On 14/04/2021 12:17, newshound wrote:
On 14/04/2021 12:00, alan_m wrote:
On 14/04/2021 11:42, newshound wrote:
On 14/04/2021 10:12, GB wrote:
Removing old very hard putty - what's the best way to do this? It's
in a Critall steel window, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the
original 1930s putty.

I've been using an old wood chisel and a hammer, but it's very very
slow work.Â* Is there a much better way? Not keen on a blow torch, as
there's probably loads of lead paint on it, but would a hot air gun
help soften it?

.
Correct, warming it up will make a surprising difference. Especially
easy with Critall windows because you can supply heat to the frames
ane warm it up from the inside. Do it gently until you find the right
setting to avoid risk of glass cracking (unless the glass is already
cracked, of course).


A hot air heat gun with a direction nozzle is preferable to a blow
torch if any of the glass is to be saved.

Agreed (although it does depend a bit on the torch, and whether or not
you are used to stripping paint from window frames with one). I started
with a blow-lamp!

But my recollection (it is a long time since I did this) was that if
anything less "heat" was needed for softening putty than for stripping
paint.


Thanks very much for the advice, everyone. I've even managed to find the
hot air gun, which my DW had hidden.