I've also been reglazing windows lately, largely old ones we've collected to restore the windows back from the vinyl hell they were in when we purchased our bungalow. So far, so good! Graywings, the stuff your old woodworker uses to help skin over the glazing might be whiting? It's powered chalk, basically. I think. I don't know how much the little mechanical point guns cost, but the one we inherited is a little blue thing by CRL and it's brilliant, easier than pushing or hammering them in. The gun also helps break less glass; I can get a little kamikaze with a hammer. We use little points with the gun that are more like diamonds than triangles, although I think the gun will take various shapes. They're perfectly flat so they work exactly like the old ones. I haven't encountered any nails-for-points in windows yet (I'm in Maine, there might be regional differences?), but have had windows that have tiny little slivers of extra glass wedged in to hold the panes. Zowie! Those freak me out every time I crunch into one with my scraper. Schoolhouse, I found that your new wedge-shaped putty knife is actually brilliant for when you're removing glazing and trying to get the triangle points out -- mine has a slight nick in the front that just scoops up the points as you scrape along, easy as pie. I've been using Sarco-M putty and just love it. You can get small quantities of it from winnmountainrestorations.com in NH or smithrestorationsash.com in Vermont. It's great chewy stuff that warms up well in the hands and I think it's easier to work with than the gloppy tube or jar stuff. Ooh, rats, I just looked up the point driver gun and it's pretty pricy. Here it is, just for reference: CRL Point Driver. Still might be worth it if you have lots of windows to do?

Just pull the sashes; you need to do that anyway to put in the primary sash weatherstripping since you're planning on installing airtight storms. I don't know if you have pulleys (which complicate the process). You only have to take off one side of the interior jamb trim and a parting bead. Be patient and you can get the trim off with very little risk of breakage. Parting beads are a bit trickier because they smaller, but in some ways they are intended as sacrificial elements. I get about 75% out intact. You can see where someone prior to 1880 removed my original sashes and substituted the current two over twos. There are a few broken, but reinstalled, parting beads and little discrete prying marks on every window. Glazing on the flat, or on a slated easel, is so much easier than trying to do it in situ. You'd be able to get the compound out and replaced with a proper back bedding very easily. HTH, L.

3bean3, Just now our 100 year old house is without its nasty white proud-sitting triple track aluminum storms for the first time since we moved in 11 years ago. It is lovely to see the original 6x6 and 6x9 windows unobstructed, until they are repainted and new storms are installed, design yet to be determined. But suddenly we are very aware of street noises, while before our house was very quiet. Also, we have one less layer of security in our northeastern urban neighborhood. I'll be very glad when we have settled on a design for storm windows and they are installed. In our neighborhood, a number of house-proud neighbors have chosen those wooden storms with fixed upper panels and interchangeable storm/screens below. I am torn about losing the ability to open window sashes at the top to exhaust hot air near the ceiling. Have you thought about installing nice full-length screens on the outside, and magnetic interior storms? Some on the Home Forum say that this will make your original windows deteriorate faster, since they will remain exposed to the elements. Others say that condensation is actually a greater threat to your windows and that interior storms do a better job of protecting them from condensation. I'd be interested in hearing what Oberon, WoW, Trapper, brickeyee, xoldtimecarpenter and sombreuil have to say to that. Apparently many historic preservation districts require this solution. But somewhere in my research I remember someone -- Mr Yapp? -- pointing out that our old houses never were meant to be without storm windows -- people just rotated full-length storm and screen panels twice a year. And my friends who live in a meticulously restored 1740s farmhouse in Connecticut do just that -- they are the most historically correct homeowners that I know. This question makes a small bungalow seem mighty appealing about now: possibly the best solution! Your thread has attracted the great wizards of the Home Forum: their guidance is invaluable -- I just wanted to add a couple of less technical points that I think you might want to consider. Lynn

If 8 or 9 have already gone, it is likely that the rest are not far behind. Some times you will see accelerated seal failure on elevations that take a beating from the sun. If that is the case here, the others may live a while. Replacing the glass with a sealed IGU with Low-e is likely going to cost as much as an entirely new insert. Insert window utilizes the existing frame and sets the new window inside that frame. Primary drawback is the loss of glass when compared to a full tear out. Full tear out installation replaces everything right down to the studs and all interior trim. Primary drawback, expense.