If you've been trying to remove window glazing with various mechanical methods of scraping and grinding stop. Go buy a cheap steamer and you will be much happier.
I did this to wood frame windows made in 1956 that were part of the house when it was new. 64 year old spackle or glazing was hard as quartz rocks. I did this to 6 windows about the same size in the video and it took me 4 hours. No cracked glass!
I wish I had seen this video BEFORE I removed glazing the hard way from 18 window frames! I'll definitely try it for the other 24! Thank you for sharing.
My wife and I just bought a house from the 50s, and the inspectors told us to replace all the window putty. We were pretty nervous about it, but after watching this video we picked up a steamer on craigslist and can't wait to try!
I've watched dozens of DIY videos for re-glazing windows; this one is easily the most helpful. Thanks for saving me what would have been weeks of work re-glazing 14 wood sash windows with 56 total panes of glass. I do wish I'd known about this method when restoring the picture window in a nearly 100 year old house back in '99. It was 52 panes of glass, each about 12"H x 9"W in a 13Wx4H configuration. It was strikingly beautiful, but a real headache to re-glaze while on a step-ladder. I was heartbroken when the new owners tore it out and installed 3 vinyl sash windows in its place.
What is happening is that everybody and his/her brother are now connoisseurs of window restoration. Please watch the real professionals of Historic Window preservation and restoration like John Leeke or others if you really want to know how to take care of your windows and preserve your beautiful wavy panes of antique glass and restore your windows professionally.
I actually saw companies using large steaming containment devices to steam entire windows in a single go which lead me to this solution. But I think it's great that people are wanting to maintain their original wood windows because they realize they are almost invaluable and irreplaceable in today's market.
This is a pretty good trick and was working ok but slow on my 14 pane window from 1921. After finishing one pane it gave me the idea to try a heat gun which worked even better for my window without all the drippy water mess.
Absolutely Genius. I only have one double hung window with 102 year year old putty on my garage and I'm going to use this method. I did not want to use a heat gun and break the glass. THANKS
It works great. Let the steam do the work. Don't bend or pry or push on the caulk until it's nice and hot. Tackle small section at one time, run the putty knife blade from corner to corner, that way you will not apply any bending stresses to the glass and cause it to break (it is supported by the rabbet cut in the frame, supporting the glass). Hold the steam end within an inch of the caulk/glazing compound. Watch out, the steam will burn you it you have any bare skin! DO NOT GET IN A HURRY! DO NOT BECOME IMPATIENT TO SEE THE GLAZING COMPOUND/CAULK BREAK AWAY FROM THE FRAME, IT ONLY LEADS TO BROKEN GLASS! DON'T FIGHT THE GLAZER'S POINTS OR SMALL NAILS BURRIED UNDERNEATH, JUST REMOVE THE SPAKLE/GLAZING COMPOUND AROUND THEM AND REMOVE THEM LATER! WORK SAFE, WORK SMART! Update: after all the spackle is removed run the square corner of the putty knife blade down the lip, corner to corner. Where you feel a bump is where the glazier’s points are holding the glass in the window frame. Concentrate the heat/steam on that spot and dig a little with a small sharp knife or screwdriver to expose the glazier’s point. Grab the point with a needle nose pliers and pull put the point. This step is if you have to remove the glass which I did because it was broken. Be sure to put multiple layers of tape on the glass beforehand to control where the broken glass goes and not everywhere.
Great video. I used a heavy duty box cutter to cut into the meat of the window glaze first. It was just to let the steam get between the window glaze and window a bit faster.
This was so incredibly helpful. I just did a job for someone after watching this and it worked a charm. Three cracked panes removed from very old windows in just a few hours, unlike the many hours I've spent in the past chipping away with a chisel. Thank you.
I picked up a wallpaper steamer. Confirmed it works. Also, it appears that these wallpaper steamers are the same base unit that are used for wood steaming kits so I can easily use the same unit to wood bending!
