More Putty Woes

[sixeighth]

Would you be able to tell from the pic what I'm doing wrong?

SashWindowPutty

• sixeighth
• 18 Nov 2010
• 1

Sash Window Putty

 

[ladylola]

Doing it blindfolded and then putting your putty coated thumb on the camera lens?

 

[Burnerman]

Knead the putty well...recent stuff is best because the oil should still be around.
Push plenty of putty into the rebate and press like hell as you do so with your thumb.
Spit on the putty knife before you draw it along towards you. It only takes 30 years of practice!
John

 

[sixeighth]

I probably wouldn't do worse blindfolded. I haven't been pressing hard enough but don't have thirty years to get it right!

Hopefully I'll post an 'improvement pic' (one without the plastic still on the lense )

 

[crank39]

Knead it well till its warm and soft, the putty in your picture looks hard and cold. Get a tennis sized ball in your palm and use your thumb to push into the rebate, if you find it easier roll a length out into a sausage size, place into the rebate with one hand and push on with your thumb on your other hand.

I've done a fair few hack outs in my time and i thought i was quite good at puttying up, until i worked with an old boy who was an old skool glazier who made me look silly, he ran the putty with both hands and pointed it before i'd even finished 1 side.

Puttying is an art and a dying one at that, it takes years of practice to do a proffesional job so don't be too disheartened, keep having a go and the good thing is if you make a hash of it then you just scrape it away and start again and its very satisfying once you've mastered it

Good luck

 

[sixeighth]

Won't be tackling the next window for a few weeks but thanks very much for the input as it gives me some hope - I'm sure the next one will be much improved.

 

[ladylola]

If your putty is very sticky it can help to wet your hands first whilist you knead it, stops it sticking to your skin as you work the oil in and similarily burnermans suggestion about spitting on the knife is the same thing, putty won't stick to something that's wet.Good luck and the practice ain't a bad thing.

 

[gregers]

if i have a pot of putty i will mix all of it that way i ensure all the oil is mixed rather then just a little bit,if then you find its still to sloppy i run the putty over a peice of ply or newspaper to get rid of some of the oil,
used to work with a chap who for some strange reason if you gave him putty that was a bit stiff within minutes it was a gloppy mess on his hands.

 

[ladylola]

I think I've worked with him as well was he just as useful with a pot of glue as well?
Only Dr ladylola's theory but I reckon that it's something to do with how the oil soaks into the skin. Glaziers never have putty sticking to their hands which I think is because of the oil buildup prevents it , or I've got a buildup of drivel