Chipping out old glazing putty

[pebbles]

This old putty is absolutely rock solid, and whilst I am managing to chip it out gently with scraper and hammer, am not sure if there's an easier way - if anyone has any ideas I'd be grateful.

The wood's obviously a lot softer (even though it's oak) and it's certainly challenging to not gouge it. Am hoping to get all the paint off, but is likely it'll end up shabby chic - just realised on first scrape it's not oil based :roll:

 

[Steve Maskery]

A Fein would do the job. Lidl have their own brand (don't expect Fein quality though, for £29!) coming up in a few days.
S

 

[Woodmonkey]

Did you try a heat gun, even very old putty should soften up with some heat

 

[Jacob]

Yes, heat. Hot air gun direct if you are scrapping the glass, as it will break. Or ditto but protect the glass with something suitable. I use the brass flap from a large old letter plate - hold it in one hand and the hot air gun in the other. The biggest problem is sprigs or nails. You have to locate and extract them carefully or you may break the glass. NB sprigs and tacks are bad practice - they should only be used (if at all) as temporary holding with large panes whilst the putty is going off, and then removed

 

[pebbles]

Excellent - thank you. I hadn't thought of heat. The glass has gone, am replacing eventually with copper-foiled stained glass panels... designed but not yet made.

Steve - pardon my ignorance, but what's a Fein? I'll have to check my local Lidl - wonder if we get the same specials here?!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Fein:
http://www.multimaster.info/en_uk/

Lidl:
http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/SID-2E4D1 ... 10126&ar=7

S

 

[Mike.S]

In a similar vein to the heat gun suggestion you might consider steam.

There's several YouTube vids eg.here and depending upon what you have available you can either use it in localised areas e.g. using a wallpaper stripper or knock up carcassing/ducting and put the whole door in. Latter may help strip the paint also.

 

[pebbles]

Thank you for that Steve. Just for fun I tried putting my postcode in Lidl's search... oh well! Have found lidl.fr and bookmarked so will check regularly.

Thanks Mike - I'll try that if the heat gun doesn't help though I'm reluctant to get wet when I can't really heat the workshop at the moment!!!

 

[Bigdanny]

hot air gun will do it. If you have a medium setting this is better, a bit slower but it will prevent and charring or cracking the glass. I did all my outside windows last autumn using this method.
Danny

 

[pebbles]

Thanks Danny... will take it easy on the wood - the glass is thankfully no longer there!

 

[MMUK]

I'm surprised no-one has suggested using a multi-tool

 

[rafezetter]

Did you try a heat gun, even very old putty should soften up with some heat

+1 did this to windows and a door earlier this year, it went all soft and came out easy, just be careful to play the heat generally and don't sit it in one area or you'll crack the glass.

 

[heimlaga]

When I work with old window sashes where the corners are put together without glue I often knock out the wooden pins that lock the corners together and then gently knock the sash apart. After the glass has been removed I can use the heat gun as much as I want with no risk od destroying the glass.

Otherwise I cover the glass with a wet piece of cloth that keeps the glass cool and use the heat gun carefully on the putty. If the heat is distributed evenly along an entire side of the glass one can usuallt heat the putty enough without cracking the glass. The older the glass is the more difficult and risky this procedure becomes as old hand blown window glass has lots of internal stresses in it from the manufacturing process. Thats why it cracks very easily and unpredictably compared to rolled glass or floatglass.

Full time professionals use a dedicated putty lamp for this job. They are much kinder to the glass than an even so carefully used heat gun http://www.leifarvidsson.se/SE/Om-oss/S ... lampa.aspx

For removing the putty after heating I use a chineese junk chisel. As soon as I get around to it I will make a dedicated putty chisel with an adjustable depth stop that rides on the outward face of the sash.

Good Luck

 

[pebbles]

Thank you for the tips - I'll try them for the next one I have glass in - there's no glass in this one, so am safe on that score - more likely to scorch the wood if I'm not careful.

No progress at all today - give a builder a horizontal surface and....

 

[Alex H]

Thank you for that Steve. Just for fun I tried putting my postcode in Lidl's search... oh well! Have found lidl.fr and bookmarked so will check regularly.

Good idea. Generally / unfortunately the offers in the UK are not the same as in France

 

[RogerS]

There is a Swedish (IIRC) company who developed an IR lamp of a frequency that went straight through glass without heating it up but was absorbed by the putty. You can hire them from a company in london but not cheap.