You can use that steamer for all sorts of stuff is what I've found. The best tools are the ones you use for many different completely unrelated things.
This totally worked! I took out the old cheap Wagner wallpaper stripper (that never really stripped wallpaper well once it all went to vinyl) and used it just exactly like this guy did. Just aimed the hose at the rock hard 40 year old putty, and "Voila"!!!!! I can't remember being more excited about a DIY video! Two days ago this job looked impossible! Thank you, Mr Whatever, Thank you UA-cam ........ and thank you to my wonderful sister-in-law, who lent us her wallpaper steamer about 25 years ago, and told my wife not to give it back. :) My suggestion to those of you who don't own a steamer. Buy one used. There are a whole lot of people who've had them in storage forever, and they'd be happy to sell it to you for five bucks or so. If you have lots of putty to soften, it would even be worth it to buy a cheap one new. This completely takes care of the problem!
Hey I'm glad you found this and it helped! And I agree if you don't on a steamer device it's worth it not just for this or wallpaper. I've used mine for over a decade to remove not just wallpaper but cleaning things, removing paint from odd items. It's simple but effective.
hmmm so ur telling me my glass installer wasted me hundreds of dollars by scraping it dry. gotta add it was on windows that could be up to 150yr old, maybe it was hardened more, idk.
You can use a wet towel and a clothing iron if you do not have a steamer at hand. This consentrates the heat and steam to the putty area only. But as you say, this is the way to go.
I swear to god, this is the best youtube advice I've got. The wife and I acquired 5 windows, 6 panes each, commercial windows of steel frames with thick wired privacy glass. The wired glass was exactly what she has been looking for to do another project. I bought a used steamer on ebay and we have been steaming away. It takes some time, but then all of a sudden, the glass just falls out. Terrific! We are almost done removing all the individual lites. Well worth the $25 for a used steamer.
Well I INVENTED the method to remove a tub drain....put the grinding disc on the Dremel tool ....remove the drain screen....lower the dremel disc (At Horizontal) into the drain....and move the disc slowly around the drain tube...pressing further and further into the tube wall....then BING ! the pipe drops down and the collar lifts up....READY for Drain replacement :o)
I accidentally filled all the knot holes in the lumber I bought for a new bed with Glazo, a window glazing used to fill holes .I learned the hard way this stuff isn't wood filler it's putty and it DOESN'T HARDEN! Not sure what to do.
Super grateful for this tip & all your work posting. I clocked you @ 85 seconds (1:25-2:50) on a 23" section? Is this real time or did U edit out some footage? Our 1924 house has a lot of windows with rock hard cracked glazing, so we'll be trying your method with the warming of Wisconsin soon. Many thanks. FYI readers, Sarco window putties come very highly recommended for the replacement.
Well that's actually a great aspect of this method of removal unlike the others where you are grinding and scraping breaking it down and producing dust. This is basically breaking it out in chunks and it's likely all going to be wet and keep anything from becoming airborne.
Thank you so much! It was great of you to make this video! I used to have a steamer but got rid of it since it didn't work as expected. I'm going to look for a steamer with a hose like the one you showed. You saved me lots of work. I'm replacing a small window that got broken, so there's no glass and may try an old steam iron while I wait for the steamer to arrive.
I have a couple of antique doors that needed window panes replaced and after watching this video I ordered one of these units from Amazon for $60 and wow! Works exactly as you show here. Fast and clean removal of the old glazing with no cracking of the glass. Thanks for the tip!
Yes I think anything you could get to put steam out to a localized area would work well. Sorry it took so long to find. I know the pain of finding a solution after the fact.
Ive restored 5 windows with 12 panes per window. I got most of the glazing out with a sharp utility knife once i figured out the correct angle of attack. The rest i used a harbor freight heat gun with a wide attachment thats build perfectly for glazing.
$$$ & super messy, also most strippers have temperature, wind & sun exposure limitations that are quite specific. Been doing this for months, trust me.
