Adding color to pale Grande

[Rudy]

So I just picked up my second purple/yellow Grande to match my other Grande but they are far from matching in fluid color. This new addition is much paler in color, a very light purple and not nearly as attractive as my other Grande nor my matching 52 oz lamps.

So if I were to add coloring/dye to the fluid, a few questions arise:
1. What type of coloring/dye?
2. How much would be needed?
3. Will it affect the chemical balance and therefore alter flow?
4. How would I get the cap off?
5. How to get the cap back on and reseal it?
6. What else am I not thinking of and is it worth the effort?

[Gwen Williams]

1) McKormick neon food coloring

2) till it's the right color

3) no

4) with a screwdriver

5) with a pipe clamp

6) nothing that I know of

[Rudy]

Thanks, Gwen! Any specific type of pipe clamp? I guess it won't look as clean with the beauty cap off but will it be watertight? Has anyone here replicated China purple that can give advice on dye color ratios?

[Ben]

There are color ratios on the boxes of McCormick's food coloring. It tells you how to mix the standard colors to get other colors. I would suggest trying it with water first to get the color mix right. Remember that you can't put much color in the globe or it will get too dark. When you figure out the right "formula", mix it separately and then add small amounts of the mix to the globe. A little food coloring goes a long way.

[Rudy]

All good advice, thank you. Definitely a good idea to experiment on a glass of water first. I see McCormick's Neon has purple but I'm thinking that a standard kit would probably give more versatility in that I'd be mixing the blue and red myself or is there a track record of success here with the neon kit?

As for the clamp, I'm wondering what to use for that. Standard hose clamps with the screw that tightens it, I'm guessing? A rubber seal ring maybe?

[Ben]

You shouldn't need a seal; the original metal cap has a rubber stopper under it that you will reuse. The clamp just holds the metal cap on tight. It's tough to get it back on tightly after taking it off. Be gentle when removing it--very small prying movements all around the cap without bending it out of shape. And yes, a regular old hose clamp.

[Llava Bllonde]

Rudy you clearly don't bake or decorate with frosting much. lol The red and blue mix to be a much grayer purple than the newer neon dyes, at least in frosting, I would expect the same in the fluid.

[Rudy]

Guilty as charged on not baking!

Ok, I have the cap off and now for the rubber seal/stopper. Looks like fooling with that seal would cause bits of rubber to fall inside the globe. Better to continue anyway or cut into the center dimple and add dye that way?

[Keith]

I would say don't cut or puncture the stopper.  The stopper seals the globe and the metal cap keeps the stopper in place, so there is the potential for the globe to not be sealed airtight if the stopper isn't intact.