There is an old example which is often used in telling stories about teamwork that is very powerful.
If you take one twig and try to snap it, more often than not it will snap very easily.
If you were to bundle that single twig with other twigs, each twig that is added makes the bundle more and more difficult to break.
Even simply adding one twig to the first one will increase its strength two-fold.
The same can be said for a tiny tool known as a ‘glazier (or glazing) point’.
Glazier points are tiny-shaped pieces of metal that, when utilized properly, are made to hold windows (and often, very LARGE ones) in place prior to glazing being applied.
The tip of the glazier point is meant to be driven into the wood that the piece of glass in question is being installed on.
The two horizontal elements associated with the glazing point have a two-fold use.
One side of them is used by your glazing tool to push the glazing point into the wood.
The other side is made to stop the glazing point from being driven into the wood any further than necessary when it reaches its optimum holding point.
A brilliant little tool really.
Very similar to the way that the twigs work when bundled together, the glazing points as they are placed around the perimeter of the window allow the window to be held in place sturdier and sturdier.
The history of glazier points is somewhat elusive, as these unassuming metal triangular thingies have been in use for many years.
While there is no specific inventor or date associated with their creation, they have a long history of being employed by glaziers, window craftsmen, and DIY (Do It Yourself) enthusiasts. Their basic design and function have remained largely unchanged over the years due to their effectiveness in securing glass.
Glazier points have been an essential component of window construction and repair, allowing glaziers to install glass panels securely and ensure the longevity of the window. Before the advent of modern adhesives and sealants, these small metal clips served as a reliable means of holding glass in place within a window sash.
While advances in window technology have certainly cut down how often one may run into glazing points with regard to the maintenance of their windows, the craft of being able to properly use glazing points when changing out a glass pane in a window is a bit of a dying artform.
What once was a very common skill within certain facets of the home improvement industry (painting, carpentry, etc.), due to the combination of the tradespeople in general thinning out to a degree over the years, the advancement in overall window-related technology, and the overall characteristics of the industry lending themselves to the need for their use simply being not as prevalent as it used to be, to be able to truly work with glazing points (or, in many cases, to even know what they are for that matter!) has become a bit of a home improvement super power!
Nevertheless, the power of this miniscule piece of metal, when combined with others of its same type in the mission of holding something much larger than itself securely in place is comparable to the strength of an army of ants, very powerful in and of itself, but SUPER powerful when combined with others!!!
Follow Us on Social Media!
