Old House Journal – September 2019

44

Before removing

a sash window,

secure the sash

cords in place

with a thumbtack

or tape to prevent

them from

falling into the

weight pocket.

THE

PRO

TIP

CO

UR

TES

Y^ B

AGA

LA^

WIN

DO

W^ W

OR

KS

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ND

RA

CL

INE

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(BT

M.)

CUTTING new glass

The key to cutting new glass is to measure carefully and

recheck your measurements before marking and cutting.

Alex advises measuring the opening size of the glass needed

and deducting^1 / 8 " from the measurement on each side, to

allow a little wiggle room for movement and contraction, as

well as a possibly imperfect opening.

Measure and mark the glass using a Sharpie, as a point of

reference to make the cuts. (It washes off easily afterwards.)

Then gently clamp the straightedge just off the line so that

the glass cutter can ride the straightedge the whole length

of the cut. A sharp cutting wheel is paramount to a success-

ful cut. It’s debatable whether cutting oil is useful or not,

but Alex advices he's always had better luck with cutters

that incorporate auto-fed oil as part of the cutting process.

The cutter’s job is simply to score the glass on a line that

will give the glass a predictable, clean break line. When scor-

ing the glass, make a single slow pass with even and not-too-

hard downward pressure on the scoring wheel. Once the fi rst

line is scored, pick up a pair of running pliers, mostly fl at but

with a very slight fl are on either side of the center line; a rub-

ber sleeve covering the end protects the glass. Line the pliers

up with your score line, then apply subtle pressure, just

enough to start the glass breaking on the line. When it works,

you see the glass snap and start to crack along the line.

REPLACEMENT GLASS

To replace broken or missing glass, you have three options: buy new restoration glass

(see tint box, opposite), order antique wavy glass from a dealer, or salvage the glass

from an old sash yourself. The Santantonios chose the last option, which is by far

the cheapest. When visiting salvage yards, look for a sash window that has panes

of glass large enough to trim to the size needed. Alex looks for glass that is either

exactly the right size, or 4" larger, making it easier to cut it to size. Be sure to take

glass cleaner and paper towels with you to the salvage yard, so that you can clean

the glass and get a true sense of its appearance.

The windows at Olson House, now a museum and famous as the setting of Andrew Wyeth’s painting

“Christina’s World,” were recently expertly restored by a team from Bagala Window Works.

GLASS CUTTING TOOLS Sharpie pen • Straightedge • Oil-fed glass cutter • Cutting oil • Glass running pliers • Cut-resistant gloves