By Larry Eisinger
TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

If you have an old house with wood windows, the glass is held in the sash with glazing points and the edge sealed with putty, making it impervious to air and water.

After years of exposure to weather, the putty cracks and sections may even break away. If the cracks are severe enough or it sections removed if have broken away, your best option is to remove all the putty and replace it with a glazing compound that withstands the weather better.

The shaft is also fitted with an adjustable collar that can be moved to control the depth of the cutter. Since wood sashes also have glazing points at intervals under the putty, adjust the collar so the carbide cutter clears the glass by about 1/16 to 1/8 inch. If you hit a glazing point, you will not damage the cutter, but you may need to replace the point if it is removed completely.

Work in the clockwise direction. If any putty remains near the edge of the glass, it can be easily removed if necessary with a regular putty knife.

Trying to chip out old putty is often tedious and very time consuming. One window can take up to an hour to de-putty. However, you can accomplish the same job in minutes with the tool illustrated. Called the Putty Chaser because it cuts out even the hardest and most stubborn putty around old sash, the accessory is chucked in a portable drill. The shaft has a carbide cutter. A T-shaped guide sleeve is notched so it slides along the surface of the sash (Figure A).