Dip a putty knife in mineral spirits to lubricate it and smooth out the compound.
Best putty knife for window glazing.
The angle is helpful especially at awkward positions when you have to leave the sash installed.
I rely on a very stiff 1 5 putty knife to tool putty and a soft thick paintbrush to dust off the glass with dry powder whiting.
This so far has been great for applying and smoothing out window glazing putty.
When the glass is fully in place insert the glass points on the outside of the glass.
Wet the knife again and run over the compound as many times as it takes to create a smooth surface.
Use your putty knife for this.
It is stiffer than your average knife it has almost no flex to it.
They should not show above the outside of the glazing putty.
I seem to prefer it over a regular putty knife that s straight and somewhat flexible.
To complete the job smooth out the new glazing compound.
The bedding went on smoothly and the glazing was easily packed into the rabbet and cut smooth with a standard putty knife.
The traditional putty knife has a stiff blade but as young explained those are for removing window glazing as well as putting glazing in but you can do that with a flexible blade too.
Oil based putty is easier to work with when it s warm.
A specialized tool called the window zipper also is great for loosening painted joints.
They will fix the glass while you apply glazing putty to the outside.
I use a combo of two 3 stiff putty knifes and a thin pry bar to wedge out stops beads and sash.
They should be spaced about 6 inches apart and lightly tapped into place with the putty knife.
It is relatively easy to use not too oily or too dry and tools to a nice smooth finish.