I wish I would have seen this video before I removed the glazing from a window from the 1800's! I used a screwdriver and hammer to chip tiny pieces away. This looks like the perfect method!
Now how long do you have to let the wood dry using this process vs mechanical removal? I have a McCulloch steamer that would be perfect for this, but now is my primer going to stick?
I mean it dries out fairly quick. A day perhaps maybe two depending on the humidity? It doesn't really soak the wood so much it just provides enough heat and steam to break the bond.
Thank you for sharing this! I am glazing for the first time and without the wallpaper steamer, I would have surely broken glass by now since it was rock hard! Took much less time also! May be able to finish (starting in September in Midwest!)!
My handyman spent 12 hours scraping glazing off metal window with 20 panes. For which he will go be paid. Will this work for metal windows? I have another window that needs doing.
It should. You're not going to melt the frames with the level of heat that is produced. Just soften the caulk or glazing so the glass can be removed or the caulk replaced.
Starts by saying how he doesn’t get “specialty tools”. Proceeds by using a wallpaper steamer to remove glazing. Because everyone has a wallpaper steamer lying around 🤦♂️🤦♂️😂
Hey but the good news is you can use a steamer like this for a LOT of different things so I don't consider it a "specialty tool" because it has so many uses. To me a specialty tool is something that has only one or maybe at best two uses. A steamer you can use for a variety of things.
This was gold! I didn't have a steamer, so I made do with hot water from my coffee maker. For the top edge, I folded a washcloth rag into a long strip, and laid that across a piece of wood and wet it and pushed it against the glazing. I did this twice and the putty just softened right up!
Very helpful. Red Devil and Fletcher used to make a plug in hand held device called a putty softener. The closest thing I’ve found to it is a charcoal starter for the bbq, Just hold on glazing 20 seconds and it melts putty back to a semi plastic state where it can be removed.I would never use it indoors. Brian Manne
This method does not work on ancient, sun baked, glazing. The glass pane will crack before the glazing softens enough. Sheilding a heat gun with a larger size gypsum knife works better
Awesome video thanks! Someone was trying to tell me to get new windows but honestly there’s nothing wrong with my windows except the glazing. They are not letting draft in at all so I’m just gonna do it myself. Again thanks!!!
Thank you so much.. I'm taking the putty out of a 1930's door. I've just stripped my house of chip paper with my wallpaper steamer..i''ve researched this before.. Never seen your video till now.. yep mine was about £20.00 from screwfix. Awsome peice of kit. Cheers mate. Kent.UK
I gotta try that... I wonder if they rent those? Didn't have a steamer but I did have a tea kettle. Since the window is laying on my bench, I just poured hot water on it and let it soak, so much easier. I wish I had seen this first.
It is a good idea but I’d still do it quicker and neater with a hammer and chisel, maybe because I’ve been glazing since I was 17 now I’m 34 lol , but great vid for the beginners out there 👍🏼
Neater? Doubt that. I’ve been glazing for 32 years. The lead paint alone is reason enough to steam it! Not one person mentioned how toxic lead paint, lead dust is. And a lot of people use a torch to heat puddy. Now u have toxic fumes too inhale along with breathing lead dust. The steam is the safest, easiest way to do it. Especially when in a customers house.
Is it the heat or the moisture or both that effect the easy removal of old glaze? What is the temperature of the water vapor at the outlet? Does the glazing have to rock hard for this method to work? I’ve always used a heat shield to keep heat from a propane torch from over heating the glass and if careful that seems to work but takes much longer on rock hard glaze than it does on glaze that is still serviceable.
I could not find my steam heater so I used my hot air soldering gun and just set it for 212 deg. Worked like a charm. Controlled heat is the key here. Thank you for the idea though!
Nice. Yes controlled heat is a very good way to put it. Those typical hot air guns can be a bit too....wild. I really want a hot air soldering gun for reflowing but I can't commit to such until I have a bit more space for more toys.
