Giant on the way - dented base and slightly low fluid - need help

[Erin]

I have a lovely Giant on the way from eBay. The base has a dent in it and the fluid is a tad low. 

I'm looking for help getting that dent out of the base, as it looks to be significant.

Also, and I'm not real keen on opening up a Giant, but the fluid is a little low, and I'd like to top it off. I know these were made in 1996/1997 and I am willing to find and sacrifice a globe to top this off. I'm always scared of using distilled in case it ruins the flow.

If anyone has any advice on either of these issues, please share! :)

Thanks in advance! 

[Loren]

LOL!

[Marley's Ghost]

Hey, Loren!!   I was just trying to help Erin out.  LOL   If I had a Giant lamp delivered to home and I was at work, I wouldn't  be for long.......Snort!!!  

[Erin]

Well, I have it. It's definitely got low fluid. There is crap in the wax, too, like my other purple/yellow. Just fired it up. We'll see how it looks tonight.

[Marley's Ghost]

What kind of crap in the wax does it have?  It's sure not noticeable in the picture above.  Crossing fingers it looks better tonight!  

[Metallica Man Trevor]

The day my opal came I could not sleep lol. I worked a grave and had another one that night. Lol I didn't end up sleeping til after 4 pm! And was up again at 9

[Erin]

Looks like brown flakes from the coil or burnt-up wax. I guess I'll be opening up this lamp one way or the other.

Here's some pics. Click on the pic for a bigger pic. 

[Erin]

This is the downside to a non-lava nut selling lamps: they don't notice or care about things like junk in the wax. To a non-collector, this kind-of flaw doesn't even register. 

*sigh*. Looks like I have a project ahead of me. 

[Marley's Ghost]

The coil looks pretty nasty in the first pic....might be from that, I hope.   The fluid level also looks lower than what the seller had in their picture.   Dang, now how do you get junk out of the wax, which hopefully is not burned?    Yep, you're gonna have to open this one up.   On a bit brighter note, that dent doesn't  look as bad as the seller's pic, but you might have the worst turned to the back.   I think the seller was more concerned about the dented base, and you are exactly right about the junk in the wax part.

[Metallica Man Trevor]

I think most of that will settle to the bottom and stay. I have a 32oz pink purple with a bunch of black stuff in the wax but it stays down on the coil and never makes it into the flow. I hope it works that way for yours

[Metallica Man Trevor]

Like this

[Marley's Ghost]

Erin is OCD about her lamps like I am.  I would want that black crap out of the wax.  I can't tell if it's in the wax, or just between it and the globe. 

[Marley's Ghost]

Unless it drops back down on the coil when it melts, Erin's appears to be in or on the wax, and not just in the bottom like yours, Trev.   I hope it's just between the wax and the globe, but she won't be happy till it's gone......