Steam trick's decent, but I usually stick with a heat gun on low—more control, less drippy mess. And yeah, scoring's non-negotiable... learned that after cracking a client's antique window. Not my finest hour, lol.
I've had decent luck with the heat gun method too, though I admit I was pretty nervous the first time around—visions of shattered glass everywhere, haha. I found that keeping the gun moving steadily and evenly really helps prevent hot spots and sudden cracks. Scoring definitely makes a difference, but I've also noticed that patience is key. Rushing through it never ends well... learned that the hard way when I cracked a pane in my own house. Luckily it wasn't antique, just old enough to be annoying to replace.
I've never tried steam personally, but I imagine it could get messy pretty quickly. Maybe I'll give it a shot next time I'm feeling adventurous—or have a window I'm less attached to.
I've had mixed results with steam myself. Tried it once on an old basement window—figured if things went sideways, no big loss. It definitely loosened the putty, but man, the condensation was a mess... ended up spending more time wiping down the glass and frame than actually removing panes. Makes me wonder if there's a sweet spot between heat gun and steam methods—maybe something gentler like infrared heat? Has anyone experimented with that yet?
"Makes me wonder if there's a sweet spot between heat gun and steam methods—maybe something gentler like infrared heat?"
Infrared sounds interesting, but honestly, I've had decent luck just using a hairdryer on low heat. Takes a bit longer, sure, but no condensation mess and less risk of cracking the glass... might be worth a shot?
Infrared seems neat in theory, but honestly, I'm skeptical about the practicality. I once tried a similar "gentle heat" method using an old space heater—ended up wasting hours with barely any progress. The hairdryer suggestion sounds more realistic...
"Takes a bit longer, sure, but no condensation mess and less risk of cracking the glass..."
Exactly. Sometimes simpler really is better.
Haha, your space heater story hits close to home. Reminds me of the time I tried using one of those fancy heat guns my neighbor swore by—ended up scorching the paint and nearly melting the frame. Lesson learned: gentle heat is great in theory, but sometimes a hairdryer and patience really are your best friends.
"Sometimes simpler really is better."
Couldn't agree more... slow and steady beats cracked glass and frustration any day.
"gentle heat is great in theory, but sometimes a hairdryer and patience really are your best friends."
Haha, true enough, though even patience has its limits. Ever tried the putty knife trick with a little WD-40? Sounds sketchy, but saved me from glass shards more than once...
WD-40 can help, but careful—it's petroleum-based and can stain wood frames or affect paint adhesion later. Personally, I prefer a sharp putty knife and controlled taps with a rubber mallet...less messy, fewer surprises.
I'm with you on the WD-40 caution—it can be a bit of a wildcard, especially if you're planning to repaint later. I usually stick with the putty knife too, but I've found that warming up the glazing compound slightly with a heat gun (on low!) makes it way easier to remove without cracking the glass. Just keep the heat moving so you don't scorch the wood or blister paint...been there, done that, not fun.
Good tip on the heat gun, but honestly, I prefer a hair dryer—less risky for me. Last time I used a heat gun, I got distracted for a sec and ended up with some nasty paint bubbles...lesson learned the hard way.