Johnp82 : I missed one little arrow shaped steel nib to hold the glass in place and when I used the quick drying (caulking gun type) it cracked right at that place where the nib was. The caulk gun glazing sucks ass.
Hey... anyone here? I'm down in New Orleans and I'm going to attempt to deglaze and reglaze windows on our 1920's Craftsman home and then prime and paint them. Any suggestions if the wood is a bit worn?
God bless you!!!! I've been having such a hard time trying to get this done. In new to this kind of work and I was literally struggling and crying because it was so difficult and long. But you just helped me out a ton. Blessings to you.
Thanks! Good information. But I'm amazed how many people refer to the putty as "glazing." Glazing is "transparent material (such as glass) used for windows." And the putty is specifically "glazing putty."
A heat gun works a little faster in my experience. But like he says, it's more likely to break the glass. The risk of starting a fire is higher too. You want to keep a spritz bottle and an extinguisher on hand.
Well, who the hell has a wallpaper steamer laying around?
Well I bought a house in 2002 and there was a ton of wallpaper .... and then this.
A REAL MAN THATS PREPARED!!
The guy in the video
Thanks for putting this on UA-cam, you've just saved me hours and hours restoring a glazed cabinet 👍
You're welcome glad it helped
I did this to wood frame windows made in 1956 that were part of the house when it was new. 64 year old spackle or glazing was hard as quartz rocks. I did this to 6 windows about the same size in the video and it took me 4 hours. No cracked glass!
I wish I had seen this video BEFORE I removed glazing the hard way from 18 window frames! I'll definitely try it for the other 24! Thank you for sharing.
Brilliant!!!!! I’m using a clothing steamer, works GREAT!!! Thanks!
My wife and I just bought a house from the 50s, and the inspectors told us to replace all the window putty. We were pretty nervous about it, but after watching this video we picked up a steamer on craigslist and can't wait to try!
Don't forget to put on some good tunes!
I've watched dozens of DIY videos for re-glazing windows; this one is easily the most helpful. Thanks for saving me what would have been weeks of work re-glazing 14 wood sash windows with 56 total panes of glass. I do wish I'd known about this method when restoring the picture window in a nearly 100 year old house back in '99. It was 52 panes of glass, each about 12"H x 9"W in a 13Wx4H configuration. It was strikingly beautiful, but a real headache to re-glaze while on a step-ladder. I was heartbroken when the new owners tore it out and installed 3 vinyl sash windows in its place.
Never go back to a place you loved but sold. Few people appreciate hard work.
What is happening is that everybody and his/her brother are now connoisseurs of window restoration. Please watch the real professionals of Historic Window preservation and restoration like John Leeke or others if you really want to know how to take care of your windows and preserve your beautiful wavy panes of antique glass and restore your windows professionally.
I actually saw companies using large steaming containment devices to steam entire windows in a single go which lead me to this solution. But I think it's great that people are wanting to maintain their original wood windows because they realize they are almost invaluable and irreplaceable in today's market.
This is a pretty good trick and was working ok but slow on my 14 pane window from 1921. After finishing one pane it gave me the idea to try a heat gun which worked even better for my window without all the drippy water mess.
