Glazing points

I'm going to get right to the point. Installing the glazing points is the weak link in restoring my windows. The edge of the glass is so fragile and there you are pushing and wiggling this little pointy thing, right in the area that is most delicate.

In my glazing point experience, I have come across three different types. The first type is the diamond shape glazing point. This is the type I removed from my current windows. It is also the type of glazing point used in the windows of my first home, a 1921 Dutch Colonial with six over six double hung windows. I spent an entire summer re glazing windows in a 2 story house. No big deal, except that I did all the work while on a ladder. Makes my legs hurt just thinking about it.

The second type is the kind I am putting back in the windows I am restoring. Don't be aghast that I am not reusing the ORIGINAL glazing points. First of all, most were thrown out with the old glazing. Second of all, those that remained were so embedded in the wood that they took all the strength I could muster to remove them. They now look like a mere shadow of their former glazing point self.
The points on the left are the ORIGINAL glazing points. The points on the right are the new, much easier to install glazing points.

The third type is a triangular glazing point. I have yet to run across these in the store. I have only witnessed photos of their existance online. I had such an ordeal getting the glazing points I'm using that I wouldn't even attempt to ask for the triangular glazing points at Home Depot. Maybe my helpful hardware guy has them. But I really don't think it makes much difference which type you use. Use the type you feel most comfortable with.

The sash should look like the photo below after you have removed all the glazing residue and applied the sealer of your choice.

The trick to installing glazing points is to keep the glazing point flat against the glass and firmly press using your tool of choice toward the wood. I prefer the glazing tool. A metal putty knife would work also. I like the glazing tool because it is thicker so I don't need to make a small fist when I am holding it. You'll have more strength in you hand if you can hold (grab) your implement with a more open grasp. Your hand will also not fatigue as easily.

If the glazing point doesn't feel like it wants to penetrate the wood, don't fight it. That's how panes get broken. Move to another spot. If it does not want to penetrate there either. Toss it. These glazing points are stamped out of thin sheet metal. Not high grade steel either. If the die they are using is in bad shape or the shear is dull, you get a....for lack of a better word....funky dull edge. Yup.......just throw it away....and as you do it, say to yourself......"There's another half cent shot right in the ass!" Then move on.

I thought I had a photo of the glazing tool and glazing point technique but my camera must have malfunctioned. It is really difficult holding a tool properly with one hand and a camera with the other. At least 50% of my photos get deleted because they end up showing my foot or the edge of the table and not the intended target. But luckily with today's technology and digital cameras I'm not wasting film. And you know what that would mean????

I am installing small panes of glass, so I use 1 glazing point at the top and bottom and two on each side. I stagger the glazing points so that adjacent panes do not have the glazing points in the same place. The muntin bars are so thin that I would be afraid that it would split the muntin bar.
The trick is to take your time. Slightly wiggle (side to side NOT up and down) the glazing point so that it is fully embedded into the wood. If it doesn't go all the way in it will protrude beyond the muntin bar and will be noticable from the other side (interior) of the sash. It also will not be as strong.

If you are worried that you might have left over glazing points, don't fret. They are cheap. Plus you can always use them to hold the glass in a picture frame.

I removed all the glass from the last sash before I left the house today. My plan is to remove the remaining glazing compound and wash the glass tonight when I get home tonight. But that plan could change if my drive home tonight doesn't go smoothly. Right now it is in the mid 40's. The weather forecast states that it will be in the high teens when I leave work tonight. It is currently raining. So unless it quits raining soon and the roads dry off quickly, I am in for a long drive home. Oh and add to that wind gusts of up to 50 mph. At least at 3 in the morning the traffic is sparse. Usually the only other cars on the road are the drunks. Hopefully they will already be in the ditch and out of my way.

Time invested today 40 minutes. Total time invested 30 hours 40 minutes.