Removing and Reusing Grande Crimp Caps
Crimp caps are the most frustrating to deal with, but with some patience, they can be removed and reused.
To remove crimp caps you need a very small screwdriver to pry around the bottom lip until it starts to open up. Depending on the strength of the crimp, you may have to use a utility knife to get it started by using it to lift the edge of the crimp away from the glass.
Make a few revolutions around the neck of the globe as you pry it up a little at a time.
Then take a larger screwdriver and repeat the process with more revolutions until you feel the cap come loose.
Slowly work around the cap until the entire cap is loose. It should come off and look something like this.
Once you remove it, you can flatten out the crimped part of the cap
Modern Grandes have a rubber plug under the crimp cap.
Make sure to remove this gently because the older they are, the easier they crack.
If your rubber insert is deteriorated, we sell replacements here.
When testing your globe, leave the metal cap on top of the lamp to retain the heat and fluid vapor.
Be patient, Only reseal the globe when you are satisfied with the dye colors and flow.
To put the cap back on, you will need to use a flathead screwdriver or jewelry hammer with a soft edge to press/tap the cap back to its original crimped shape.
DO NOT use pliers, this will damage the cap.
Some people have found it to their advantage to use a hose clamp to secure the cap while they are resealing it. It will also reduce the diameter of the cap and provide a better fit if the cap is stretched too much when removed.
Apply downward pressure on the top of the cap and fold the edge of the cap back into its original position. The downward pressure is to ensure the rubber underneath the cap will provide some compression once you remove your hand to keep it sealed.
I suggest you do this resealing process while the globe was just taken off the base and is still warm.
Use gloves, its hot
This will create negative pressure within the globe when it cools.
There is a simple physics reason for this.
When the globe is reheated, The cap will receive less internal pressure to unseat itself.
Let us face facts, no matter how well you crimp this cap, it will not be as good as the factory crimp when you reseal it.
To ensure it has a good seal, and so you do not cut our hands on any stray aluminum edges when handling the globe, I always suggest that heat shrink is applied after it is sealed. We have the proper-sized heat shrink available for sale here.
We hope this helps.
Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns, we are here to help.