Absolutely Genius. I only have one double hung window with 102 year year old putty on my garage and I'm going to use this method. I did not want to use a heat gun and break the glass. THANKS
It works great. Let the steam do the work. Don't bend or pry or push on the caulk until it's nice and hot. Tackle small section at one time, run the putty knife blade from corner to corner, that way you will not apply any bending stresses to the glass and cause it to break (it is supported by the rabbet cut in the frame, supporting the glass). Hold the steam end within an inch of the caulk/glazing compound. Watch out, the steam will burn you it you have any bare skin! DO NOT GET IN A HURRY! DO NOT BECOME IMPATIENT TO SEE THE GLAZING COMPOUND/CAULK BREAK AWAY FROM THE FRAME, IT ONLY LEADS TO BROKEN GLASS! DON'T FIGHT THE GLAZER'S POINTS OR SMALL NAILS BURRIED UNDERNEATH, JUST REMOVE THE SPAKLE/GLAZING COMPOUND AROUND THEM AND REMOVE THEM LATER! WORK SAFE, WORK SMART! Update: after all the spackle is removed run the square corner of the putty knife blade down the lip, corner to corner. Where you feel a bump is where the glazier’s points are holding the glass in the window frame. Concentrate the heat/steam on that spot and dig a little with a small sharp knife or screwdriver to expose the glazier’s point. Grab the point with a needle nose pliers and pull put the point. This step is if you have to remove the glass which I did because it was broken. Be sure to put multiple layers of tape on the glass beforehand to control where the broken glass goes and not everywhere.
Great video. I used a heavy duty box cutter to cut into the meat of the window glaze first. It was just to let the steam get between the window glaze and window a bit faster.
Yep breaking that paint against the glass seems to help expedite things along a lot.
This was so incredibly helpful. I just did a job for someone after watching this and it worked a charm. Three cracked panes removed from very old windows in just a few hours, unlike the many hours I've spent in the past chipping away with a chisel. Thank you.
Thanks, just another reinforcement for the belief in UA-camrs for great ideas. I have not actually verified but it all makes sense
Thanks yes I have found so many helpful things myself on UA-cam and actually what I found led me to this solution in a different way.
I picked up a wallpaper steamer. Confirmed it works. Also, it appears that these wallpaper steamers are the same base unit that are used for wood steaming kits so I can easily use the same unit to wood bending!
You can use that steamer for all sorts of stuff is what I've found. The best tools are the ones you use for many different completely unrelated things.
This totally worked! I took out the old cheap Wagner wallpaper stripper (that never really stripped wallpaper well once it all went to vinyl) and used it just exactly like this guy did. Just aimed the hose at the rock hard 40 year old putty, and "Voila"!!!!! I can't remember being more excited about a DIY video! Two days ago this job looked impossible! Thank you, Mr Whatever, Thank you UA-cam ........ and thank you to my wonderful sister-in-law, who lent us her wallpaper steamer about 25 years ago, and told my wife not to give it back. :)
My suggestion to those of you who don't own a steamer. Buy one used. There are a whole lot of people who've had them in storage forever, and they'd be happy to sell it to you for five bucks or so. If you have lots of putty to soften, it would even be worth it to buy a cheap one new. This completely takes care of the problem!
Hey I'm glad you found this and it helped! And I agree if you don't on a steamer device it's worth it not just for this or wallpaper. I've used mine for over a decade to remove not just wallpaper but cleaning things, removing paint from odd items. It's simple but effective.
hmmm so ur telling me my glass installer wasted me hundreds of dollars by scraping it dry. gotta add it was on windows that could be up to 150yr old, maybe it was hardened more, idk.
Oooof ....sorry?
You just saved me. Thanks brother.
Thanks for this tip. I was terrified about doing this, feel more confident now. 😁
Flas I saw this. I am about to start reglazing 736 winsow panes on my Queen Anne but htis is the way i will do it now
Hope it worked out for you
You just saved my life, it was driving me nuts!!
Thanks! Old fashioned schooling! Heat and moisture! Brilliant! Way to go!
Does wood needs to dry or i can glaze it after removing old glaze ?
You can use a wet towel and a clothing iron if you do not have a steamer at hand. This consentrates the heat and steam to the putty area only. But as you say, this is the way to go.
I swear to god, this is the best youtube advice I've got. The wife and I acquired 5 windows, 6 panes each, commercial windows of steel frames with thick wired privacy glass. The wired glass was exactly what she has been looking for to do another project. I bought a used steamer on ebay and we have been steaming away. It takes some time, but then all of a sudden, the glass just falls out. Terrific! We are almost done removing all the individual lites. Well worth the $25 for a used steamer.
