something like that that fits in your drill and cuts the putty out. I read a cpl of reviews and most said that it was a waste of money. that it didnt know the difference between the putty and the wood. Anyone have any experiance with this $20 tool?
I thought about using a router with a straight bit and a guide along side a straight edge 1×6 running up each length of window and then across. Spose I’ll experiment on one window. Remove the parting strips and bring in each window onto comfortable saw horses inside. I need to strip each window down anyway and replace a lot of the weights and cords/chains. Once I get a good technique down I will hire someone to go around the whole house.
Was just wondering if anyone had any ideas other then the old chisel and hammer method.
Thanks y’all
BE well
Namaste’
Andy
It’s not who’s right, it’s who’s left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Replies
HEAT!
I have a heat gun to soften it and it slides right off with a putty knife or window tool or paint knife.
For as many as you have, it might be better to invest in a pad. Window shops have them and I'm not sure of the exact name of this tool but it is "L" shaped with the two wings about 6" x 6" and a padded center. The edges of the wings have a resistance electrical coil that warms up and the pad sits right on the glass. This way you are warming two sides of the window glazin at once - the right heat without charring wood or breaking glass (If I get in a hurry with the heat gun or over heat it'll make the next pane over shatter) You can be heating one pane while scraping another one and keep moving.
I'm sure you can find a glass wholesaler who can sell you one or tell you where to buy.
Incidentaly, you know about Bendheim Restoration Glass, right?
Excellence is its own reward!
Andy,
Heat and a Fein MultiMaster. Check "tool crib" for the Fein, about 200 bucks and very versatile.Ditch
Thanks all......yeh, I removed some seriously hard putty from a basement metal window frame a few months ago with my torch set on a low heat and the putty came out like it was just put in (or easier). Needless to say I wont be using a torch on these windows. I'll probably go with the heat gun and check into that Fein MultiMaster (thanks Ditch). I'll also check into that pad from a local glazer (thanks Piff) and I will be taking pictures all along the way of this old 322 year old house to post starting towards the middle of November.
Thanks again and be well
Namaste
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Andy.............
The corner shaped putty heater is made by Fletcher Tool Co...........try a google on it.
.................Iron Helix
Iron, Gold and Ditch......I contacted Fletcher and it seems theyve sold that area of their Co. to another who I looked up. Seems they have a tool specifically for the glass industry that cuts the glazing out. Guess by who? Fein! Its not the Multi MAster. Its a similar tool specifically for cutting out hardened glazing. I think I may check into the Fein Multi as I can use it for other things as well. I may just try looking up that article in FHB about that infrared deal as I'm guessing theres plenty of lead over the glazing. thing is..I have a lifetime of panes to unglaze and my guess is that technique may take two lifetimes. Maybe invest in a reallyyyyyy serious mask and go with the heat gun cause I have one already. see how that works to start out. Time does count....after all I'm 51 and only have another 50 left I figure. So little time and so much to do.
Thanks guys
BE well
Namaste'
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
1100 °F is the temp that makes lead fumes for you. Most heat guns on medium are OK. Another way to tell - if the skin on your fingers is blistering off...
;<).
Excellence is its own reward!
Piff.......I have more then blistering skin already so what the hey. I'll do before and after shots.....pictures I mean...I know its Friday night and Andy E is celebrating,,,,wasnt refering to black and tans. Photos I meant,,,,
Excel.....
I mean ,,,,Namaste,,,,be well,and what the hell
AndybuildzIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Andy,
I'll venture forth here and stick my neck out. All that's been discussed here so far is the removal of the old glazing and nothing's been said about replacement with the new. So here's a little info that may be helpful to you or someone else.
There's a little trick that "an old boy" at the local glass shop showed me many moons ago and I've used it ever since....... just before you stuff that new glazing in there and strike off a new bead, apply a thin coat of boiled linseed oil on both the wood and the edge of the glass where the glazing will contact. I use a flux brush for this most of the time. When the boiled linseed eventually sets up, it'll help seal and glue that glazing in there for a long life expectancy.
