Antique Vtg Xmas Glolite Candle Light Bulb C-6 RARE 1930s Refurb + Tutorial ORB

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Antique Vtg Xmas Glolite Candle Light Bulb C-6 RARE 1930s Refurb + Tutorial ORB:
$59.00

Rare Antique Vintage Glolite Candle Light Bulb with C-6 (E10) base, 15v, made for series wiring, orange candle with red celluloid plastic cup and custom-made protective bottom cap. This is the earlier version (Type One), circa 1938, having the cellophane-wrapped frosted glass rod instead of the later version with a smooth painted rod (Type Two). These candles are the forerunners of the famous NOMA bubble lights introduced in 1946. This lamp has already been refurbished for you: The original Type One Matchless \'collar\' base bulb has been replaced with a new bulb having an extra-long base so that the solder bead makes good contact with the bottom of even deeper C-6 sockets. Cellophane wrapping has been re-secured. Damages to the bottom of the cup from heat degradation have been patched and then covered with a removable custom protective bottom cap to conceal repairs, block light leaks and protect heat-affected areas. The methods and materials used allow for future re-bulbing if necessary. Study the first seven photos for a more precise description of condition. THE LAST FIVE PHOTOS ARE FOR DEMONSTRATION ONLY AND GO WITH THE TUTORIAL BELOW.Read Tutorial Below to Discover How This Lamp Was Refurbished. (Our Terms and Conditions are found at the end of the tutorial)Many Thanks!
Tom and SharonHISTORY & TUTORIAL OF REFURBISHING PROCEDURES:THE HISTORY: Introduced in Glolite\'s 1938 catalog and made until the start of the war, these candles incorporate the 1933 patent for diffusing light through a glass rod from an interior light source, the same technology made famous by the Glolite decorative visca candle trees. Sometime during the war, NOMA purchased Glolite and used these fluted plastic cups to construct their first prototype \'biscuit\' bubble lights using clips secured in the rectangular openings originally intended for the tabs of the metal candle cones. The prototypes also used the same round globe brass base Matchless brand bulbs from the remaining Glolite candle parts inventory (candles having silver-colored bulb bases are almost certainly re-bulbed). The 1946 production bubble lights replaced the rectangular openings with small round vent holes and glued the cups together, and replaced the round Matchless bulbs with one having a flat top made by GE. They also changed the plastic to a lighter color with a glossier finish than the older Glolite cups.THE TWO TYPES: There are two types of Glolite candles. One has the \'collared\' bulb base (as was used in the early Matchless Stars) that fit over a lip molded into the bottom of the cup, and also has a frosted glass rod \'candle\' spiral-wrapped in colored cellophane. The other type has a plain-based bulb (no collar), no ridge on the cup bottom, and a smooth, painted glass rod. See Sold Items 311977219126 for examples of the former and 182977761247 for the latter. Although the catalog drawings are not detailed enough to show these features, the earlier 1933 patent describes the same wrapped rods found in the one type candle, while the later NOMA bubbler prototype used parts from the painted rod type candle. Also, the painted, non-collared type is a simpler, less expensive design to produce than the wrapped type, and so its natural to conclude Glolite made the changeover for cost reduction, especially since these were Depression years. We can then conclude with a high degree of confidence that the wrapped tube with collared bulb is the earlier Type One while the painted rod with plain bulb is the later Type Two. We have no information as to which version is less common, though we tend to think that more Type Two painted versions survived because they could be re-bulbed if needed. THE CHALLENGE: Anyone who has tried to replace blown bulbs in the 1930s Matchless Wonder Stars will understand the difficulties in re-bulbing a Type One Glolite candle. Because Matchless manufactured its own bulbs, it was able to sandwich the plastic cup (or in the case of the Stars, the bakelite frame) between the glass bulb envelope and the brass base\'s collar, trapping the parts together to make what was essentially a complete one-piece assembly. Because of this arrangement, the end user could not replace the blown bulb without breaking it out of the cup, and so would have to buy and replace the entire base assembly, just like in the 1930s Matchless Stars. However, this arrangement created even more problems when it came to these celluloid Glolite cups. The cup was molded with a concave in which the round glass envelope nestled snugly inside causing the hot glass to be in constant, direct contact with the plastic. This resulted in the discoloration and degradation of the surrounding plastic (look at our demonstration photos plus the ones in the previously cited 311977219126 sale). What\'s worse, the opening in the cup was only wide enough to fit the narrow glass envelope neck but not the threaded portion of the bulb base so that the cup would have to be drilled out to fit a standard bulb. This was all academic back in the day when the user could simply buy a replacement base assembly, unfold the tabs on the