John,
This summer I had my house repainted and had to do a lot of re-puttying
of windows (I have a century home with over 60 windows and almost 800
panes of glass, all with old-style putty) so I have gotten really handy
at re-puttying windows.
The most important thing needed for a good putty job is a good putty
knife. For a long time I used a soft-bladed knife and my experience was
the same as yours. One day this summer I tried a high-quality flat
scraper and I couldn't believe the difference it made. The scraper looks
the same as a regular putty knife with about a 2" blade, but the blade
is stiff, chromed and has a very sharp knife edge. I used the back-side
of the scraper, so the knife edge was away from the putty.
The first time I used it I couldn't believe what a great result it gave:
smooth surface with no tearing or pulling. Getting the blade as parallel
to the final surface of the putty edge is also necessary. Other comments
about keeping it warm while you are working are right on.
After that, a steady hand and patience are all you need.
John P. New
London, Ontario, Canada
On Mon, 2005-09-12 at 17:14, John T. Blair wrote:
> So my question you all you DIYers, what tricks do you use when trying to
> smoothout and cut the glazing off the window?
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