Glass and Mirrors - cleaning antique frosted window pane

How can I remove the varnish and glue from the edges of a 20" x 30" frosted pane without scratching or cracking the glass. I hired someone to remove the pane from an old turn-of-the-century farmhouse solid wood door b/c I was afraid the glass would be brittle. Any advice welcome.

Glass doesn't actually get brittle. I don't know what type of frosting it is but that shouldn't make a difference. On the smooth side you can simply use a single edge razor blade to scrape off the varnish & glue. On the rough side you can apply some paint remover and if that doesn't remove it completely, use rough steel wool to get into the frosted crevices. The steel wool should not harm the glass since it it frosted and will not show any small scratches from the steel wool.

added note,always use a NEW blade and keep the glass wet ( water, glass cleaner ect )

what type of frosted glass is this? Some frosted you can still see through others you can't. the ones you can still see through be carefull useing steel wool, it will scratch it.

Thanks for the advice, johnam and glasman2. :) The frosted design is a floral basket drawn with narrow lines so the one can easily see through the pane. I'm reluctant to use anything abrasive on the glass.

you can use a rubbing compound and a very very fine steel wool and it should be ok, after you use some paint remover. Or better yet an old tooth brush with the paint remover.

I easily cleaned the smooth side by taking off thin layers of varnish and caulk with paint remover and a sharp scrapper. When I got through most of the caulk and was close to the glass I used paint remover and a tooth brush. The frosted side was a different story. I was not able to remove the paint in the same manner. I cleaned up the dirt and varnish but left the small lines of paint along the edges. I decided against trying to use anything stronger or sharper.