metal candle cone and swap the bases out, much like was done with the Matchess Stars of the time. But we don\'t have that option today. When the bulb blows in a surviving Type One (and they all will fail at some point in time!), there\'s only a few options. You could toss it in a box and just hold onto it or use it as part of another decoration. You could try to find a replacement base assembly with a working bulb (good luck, and that bulb will eventually blow out too!). You could try to adapt a cup from an old NOMA biscuit bubbler, but you\'d have to re-cut the rectangular tab holes precisely, be sure all the glue residue is cleaned from the top rim, plus accept that the cup will have a shinier finish and lighter color than the originals. Besides, why destroy one collectible to fix another--we want them all preserved! And this one is RARE and not easily replaced! The only practical way to keep the light in service is by re-bulbing. It\'s going to be a challenge to remove a bulb that was never designed to come out, and then to widen the hole in the brittle degraded plastic without breaking it so that it can accommodate the replacement bulb. We\'d also like to somehow insulate the new bulb envelope from the plastic so as to prevent further heat degradation. THE SOLUTION. We need a few items to begin: 1). A replacement bulb. member nemojonathon sells nice ones, high quality, 5W/15V, and having an extra-length base that will still reach to the bottom of most C-6 sockets after the repair. Plus, the round glass envelope is smaller than the original Matchless bulb, which will help us insulate it from the plastic cup. Be sure to test it before proceeding! 2). A Dremel or similar rotary tool with a small sanding barrel for widening the cup hole. 3). Some type of putty patch for filling in cracks and chips--I use Sculpey heat-cure polymer clay that will cure hard just from the temperature of the lighted bulb and will take color. 4). A good quality marker that closely matches the cup color for covering patches and re-coloring the browned degraded plastic. 5). A small hacksaw. 6). A small vise. 7). Marine grade clear silicone adhesive/sealant, perhaps the single most important ingredient that will shore up the plastic, insulate the bulb, and also make the new bulb removable in the future. 8). An exacto knife with a sharp diagonal blade that tapers to a fine point. 9). The viscous type of super glue that\'s meant to full gaps, NOT the water-thin type. First, remove the rod with the metal cone by gently bending the tabs up straight and extracting. Next, remove the old bulb. I did this by securing the end of the brass base in a vise and began cutting into the brass just below the collar with a hacksaw. Once through the brass, the saw will break the neck of the glass allowing the envelope to be removed and the assembly will come apart. Now the hole in the cup must be widened using the dremel sanding barrel to accommodate the diameter of the E10 replacement bulb base (C-6 size). Sometimes you get lucky and nothing breaks. Normally, however, some of that degraded plastic will crack and chip, some of the chips may be large (if any large pieces are intact, they may be glued back into the cup, but if they just disintegrate, proceed through instructions then refer to Making A Bottom Cap section). Thankfully, you don\'t have to worry about damage extending to the outer area of the cup, only the area that was in direct contact with the old bulb--the plastic should be fine out at the rectangular openings and beyond. Now apply a thin layer of the silicone to the inside of the cup recess where the original bub envelope rested, and also a thin layer around the bottom of the glass envelope and the top of the bulb base. Don\'t worry about having the silicone on the glass--this stuff when cured is impervious to the heat and will also serve as insulation between the glass and plastic. Now insert the new bulb down far enough that the glass doesn\'t quite touch the plastic so there\'s a thin layer of silicone between them. Twist the bulb slightly back and forth to insure the silicone on the bulb merges with the silicone inside the cup [don\'t set the bulb height too high or you\'ll never get the metal cone back on!]. With a small flat screwdriver, carefully shape any silicone that oozed out of any openings underneath the cup. Try to sculpt this below the surface of the plastic at any cracks or openings because you\'ll use the clay to fill in and level. Don\'t worry about any silicone that got onto the bulb base threads--all that will easily peel off once the silicone is cured. Then manipulate the bulb base to align it until it appears to be projecting straight down (perpendicular) from the cup. The silicone takes many hours to cure, so you can take your time with this. Then set aside to cure for 24 hours. I like to use a spark plug socket from a ratchet set to set them in because the opening is wide enough to rest the cup on away from the silicone and is deep enough to accommodate the length of the bulb base. While the base is curing, let\'s turn our attention to the spiral cellophane wrapping that forms the tube over the glass rod. In most cases, you\'ll find that the wrap has come loose from the rod and has opened up so it slips down over the metal cone when the light it upright. We