27" Grande Project?

[PinkFloyd Effect]

I'm new to this site, not a collector just a retro do-it-yourselfer. I acquired this Grande lamp for free from a neighbor I think it is really cool being so big but it came with a burnt bulb and a boxed burnt bulb so...2 burnt bulbs. I got discouraged when I realized it used a 100W bulb which is too much to run consistently just for effects which is when I started doing research on how to "green" the lamp up. 

Not sure if anyone can decode these numbers to tell how old the unit is I believe it is all original.

In my research I realized you can re-goo them and the kits have lighter wax which requires less wattage then the factory goo does so I plan on doing this I saw kits on eBay for about $30 not sure if that is enough for one of these sized lamps. I want white lava since my walls and furniture are white which goes good against the stainless it will make for a very contemporary lamp, then I'm not sure if the re-goo kits keep the water clear for much longer periods of time but I'm unsure I may want the water to be Caribbean-teal color like the liner on a pool. 

Then I was thinking about trying to insulate the base to make more efficient use of the heat loss through aluminum which is a conductor of heat. I will install a twist knob "pot" style dimmer on the base of the lamp itself, as far as the bulb goes not sure if they more a better light bulb then the basic 100w they sell for use in these? I thought about retrofit combining LEDs and a heating coil but probably would not make any difference in electricity consumption. They don't make a better designed coil ring I should install with the goo kit do they??

Long term goal with the lamp is to turn it into a usable bedside end table like the colossal/colossus lamp probably the same width glass ring with a smaller hole in the center for more usable table area. The thing I can't figure out is how the glass rings stay on the floor sized lamps does anyone have any close up pictures of how it is mounted? 

I can't even find one on eBay for sale, I assume they don't make them anymore? Here are two I found on Google which I Photoshopped feel free to use them elsewhere on this website in a gallery or something...I corrected the color of the images and then added depth of field to them:

 

[Joanne]

LOL still in panic mode . But i do know that i have to be very very gentle with mine . I really want to do a metallic or glitter wax but is there a way to do those and not have them stick . Or a blood red , i heard the darker you make them they tend to stick .

[PinkFloyd Effect]

Well a hole is easier to seal then a split cap. 

[Alfred]

Honestly, if the glass was already cracked anything could have set it off. This is doubly true if the crack had anything to do with the glass not being properly annealed. I'm actually surprised it didn't brake earlier with the constant heating and cooling of the globe.

PinkFloyd Effect said:

Ahhh! There is no space to get anything in there to pry with, all that could be done was tap up with a wide flat head. It flucking broke the first light tap I made!!

[Jus]

Believe it or not, some are so well sealed you can't slip ANYTHING in between the cap and the metal.  Drastic times call for drastic measures...

Rodrigo said:

That sounds really invasive as well, small flat head is the way to go, I'm telling you. I pried mine open in 2 minutes at 3am after staring at it while smoking herb..

[PinkFloyd Effect]

This globe had no cracks those were on MY globe but I must say the seal is TIGHT I mean very tight, I was concerned about prying chipping the glass with small screwdrivers.

What about a strap wrench to twist and break the torque??

[Rodrigo]

I don't see how that would do much.

[Jus]

OOps-I meant to say between the GLASS and the metal...sorry

[PinkFloyd Effect]

Well if you can twist it, it breaks the torque. Things move easier when they are twisted just like how your car wheels turn better when they are spinning. The metal plug lids have a ring lip around the bottom that are pressed down lower than the lip on the glass which makes it impossible to stick anything in there.  

[Rodrigo]

I wouldn't say impossible, you're just using the wrong tool. Spinning it won't do anything, theres no threads under the cap, glue or anything else, one of mine actually spun by hand. All you have to do is slightly undo the lip then you can force it off. Trust me, I did it while massively stoned at 3am in 2 minutes. You're all thinking way too much about it or trying to approach it in an unnecessarily aggressive manner. You just broke one not even close to opening it, so I say this ONE last time. The only tool you should use is a SMALL flat head from a sunglasses repair kit or similar, patience, and common sense. If you're gonna attempt your own invasive methods like strap wrenches, tapping and other methods then I'll just stop repeating my effective advice over and over because obviously you're choosing to ignore it and make your own. So go for it, let us know how it works out.

[PinkFloyd Effect]

lol

[Deb]

LOL is right. Rodrigo prying a Grande cap off at 3 AM whilst smoking herb is fricken hilarious. And he's right. A small flathead is all I've ever used.   
 
PinkFloyd Effect said:

lol

[PinkFloyd Effect]

I tried I have jewelers screw drivers too, see what I did not realize is that lip is crimped so it has to be pulled back before it can even be lifted. Otherwise a light tap might not have lifted the lid but it also might not have broken the top either, the crimp directs all the force to the glass and I tapped on the crimp.