I took a two-day class in Weare NH for old window restoration.

Their recommendation, as part of a full sash rebuild, was to use a steamer (they
sell a nice one) feeding into a steam box sized for the sashes.
This not only warms up the glass as well, avoiding thermal shock, but also
softens some of the paint and lets you remove that as well.
They usually use a heat gun for the bulk paint removal, though, because scraping
the steamed sash wood often does more damage to the profile.

Basic sequence:

remove sashes from window, numbering as  you go, traditional numbering pattern

mark all the panes in a sash, also in a standard pattern

Steam sashes

once hot, scrape out putty, points, remove panes (done on a lead-grade/hepa
vacuum table for production, or a simple easel on plastic, for lead collection)

soak panes in water/simple green during following steps

remove all sash paint

perform mechanical repairs (dutchman patches, new pegs, new parts if needed,
epoxy if feeling modern)

prime all (but NEVER sliding sides of sashes) surfaces

first coat finish on sash inside (also NEVER on sliding sides)

reglaze with cleaned (easy after soaking) glass in original locations (recall
the numbers...)

finish coats of paint

As many of the stages (drying wood, glues, putty, paints) take time to cure,
having multiple sashes going in various stages keeps you busy.
A large painters easel can be used for much of the work, but custom tables can
help in production, like a big filtered downdraft table for the putty and paint
removal,
or the one I saw rebuilt into a power-height-adjustable drafting table, with the
table turned into an airbox to pull away the lead paint, and adjustable to ease
your back.

Then similar in-place treatment to window frames, repair old
balances/ropes/chains, add weather stripping, replace sashes.

Good for another 50 years, with occasional painting!  Exterior wooden storm
preferred, modern ones with glass/screen swap-able).
Performance nearly as good as modern double-glazed, much more authentic look,
will outlast anything new.

I'm still setting up a workspace for my 1806 house with (counting....) 17 large
16 over 16 originals, plus more various vintages in later additions.
Will probably do one room at a time, with temporary panels in the openings, or
existing storms left in until replaced.  Given the age, will take a bit
more to upgrade/repair the frames, none have any balance systems and spring pins
and such are broken.

My instructor runs:  http://www.oldewindowrestorer.com/">http://www.oldewindowrestorer.com/
and in addition to the glasses can supply many of the traditional/best tools as
well as techniques and materials.
I enjoyed the class last fall....most of the students either have old houses or
are running/starting restoration businesses of their own....he's spawned off
other businesses
and craftsmen the same way the Windsor chair classes did/do....




-----Original Message-----
From: Nathan Goodwin 
To: Old Tools List 
Sent: Wed, Oct 24, 2018 4:36 pm
Subject: [OldTools] Soften glazing


Is there a way to soften old window glaze to remove it? I am not sure what the
glazing is made of, but I'm thinking it's oil based.



Nathan Goodwin 

H.I.S. Carpentry 

Honesty. Integrity. Service.

(617)347-6744

Blog: https://hiscarpentryblog.wordpress.com/



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