Well I INVENTED the method to remove a tub drain....put the grinding disc on the Dremel tool ....remove the drain screen....lower the dremel disc (At Horizontal) into the drain....and move the disc slowly around the drain tube...pressing further and further into the tube wall....then BING ! the pipe drops down and the collar lifts up....READY for Drain replacement :o)
Wow thanks I really appreciate that it's helped you and many others.
@@NYMArtswhat does that have to do with steaming windows?
Great tip going to give it try.
I accidentally filled all the knot holes in the lumber I bought for a new bed with Glazo, a window glazing used to fill holes .I learned the hard way this stuff isn't wood filler it's putty and it DOESN'T HARDEN! Not sure what to do.
Hello man, I cant seem to find any info whats the temperature of the steam?
Super grateful for this tip & all your work posting. I clocked you @ 85 seconds (1:25-2:50) on a 23" section? Is this real time or did U edit out some footage? Our 1924 house has a lot of windows with rock hard cracked glazing, so we'll be trying your method with the warming of Wisconsin soon. Many thanks. FYI readers, Sarco window putties come very highly recommended for the replacement.
Yes that was real time all one shot video, too lazy to do any editing. That why the sound went to pot because the wind started blowing.
@@WhateverUnique Lazy!? It was 85 seconds of great info & solid experience, many many thanks for all!
This is brilliant. I bought a Karcher CS1 and it worked a treat. Thanks.
Glad to hear it worked well for you
Awesome. I'm going to give this a try. Thanks!
Yea but don’t overlook the asbestos containing chances on that old glazing
Well that's actually a great aspect of this method of removal unlike the others where you are grinding and scraping breaking it down and producing dust. This is basically breaking it out in chunks and it's likely all going to be wet and keep anything from becoming airborne.
VERY KOOL ! Wallpaper steamer ! ! ! And I ALMOST went for the Dremel :o)
Loved the video. I have a hand held steamer and cant wait to try this.
Thank you so much! It was great of you to make this video! I used to have a steamer but got rid of it since it didn't work as expected. I'm going to look for a steamer with a hose like the one you showed. You saved me lots of work. I'm replacing a small window that got broken, so there's no glass and may try an old steam iron while I wait for the steamer to arrive.
I have a couple of antique doors that needed window panes replaced and after watching this video I ordered one of these units from Amazon for $60 and wow! Works exactly as you show here. Fast and clean removal of the old glazing with no cracking of the glass. Thanks for the tip!
Since I don't have that wallpaper remover that you have, I could use my hair dryer couldn't I?
Mean bro Awsome . steamer good choice. A first 4m thanks mate.
Bottom putty always just pops off
Yes because the natural moisture attacks it first but this steaming method speeds that up for the vertical and upper sections.
Did you end up having any sag from the wood getting hot and moist and either expanding or softening up and sagging?
I am going to try this. I like that it keeps down the dust which might have lead in it. Thank you!
You ARE spot on with this method. approximately 3 minutes per foot. You are very helpful. Yor video speaks for itself.
Thank you for sharing this amazing hack! I will definitely try it.
I think I watched a similar video. Appreciate the outside the box thinking. I'll probably use this technique on an upcoming project.
Glad it helped
I’ve been scraping by hand and now I see your video. 😂 Would a handheld pressurized steam cleaner work? They are only $35 on Amazon.
Yes I think anything you could get to put steam out to a localized area would work well. Sorry it took so long to find. I know the pain of finding a solution after the fact.
the window attachment for heats guns isn't very good still to risky
Ive restored 5 windows with 12 panes per window. I got most of the glazing out with a sharp utility knife once i figured out the correct angle of attack. The rest i used a harbor freight heat gun with a wide attachment thats build perfectly for glazing.
I do the same thing. Edit. Haha. I just replied to my own comment. Didnt know i left one. I crack myself up.
would paint stripper work if you left it on the putty long enough?
$$$ & super messy, also most strippers have temperature, wind & sun exposure limitations that are quite specific. Been doing this for months, trust me.
