Removing Silicone from an old tank

[limestro]

I am currently looking to refurbish a 40 gallon tank for the hell of it. However the previous owner did a sloppy job on the silicone for the tank. It was applied on very thick. I was wondering if anyone knows of an easier way to remove the silicone other than the razor blade method. Is there anything non-toxic that I can apply to the silicone to soften it up a bit or make it easier to remove.

[phishphood]

Possibly heat gunning it? Might help make it softer at least for a while? Dunno though, and don't know how the glass will react to the extreme heat.