Has anyone ever used one of those knife type windshield removal tools with any success? I managed to get my windshield out using the wire method, but working by myself the rear window can't be done this way. The man at the bodyshop supply house told me they were only for removing broken glass, and that I WILL break the glass trying to remove it with the tool. I was just wondering if he was giving me a worst case scenario or if it would be worth trying. TIA for any input. Dennis

I have done, but you have to be very careful and take your time. It helps if you warm the cutter part while you are cutting the ribbon sealer, I used hot water.

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017
A.C.E.S.#3731
progress has little to do with speed, but lots to do with direction.
Maryland Chevelle Club (http://www.chevelles.net/mcc/mcc.htm)

Talk to your favorite glass shop and they will be more than happy to come by and remove that window for you.My guy charged me $70 to remove,clean and install my back glass and use urethane to put it back in.Money well spent if you consider that the back glass is more expensive than a windshield!$350 in these parts!!

Your guy at the bodyshop supply house is definately NOT a glass man. The knife that you describe is the best manual tool for windshield and back glass removal...period. Yes, you have to be careful and as Chev 64 said, heat the blade whether you use hot water or butane torch. I've done many of them "cold", but heating the knife just makes it easier.

Is there a risk of breakage?? OF COURSE there is!! Even the experts will tell you that they will not accept the liability of breakage on an R & I job. Ordinarily, they will provide another glass at near cost if they do break yours.

Hold the boat here. The "cut out knife" is just one tool in removing glass. The windshield is "safety plate" two layers of "regular" glass with a sheet of plastic in between. They WILL break VERY easily with a cut out knife. A glass man will NOT cut one out with a cut out knife. He will use an air cut out knife which is a whole nother ball game or a wire. I have to say I did cut two out without breaking before I was told that it "couldn't be done" http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif But I have to say, it is highly likely you will break it.

On the rear glass, that is "tempered" glass, the kind that breaks into little tiny squares of glass. These windows are very tough and you could just about kick them out with your feet. A cut out knife is fine for them. You still have to use common sense while doing it but it is very do-able.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

Thanks for all the input. I went ahead and tried the knife. So far, so good. It looks like it's going to work. It's a little slower than I thought because evidently the rear window has been replaced at one time and put in with caulking instead of butyl tape.Hopefully this will save me the $300 for a new rear window.Thanks again,Dennis

I had a glass man remove and reinstall my windshield and rear glass. He removed both with a cut out knife with no problem.

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1970 SS 454
454 MUSL (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/RC70_454MUSL.jpg)

MartinSr, I guess it depends on your part of the country as to what is commonly used by glass men. I haven't seen a professional use a wire in years. The ones I know use the air knife or the manual "draw" knife.

You are very right, I have not seen a guy use a wire in years. They use the air cutout knife 99% of the time. But the air cutout knife is NOT a manual one, there is a big difference.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

I removed my rear window last week with a home made wire tool. I made a couple handles from round wood closet hanger stock, drilled a 1/16" through each for the wire to pass through, and anchored the wire by winding the end around a wood screw and tightening the screw. I used some stainless wire about .030 dia but it broke about 5 times. I poked a hole through the butyl seal with an icepick and fed the wire through, then attached it to the other handle. With wife on the inside and me on the outside, we used a back-and-forth sawing motion to cut the seal. It wants to stick back together so you have to do some pushing from the inside to get the window to come loose. Get the top loose and use the bottom like a hinge. One caution, put a couple layers of masking take on the edge of the window opening on the outside to protect the paint from scratching from the wire. Put an old blanket on the trunk to protect the paint while removing and installing the glass.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575 HSCA #5
My '69 SS (http://mywebpage.netscape.com/jerryacheson/vons69.html)

Just for the record, the tool worked very well. For a one man job I would highly reccomend it. Not only did I save the $70 for removal, but I will also be able to reuse the rear window, saving me another $260! Thanks again to all who responded. Dennis

$260? That's before $80+ shipping. See my above post on new rear windows.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575 HSCA #5
My '69 SS (http://mywebpage.netscape.com/jerryacheson/vons69.html)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by von:
$260? That's before $80+ shipping. See my above post on new rear windows.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>The $260 was the price quote I got from Ryans All Glass,locally. That included installation at my home. They also told me that prices were subject to change at any time. They were probably just trying to give me a rough estimate to go by.



[This message has been edited by deejay (edited 12-04-2002).]

Good for you deejay, it is not that hard if you warm the knife and take your time. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/tongue.gif to the naysayers.

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017
A.C.E.S.#3731
progress has little to do with speed, but lots to do with direction.
Maryland Chevelle Club (http://www.chevelles.net/mcc/mcc.htm)

[This message has been edited by chev64 (edited 12-04-2002).]

Leo, I have to say, I have never heated the knife!! It may very well be a very good way to do it, if you heat it. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

Being I have never done that, my opinion means squat. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

Call us naysayers when that back window bursts into a million squares. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/mad.gif

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1970 SS396 & 1967 Sport Coupe

Martin, As you know, the Butyl tape gets really hard after many years and I first saw the heated knife idea when a glass company came to replace a w/s in a car at a place I worked.

I have not yet seen the rear glass break into a million pieces during removal or installation if you are careful and take your time, if you lose patience and hurry, it will probably shatter.

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017
A.C.E.S.#3731
progress has little to do with speed, but lots to do with direction.
Maryland Chevelle Club (http://www.chevelles.net/mcc/mcc.htm)

now look what you've started dennis heeeee. glad it worked out,if you ever need a hand i am just down the road. jerry

now look what you've started dennis heeeee. glad it worked out. if you ever need a hand i am just down the road. jerry