Hi, I have just picked up a wooden sliding door and window. They are a
colonial style and each of the three sections (Fixed window, sliding door
and windout - awning window) have 10 small pieces of glass in frames. The
windows/door are made of Australian wood - Tasmanian Oak and were painted.
I will be stripping them back to stain a maple colour to match my other
windows/doors. Is there any easy way to remove the putty from the window.
Most of the putty is hard and very difficult to remove. Thanks in advance

I have an old sturdy knife, the type with a rounded end and a blade on
only one side. If you place the rounded end on the glass and the
sharpened bit on the putty and tap the top gently with a hammer it
works a treat.

A friend of mine uses a similar idea, but with an old chisel that
snapped. He grinded it so the that the top inch of one side was
sharp, the end was smooth, and does the same idea.

I would recommend putting masking tape down the glass where the blade
will run if you intend using it again.

Barry

www.woodworking.wizkids.co.uk

Prazi putty chaser is your friend....

http://www.praziusa.com/puttychaser.html

I assume they would ship you one down to Oz...


Rick wrote:

Hi, I have just picked up a wooden sliding door and window. They are a
colonial style and each of the three sections (Fixed window, sliding door
and windout - awning window) have 10 small pieces of glass in frames. The
windows/door are made of Australian wood - Tasmanian Oak and were painted.
I will be stripping them back to stain a maple colour to match my other
windows/doors. Is there any easy way to remove the putty from the window.
Most of the putty is hard and very difficult to remove. Thanks in advance

On Feb 6, 12:22 am, "Rick" wrote:
Hi, I have just picked up a wooden sliding door and window.
... have 10 small pieces of glass in frames.

Classic putty is kaolin (clay) mixed with linseed oil. If it
is hard (the linseed oil has polymerized), a little heat will
soften it. Careful use of a propane or butane torch, or
a hot air blower, will soften it so a scraper will remove it.

The glass may be held in with glazier's points (little triangles of
steel), so be prepared to pry at those, gently, as you scrape.

The putty I've dealt with softened at a lower temperature than
was required to blister paint, so you can consider paint to
be durable enough to survive the process. Or you can apply
the heat a little longer and remove the paint (it's also
composed of linseed oil, usually).