need to fix that. You may also notice discoloration in the wrap where it originally rested on top of the cone. If we permit this wrap to slip down over the metal, the heat will eventually destroy it. DO ALL THE FOLLOWING GENTLY AND CAREFULLY! First, gently tighten the spiral by hand to make sure there are no reversed overlaps between the edges--there is normally a little overlap, but we don\'t want it overlapping where it wasn\'t intended to. The wrap will have come open at one end or both ends (top and/or bottom). Note at the opening gap they\'ll be a \'blunt\' side and a pointed side. Squeeze out a small quantity of the viscous super glue onto a disposable non-porous surface (I like to use the waxy paper backing from peel-and-stick labels). Position the wrapping so that the tube it forms rests on the top edge of the metal cone--do not allow the wrap to overlap the metal. Dip just the tip of exacto knife blade in the glue so it picks up a very tiny drop. Carefully lift the wrap at the blunt end and slide the knife point just underneath the end to apply the glue. Then hold down with your fingernail while insuring the bottom of the wrap \'tube\' is resting level on top ledge of the metal. Hold for about 30 seconds. Now gently re-tighten the wrap to make sure it\'s snug to the glass. Repeat glue application, this time to the underside of the pointy side of the wrap. Tighten and hold down for 30 seconds making sure it\'s all still flush with the top edge of the metal. Repeat the process at the top gap in the wrapping tube. Please note that the cellophane may have changed shape slightly with age, so don\'t expect perfection. It just needs to be good enough to secure it to the glass, keep it from sliding over the metal, and provide as full a coverage of color as possible over the rod. OK, it\'s been 24 hours. The base assembly is now complete and no further structural work is needed. Now we\'ll do some cosmetic work. We may have some cracks and missing chips that leave an uneven surface and will allow light to leak through, so we\'ll need to cover them up. Using a small screwdriver as a putty knife, apply the Sculpey clay to the gaps and cracks in the plastic cup and smooth it as level as possible while overlapping the edges of the plastic. Screw the assembly into a populated C-6 string and let it burn for 1/2 to 1 hour (good to do at Christmas time when all your C-6 lighting is set up). It needs to heat up for awhile to set the clay. Once set, color the clay and the discolored plastic with your marker. Now you can re-insert the metal cone and gently bend the tabs back down. Don\'t worry if there\'s a little play in this connection--every one I worked on already had a little play from the factory. You\'re finished!MAKING A BOTTOM CAP: In instances during widening the cup opening where too much degraded plastic breaks away to patch with the clay, it\'s necessary to construct a bottom cap that will block the light leaking out the bottom and conceal the damage. The cap is purely cosmetic since the silicone takes care of any structural issues. There are a number of ways to approach this, including cutting one from the bottom cup of another bubble light biscuit and gluing it to the bottom of the Glolite cup. Whatever you use, the color will never match the original cup. I chose a different method because I didn\'t want to destroy another vintage bubble light part, I wanted it to be removable and to get the job done without adding more silicone or clay. I decided on making it from the top section of a spare C-6 socket shell, which with a little carving inside fits the bottom of the cup like a glove but does not cover the rectangular holes for the cone tabs. After tapering the bottom of the piece for style, it is firmly secured in place with a small O-ring faucet gasket purchased in plumbing supplies that hugs both the bulb base and the inside of the socket shell. The cap also blends in with the C-6 socket on your string. The extra long base replacement bulb provides plenty of length to accommodate the cap and still seat correctly in the socket. Works like a charm. THE BENEFITS: You now have a rare Type One Glolite candle that has already been re-bulbed and with a method already established to replace the bulb again in the future without having to cut bulbs apart or re-shape plastic. In this sense, it\'s a big improvement over the original. Everything is removable including the bottom cap (if present). The marker coloring easily comes off with rubbing alcohol, and the clay can be easily be popped out with a jeweler\'s screwdriver and replaced following the described procedures. Here\'s where the silicone shines for this job. It\'s a perfect insulating material (silicone baking sheets withstand oven temperatures up to 500 degrees). Whereas other types of glue bonds to the material, the silicone only clings to it (which is why silicone baking mats are \'non-stick\'). Using a small flat screwdriver like a jeweler\'s precision screwdriver and the pointy exacto knife where needed, all the silicone can be carefully peeled out to remove the bulb and a new one installed according to these instructions. That\'s all, folks! Yet another relic of Christmas Past brought back to life for future generations. Many Thanks!

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