It's imperative that you get your oil primer on that glazing at the appropriate time (shortly after the glazing has skinned over) and then when that has dried, get your topcoat(s) on.
My wife and I did all the prime windows and the new storms I built for this place in '88 and I haven't had to even think about replacing so much as an inch of it, as it all looks like new. After a few lessons and a few windows, my wife could strike a bead with the best of 'em. Moments like this make a man proud.
Maybe you could tear out all the windows at once and a bunch of us could meet somewhere for an afternoon and each do a couple of sash. Make sure to bring plenty of beer...........and band-aids.
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Gold-man
How bout I remove all the parting strips and all the sashes.....Barrels of "good"beer (on ice of course) tub of linseed oil (far away from the brew....lol) and sites set up for campers/ vans and tents and lots of bar-bee-q pits besides my stove as well inside the 322 year old crib.....45 min to NYC and Shea and Yankee Stadium,,,,,,,?Make an awesome weekend of it here in the NYC area......screw the windows.....OK OK so you all get to do one pane you pain in the azzes......Come April, May........Sound good? Andy Buildz fest? Soon come mon?
Just a flash......Pool might even be workin then...with the heater for sure...who knows what we could do here in NY....bring yer axes(guitars I mean) and congos.and woman and kids and lets do a real NewYork Party y'all...part-E!
Just behave.....ahhhhhh, screw that! I been thrown outta far better places! Well?
Namaste ya'll
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 10/4/2002 10:39:21 PM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)
Edited 10/4/2002 10:45:59 PM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)
The old house journal had a recommendation to flood the window with linseed oil for 24 hrs to soften the putty.
Is there a better product than Dap 33 glazing putty. I can't belive that we still have to use linseed oil mixed with a filler to glaze windows. There must be something easier and better. Dow has a recommendation to use their silicone. Apply a bead to the wood and set the glass (clean off the excess within a few min.) Tape the glass, squirt some silicone and tool the bevel (oh and by the way the product has a 3-5 min. tooling time). They make tub caulk with a peel and stick strip and preformed bevel I never used it so I don't know if it works but it looks like a good idea. Using glazing putty is a Zen like thing, sometimes it is as smooth as a babies bottom but other times it is a god from hell sticking to the putty knife, not sticking to the wood, or worst sticking to both but having craters in its surface taking a thumb covered in mineral sprits to remove the cracks.
Oh well.
If you don't like looking at your windowpanes, just take some(windowpane)!listening for the secret.......searching for the sound...
That would be the pinwheel pattern on the floor.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Forget the primal scream, just Roar!
Wow. A real throw back. I remember blotter and purple haze. I'm surprised that I remember that much.
Well, you've evidently got more guts than I do. I was going to suggest the Fein, but feared folks here would think I'm nuts.........not that they don't already.
I've used my Multi-Master for this very thing quite successfully, but sometimes I'm afraid to recommend it as they don't come cheaply. Nor do the blades. Wouldn't be without it tho as it does so many jobs for me that nothing else can do and does them fast.
I've also used my Roto-Zip to remove hardened window glazing with the 1/4" "burred" bit. Worked great, although you have to hand guide it if you want to be efficient about getting done.
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Agree with piffin, and a putty knife sideways so you don't ever push right towards the glass. I've seen people use razor blades and try to chip it out. This one guys record on a 6 over 6 was 5 and 4 panes broken, respectively. I think I'd be leary as heck of the router idea. I can just see glass and hard glazing go flying off a 23000 rpm bit. But if you do it, at least take pictures for the rest of us!
The prazi putty chaser runs off a drill motor, not a router. My suggestion is to take the sash to a stripper. All the paint and putty will be gone, and you can start fresh.
Putty chaser a piece of sheep dip, will send you a nearly new one for postage.
Heat is the way to go. I heat the tool, not the glass and don't break so much glass.