It works pretty good. I tried it myself.
I wish I would have seen this video before I removed the glazing from a window from the 1800's! I used a screwdriver and hammer to chip tiny pieces away. This looks like the perfect method!
I feel your pain of finding a solution after doing something I assure you.
If you ever come to Australia, I owe you a beer. Thanks mate. : )
You underestimated my memory LoL. I think you might be the farthest person away that this has helped
I will give it a try been long doing glasses but didn't know this
Now how long do you have to let the wood dry using this process vs mechanical removal? I have a McCulloch steamer that would be perfect for this, but now is my primer going to stick?
I mean it dries out fairly quick. A day perhaps maybe two depending on the humidity? It doesn't really soak the wood so much it just provides enough heat and steam to break the bond.
Let the wood dry a day or two. It depends upon the air temperature and relative humidity where you are!
The mechanical tools are f or prepping t he surface after the glass is removed
Thank you for sharing this! I am glazing for the first time and without the wallpaper steamer, I would have surely broken glass by now since it was rock hard! Took much less time also! May be able to finish (starting in September in Midwest!)!
Happy to have helped!
Will putting hot water also do the job ? I don't have a heat gun or steamer.
My handyman spent 12 hours scraping glazing off metal window with 20 panes. For which he will go be paid. Will this work for metal windows? I have another window that needs doing.
It should. You're not going to melt the frames with the level of heat that is produced. Just soften the caulk or glazing so the glass can be removed or the caulk replaced.
Great job ! Thanks so much for sharing your skill. A steamer is your friend
I love steamers for a lot of reasons. Wallpaper, window putty, cleaning things, they're just handy.
Starts by saying how he doesn’t get “specialty tools”. Proceeds by using a wallpaper steamer to remove glazing. Because everyone has a wallpaper steamer lying around 🤦♂️🤦♂️😂
Idiot comment
Hey but the good news is you can use a steamer like this for a LOT of different things so I don't consider it a "specialty tool" because it has so many uses. To me a specialty tool is something that has only one or maybe at best two uses. A steamer you can use for a variety of things.
It's ok I understand what he was trying to say. But to me a steamer is an incredibly diverse tool . Some people just might not see it that way.
Legend!
Genius!
This was gold! I didn't have a steamer, so I made do with hot water from my coffee maker. For the top edge, I folded a washcloth rag into a long strip, and laid that across a piece of wood and wet it and pushed it against the glazing. I did this twice and the putty just softened right up!
I think you can make a lot of options work in this regard. Hot water, steamer you just need to attack it!!
Well I never! Thanks for putting this up
You're welcome I hope it helps
Very helpful. Red Devil and Fletcher used to make a plug in hand held device called a putty softener. The closest thing I’ve found to it is a charcoal starter for the bbq, Just hold on glazing 20 seconds and it melts putty back to a semi plastic state where it can be removed.I would never use it indoors. Brian Manne
This seems great but we need a way to do this while on a ladder
Ohhhhh ok yeah I feel that pain for real.
This method does not work on ancient, sun baked, glazing. The glass pane will crack before the glazing softens enough. Sheilding a heat gun with a larger size gypsum knife works better
You just inspired me to try a Conair Blow Dryer! Worked splendidly!! THANK YOU!!!
Awesome video thanks! Someone was trying to tell me to get new windows but honestly there’s nothing wrong with my windows except the glazing. They are not letting draft in at all so I’m just gonna do it myself. Again thanks!!!
Thank you so much.. I'm taking the putty out of a 1930's door. I've just stripped my house of chip paper with my wallpaper steamer..i''ve researched this before.. Never seen your video till now.. yep mine was about £20.00 from screwfix. Awsome peice of kit. Cheers mate. Kent.UK
Revolutionary! Thank you dear, I will try this for my very stubborn 1950s door. x
I gotta try that... I wonder if they rent those?
