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:

 

[PinkFloyd Effect]

Tell you what, I tried the other night for over 30min with various small screw drivers on the spare cap I have with the glass on it....no luck. I can't see how in the world you guys are bending that ring back on the bottom it needs to be cut that is the only way I will ever get one removed!

The black area needs to be cut with a Dremel:

[Joanne]

try a large safety pin just catch the edge of it and pry it up a tiny bit

[Joanne]

friend me and i will talk you through it in private chat , I just did this with someone else today !

[Rodrigo]

Hey, how did these lamps turn out? Id like to see some pics of the finished product and what colors you went with, did Jeff ever get his?

[Jeff]

I did not get my lamp back yet unfortunately.  I sent him a message inquiring how things were going and asked him to just  send the other globe and the gookit it back to me if he was busy so that I could attempt it myself over the holiday break.  Or alternatively just refund my money and I'll look elsewhere for another globe.

He did send me some video of the 1st one though and it looked beautiful. 

[Rodrigo]

Ohh okay, hopefully he didn't run with your globe :/

[PinkFloyd Effect]

No I did not run off with his globe, I never finished the first one this is how it is sealed under the cap:

Before I plugged this globe I wanted to attempt removing the cap from the broken piece, the left is a jewelers screw driver and the right was a sewing needle it began to pry but then the needle split it I tried for over a half an hour I am done I am just going to crack the remaining glass off and plug this thing already: 

I am just going to send him my globe and the kit while I'm still alive, life has really taken some turns on me....but I will get some video of the glove for you all and more pictures. I really am not happy with the off-white when it is illuminated with that incandescent bulb and I have been really contemplating adding a splash of blue just enough to compensate the bulb when it is illuminated. 

[PinkFloyd Effect]

I tried asking the glass shop to remove the cap for me and they declined the job, if I ever get free time I will just need to replace the brushes in my Dremel and I will give it a shot. 

Waiting to hear back from Jeff I am just going to send him $

Now that mine has been cycled about 15 times it is much less transparent and less white...that is a piece of white computer paper taped to the wall; it is taking on the color of the light bulb (around 3600k). I am thinking about adding a pinch of the blue or aqua blue to compensate the light bulb, just a pinch a night until it is right...do you think this will work? It will appear a tad bit blue when off but white when running??

[PinkFloyd Effect]

I can do a lot of things people can't comprehend, I can do a lot of things others can not...BUT I CAN NOT OPEN A GRANDE. END OF STORY

[Joanne]

if you want help i will talk you through this !!!! message me !

[James Rimmer]

Thank you for using my photos of my lamp. If you could please take these photos down would be much appreciated. If you would still like to use them, please replace them with these ones that have a visable watertmark that reads: "Picture © James Rimmer and used with permission".

[MileHigh]

LOL -  Those Colossus images are all over the Internet!

https://www.google.com/search?q=colossus+lamps&espv=2&biw=1...

If you are so concerned about people sharing your images maybe you should add a watermark to them before you upload them for the world to view.