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How to use wooden beads in steel windows? (AKA F'ing Magpies!)

Over the last few years I've been restoring quite a lot of 30s steel windows and fitting thin DG units. They've been faced with putty but the F'ing Magpies keep eating the putty! Trying to catch the Magpies (in a Larsen trap) were unsuccessful, there seems no way to deter them and I'm tired of replacing the putty - so I'm wondering about replacing it with wooden beads. The obvious question is how to glue the beads (they can't be screwed). Advice from anyone who has already been down this road would be gratefully received.

Reply to
nothanks
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Would thin metal strips, pressed into the surface of the fresh putty, stop them?

Reply to
Colin Bignell

An interesting idea, but I suspect the b*stards would simply peck around the strip while admiring their reflections in the metal!

Reply to
nothanks

:-)

Various suggestion on the web, such as using synthetic putty, as it is thought that they are after the linseed oil, or coating the putty with either chilli powder or aluminium ammonium sulphate, which, apparently, they find distasteful.

Reply to
Colin Bignell

We had a similar problem years ago when re roofing a wooden greenhouse. The only answer I could find was black thread with foil milk bottle tops strung along it

A similar problem. I once worked for a structural steel company. We got a call back from a custome complaing the asbestos roof (years ago) was leaking. It transpired birds had got into the building and the owner had allowed his young son have a go with an air rifle

Reply to
fred

quadrant beading and a compressed air nailing gun?

Reply to
SH

1930s steel windows use rather thick steel ... and it wouldn't do the powder coating much good.
Reply to
nothanks

Not done this, but bear in mind there are few genuinely waterproof glues. PU is definitely not. Epoxy, silicone & whatsitcalled are. Some claim to be but aren't really, like PU. It can cope fine with short term wet, but keep it wet & it fails totally.

Reply to
Animal

I am not sure there was powder coating in the 1930s was there?

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

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