Staining glazing putty

[Mr. R]

I have had some interior doors stripped of paint, and I intend to stain them. The doors were once the way out to the house porch, but the porch has since been completely converted into a room. The doors have windows and about 20-percent of the old rock-hard white putty that's still holding the panes in place.

My plan was to chip out the remains of the old putty, and then have a carpenter insert wooden pieces in place of the putty to hold in the glass panes. The wood, would therefore, be stained the same as the rest of the doors.

The problem is, the old putty remains are as hard as a rock, and trying to chip it out is taking forever, with the ever-present worry of cracking the glass panes.

I am now considering leaving everything as it is, and just applying fresh putty over the existing stuff. What's my best course of action with respect to getting a color match between the stained wood and the new putty? Is there a putty that can be mixed to the same color before application, or is there a putty that can be stained with the same stain I use on the doors, with the same color results? What about gel stains?

Thanks very much in advance.

[DanG]

Are these quite decorative?? Are you wanting to preserve? Is the glass something special?

A carpenter can make trim from outside corner bead or other that will cover the putty.

Heat will soften the putty. Think - wife's hair dryer.

The putty will never stain like wood.

You could probably hang a new door faster quicker cheaper and easier.

[Heathcliff]

It's a lot easier to remove the putty after you smash the glass! Seriously, if it's just ordinary glass, new plain window glass is not at all expensive. Or, given the amount of time and effort you're putting in to this project, you might want to consider putting in some interesting glass. At a stained-glass shop you can find clear glass with ripples, bubbles, patterns, etc. that might add some interest. It's a little more expensive but not a whole lot. -- H