anybody have good luck opening & resealing a grande?

[DjTrevrok]

Recently got a couple grandes from spencers online, had a sale, buy 1 get one at half price, so 118.00 shipped for 2. as expected, they both showed up cloudy, so I exchanged them at a local spencers store. Problem is they are pieces of crap. hardly flow, fluid is too dark, glass looks dirty on the inside... I wanna open it, clean it, and change out half the fluid, but am concerned about the best way to open it and reseal it when done. can anyone offer any advice?

[Dr,WHAT?!]

good question I have a blue/white grande that I'd like to filter and want to know whats the best way to open it and reseal?

[Astrobaby]

Good question - i have always wondered that too - i have a glitter grande i'd love use the contents to refill other smaller custom lamps.

[Bohdan]

Remember a giant and a Grande have a different top seal cap. A giant is much better then a grande.
On a grande i have very carefully used a fine file around the bottom of the cap . When done right you will
have a cap with the crimp ring left on the bottle. The cap will now come of. To put it back on after using
a rubbing alcohol to clean it good is to also clean the white rubber cap seal well with it. Now with a silicone clear glue put a bead around it now you will need a thin piece of plastic so when you place the
rubber seal back on and the i use a tie me down. With the plastic wire in the top and hold on to it lower the rubber cap back on to the top you will here presure being released thru the tie down piece now slowly
pull the plastic piece out and twist the rubber cap a little . With wet finger smooth out the silicone that
has come out. Let it dry for 2 days . Now a little silicone on the inner metal cap make sure it will fit first
before you put the cap back on put a liitle glue on the inner cap ring place it on top pressing down
with a little twist . Now put a weight on top of the metal cap to keep it from moving up let it sit for 2 days.
I have done 5 grandes this way and it is sealed big time. The pressure in the globe when hot no problem
at all. I have run this for 10 hours at a time. The seal holds well.

[Woodvetch]

(Warning, will get off subject. If just flowed that way. Ha!)

I just went off in the heavens reading your instructions. I have no interest in doing it myself but love knowing how to if I find myself without choice and to get what I want I have to.

Thanks again Bohdan.

The timing seems to be now to get a book written Bohdan. By the time it's ready to shop to publishers lava is going to be the "thing" again. Old lava and homemade large scale decorating lava.
We're all seeing it in the prices.
2 contractors/builders have asked for advice on big projects in the last 2 weeks. There will be more.
We're seeing it in the new rush of interest in this website. Heck I just joined in April and lots have followed me.
I'm seeing it not only in my friends but their friends are now writing me about my lava pics and wanting to put together piles o lavas.
I've referred them all here.
Seems folks are just starting to know what The Lava Masters have known all along. The magic in lava is in the "s". Lavas. Multiple lavas are a completely different experience from one lava in the corner of the dorm room.
Time to write that book Bohdan.
K

[Bohdan]

Now on glitter grandes they seem not to have an inner rubber seal just a metal cap on the older ones.
It seems some have a rubber seal cap and others do not.

[Bohdan]

As for the liquid try to use same year if possible they made them Cheaper with the liquid. From
the years on the grandes. Try not to swap the liquid from one Grande to another there batches
have changed thru the years. They have gone from good to cheap as the years went by.

[DjTrevrok]

Would I be able to change out all the fluid and use water/salt/soap? I would really like it clear if possible. both grands are new from spencers about 2 weeks ago. Sounds like a great plan on the open and reseal, thank you for your insight!

[Bohdan]

If you change the liquid in a grande will never quite be the same. Put the Grande
in the summer sun for 3 weeks all will be clear again. When you buy a grande or even a 52z look at the bottom of the globe you might see some white dye on the
bottom . When it is clear and cold all is good but as soon as you start it up the dye on the bottom goes up and clouds the globe .

[Randal]

I'm an employee for Spencers gifts and a lava collector as well. Many of our customers have taken some of the lava products that they were not happy with. One of the options that we would deal with this is a full refund for the lamps but many have taken our warranty claims straight through Lava World. A lot of customers have had pretty good feedback useing this process. Lava World usually will just require a pic and then just send out replacements. The problem with the grandes being sold through spencers is the fact that the lamps are being bounced from store to store in shipping. So if one store is selling the lamps at a faster rate than another a request is put in and we have no choice but to transfer it to the other store. That means it gets shipped again and that where the problems occur. But just keep in mind that if you pop the cap off it will void everything including the warranty through lava world.

[DjTrevrok]

I exchanged them for clear globes in the store and they were very nice about everything, just the fluid is too dark to really enjoy the lamp. I doubt many people here are concerned about the warranty however. I purchased 2 so I would have one to play with, and at the price spencers sells them for it is not a big risk. so do you get to keep any returns? They took my bad globes outside and smashed em, would have been nice to keep the glass for lava louie wax.