Andy- If you have some original panes there I'd be paranoid as all get out about maybe breaking one.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Forget the primal scream, just Roar!
we use the heat gun too, works great.. but you will break some of the lights.. any little nick inthe edge will run out when you put the heat to it.... no big deal with modern glass.. but if you're trying to save some of the ripple glass i'd go with the dip stripper..
I want a little more than postage for my Prazi.. but not much more... say $3 incl postage....what was i thinking ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Okay Andy,
Just in case, you know, a pane or two of that beautiful wavy glass breaks.
S. A. Bendheim Co. , Inc. - 61 Willet Street, Passaic, New Jersey 07055, 800-221-7379
Precut Light Restoration Glass $15.95/sf. They will cut to size and ship it to you, cutting out mark-ups by the local glass guy.
Paint stripper, putty chaser, heat gun, elbow grease, some swearing, chisel, and some more swearing. Each window will have a unique 3-inch piece of putty that has bonded to the wood on a molecular level and requires you to come up with a new way of removing it....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
If this glass is 322 YO it might be a heavier grade of restoration glass than the common light. The light wavy was most common about 120 to 150 years ago. A talk with the folks at Bendheim will set you right. Don't let'm think you are just a homeowner tho', they'd rather sell to glass houses or professional installers. You can also buy a full crate (?30 sheets of 30"x30"?) for about a third the price of precut per square foot..
Excellence is its own reward!
The last issue of FHB had an article on an infrared head lamp designed to remove putty and paint from sashes. I don't know the page number.
Features I remember were that it softened lead paint without raising it to the temperature where it would release harmful vapors. And, it heated putty for removal without the extreme temperatures that can damage/crack the glass.
Piffin, You're correct, the heavy restoration glass may be in order here. Bendheim has no problem selling to homeowners. My wife has an account with them (restoring the windows has become her thing). We live in north NJ, so we pick up the glass ourselves. I went with her the last time just to wander around the warehouse while waiting for the pick-up. It's a great place....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Jeff
Most of the wavy gravey glass is history.....as in gone...lol. Some is still intact but for the most part I cant go nuts on turning this place into a museum so its mine now and that means where glass needs replacing its going to be 21st century glass. I've already determinded that I'm not going nuts to bring this back to the 1600's,I cant afford it..... just to respect the craftsman before me and go with that in my heart and hands and hope for the same from a future owner down the line. I figure I'm the first in at least over seventyfive years or more that finally cares to get it back on its foundation that Andrus Titus (the original builder) intended it on.
After all.....the guy before me has high hats installed on the top floor cause he couldnt figure out what to do to light a low ceiling...oiy....theyre coming out real fast. Time for lamps and sconces.
Be well
Namaste
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Check out the stripper tank dip. You can do the fun part of painting and reglazing instead of removing putty. Probably would do less damage to glass and frames anyway by stripping.
Mark
Where might I find this?
Thanks
andyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
ok very funny Mark......I Googled "StrippersTank Dip" and all I got were lesbian strippers pushing each other into a pool......lol
Be well
Namaste'
andyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
What's the URL for that?
A Furniture stripper shop can dip the sash. You get no paint, no putty, no broken glass, no broken or damaged wood, not much work either. Just costs some money, but probably cheaper than doing it yourself.
Edited 10/4/2002 3:49:20 PM ET by MARKH128
Mark.....youre right. I most certainly will look into the cost. The only thing that "dipping" glued pieces of furnature is that it loosens the joints but sometimes not all that bad. Something to look into and I will. thanks bro.
Be well
Namaste
andyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
PS...... I was KIDDING abou the lesbian strippers pushing each oter into the pool......lol
aIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Andy,
I understand completely about the glass. The cost savings can go towards lamps and sconces. On my house we decided that the front windows and the windows in the "public" living and dining rooms would get the cracked wavy glass panels replaced (did you know scotch tape doesn't keep drafts out?). All the other windows get new glass if needed. ...that's not a mistake, it's rustic
They've probably changed over the years. When i set up my acount about 8-10 years ago, I had to wsend letterhead or invoice and jump through a couple other hoops to prove I was a business..
Excellence is its own reward!