Didn't have a steamer but I did have a tea kettle. Since the window is laying on my bench, I just poured hot water on it and let it soak, so much easier. I wish I had seen this first.
Unfortunately did not work for me 😢. I swear these windows have the hardest glazing around!
Hay Junior, if you needed all that to get it out why did'nt you just leave it alone and paint it? Seems unnecessary to me
It is a good idea but I’d still do it quicker and neater with a hammer and chisel, maybe because I’ve been glazing since I was 17 now I’m 34 lol , but great vid for the beginners out there 👍🏼
Neater? Doubt that. I’ve been glazing for 32 years. The lead paint alone is reason enough to steam it!
Not one person mentioned how toxic lead paint, lead dust is. And a lot of people use a torch to heat puddy. Now u have toxic fumes too inhale along with breathing lead dust. The steam is the safest, easiest way to do it. Especially when in a customers house.
@@Gayboi-n6g 😂😂 no chance I hacked out and glazed 10 frames at a customers house in about 6 hours
@@goaboy2294 Yeah, really - speed is what matters. Maybe next time, don't speed read other experienced peoples comments though.🙄
I literally saw this video today and while I don't have a steamer, I do have a Wagner heat gun which worked very well!
Thank you for the idea!
This worked as advertised, thanks!
Glad to hear!
I shall take your advice kind Sir and do exactly that....thank you very much
Is it the heat or the moisture or both that effect the easy removal of old glaze? What is the temperature of the water vapor at the outlet? Does the glazing have to rock hard for this method to work? I’ve always used a heat shield to keep heat from a propane torch from over heating the glass and if careful that seems to work but takes much longer on rock hard glaze than it does on glaze that is still serviceable.
I could not find my steam heater so I used my hot air soldering gun and just set it for 212 deg. Worked like a charm. Controlled heat is the key here. Thank you for the idea though!
Nice. Yes controlled heat is a very good way to put it. Those typical hot air guns can be a bit too....wild. I really want a hot air soldering gun for reflowing but I can't commit to such until I have a bit more space for more toys.
No cracked glass? I'm gonna try this with my variable temp heat gun.
Johnp82 : I missed one little arrow shaped steel nib to hold the glass in place and when I used the quick drying (caulking gun type) it cracked right at that place where the nib was. The caulk gun glazing sucks ass.
I don't have a steamer but I do have a water sprayer and a blow dryer. I'll comment after I try it.
Thankyou for the video
Where can I buy the steamer?
Great tip! Do put anything on the end of the hose?
No, do the hose just as he shows it. Worked for me!
Use a cheap hair dryer to warm the putty up and it will remove quite easily.
thank you for making this video it was a huge help.
Hey... anyone here? I'm down in New Orleans and I'm going to attempt to deglaze and reglaze windows on our 1920's Craftsman home and then prime and paint them. Any suggestions if the wood is a bit worn?
Might be a bit late, but a bit more detail on what exactly you mean by 'worn'? And I might be able to help.
Excellent advice if you have a steamer.
Oh man now I need a steam machine.
OMG thank you
Awesome thank you
Brilliant!
Very helpful!
Brilliant, thank you!
God bless you!!!! I've been having such a hard time trying to get this done. In new to this kind of work and I was literally struggling and crying because it was so difficult and long. But you just helped me out a ton. Blessings to you.
works very well. Thanks
This is incredible!!!
Running your putty knife flat against the glass like that is a good way to pop a pane.
Well thanks for the alternative advice! Not! It's MIA from you!
AMAZING!
Thanks! Good information. But I'm amazed how many people refer to the putty as "glazing." Glazing is "transparent material (such as glass) used for windows." And the putty is specifically "glazing putty."
Would a heat gun work?
A heat gun works a little faster in my experience. But like he says, it's more likely to break the glass. The risk of starting a fire is higher too. You want to keep a spritz bottle and an extinguisher on hand.
Brilliant. I'm going to try it out. Thanks.