u/Plane-Firefighter137

I bought a pair of Grandlite lily pad lamps from the 70’s. I cannot tell was the metal is, but it looks plated to me. There’s a mix of what appears to be rust, oxidation, and peeling, but I have no idea how this lamp was originally manufactured and painted. The head, the stem, and the base all look like different types of plating. I took a magnet to it, and it sticks to the stem but not the base.

I’d love to be able to restore this on my own, but I don’t know if this will be outside of my scope of ability. I test spot an area using Brasso, but I can’t tell if it’s removing the plating since there’s already patches at the base where it looks like plating is coming off.

Can I strip it all off and paint it myself or should I take this to someone to be replated?

I’m in Florida, so I’m sure the climate here hasn’t helped. The person I bought it from hot them at an auction in Florida, and she had them stored in her garage.

Thank you for any suggestion.

I purchased these 70’s lamps on FB marketplace, but there’s patina all over it and the on switch was cut out from the wiring.

I don’t know if this is brass. I held a magnet to the stem and it stuck, but when I held a magnet to the base, it did not stick. I’m not sure how to clean this as a result.

I’m not sure why the on switch was cut out, so I’m not sure if I have to re-wire this.

Does anyone have experience restoring this style of lamp?

I picked up a wooden swan from fb marketplace, and the bill is too hooked at the end. It looks like a flamingo beak. How can I shave it down so that it looks normal? It’s really bugging me. To clarify, I am not the artist and the person I purchased it from is not the artist - they were getting rid of items in their home.

I‘d also like to paint the bill a matte black. Do I need to sand this down first? What’s the best paint to use? I’d like it to look like another wooden swan I have, which I’ve included a picture of.

I bought the original first generation capsules in 2021 because they seemed great for capsule packaging using a carry-on bag. I loved how compact they were and how easy it was to get up and go. Unfortunately, my initial capsules began to crack within a year.

I contacted customer service, they sent a shipping label to send back the defective items, and they mailed out replacements, including an additional capsule for the inconvenience.

It’s now 2026. I’ve used my capsules a handful of times over the years and I’ve always been delicate with them. When not in use, they were stored in a cool, dark place. I recently needed them for a trip, but realized all the replacements I received had now cracked and were leaking product.

I went through a long winded, back and forth email exchange with customer service to get a replacement - which I will write a separate post on, because Cadence screwed me over with my second replacement. I was advised that first generation capsules were no longer in production, so I would have to switch to the second generation flex system. After looking through the site, I decided on the limited edition Jade color (which is now sold out). I got one small, and three medium size capsules. I was supposed to receive a complimentary small capsule, which was never packed with my order - again, that’s going to be for a separate post.

I have not travelled with the flex system capsules yet, but I already dislike certain aspects. The flex small is .56 ounces, which is the same as the original first generation. However, the flex system small is a different size/height; it’s shorter and wider, which I really dislike. The new, small capsule don’t seem conducive for holding liquids. It seems to only stack on top of other capsules instead of joining on the sides via magnets. The jade looks splotchy to me with the white streaks. It’s supposed to look somewhat translucent and clouded with white streaks, but the white looks very pronounced. It looks cheap and messy, in my opinion.

Lettering on the tiles look inconsistent to me too, with some looking darker and bolder than others.

The flex system is more expensive than the first generation capsules, so if you have cracked capsules you need replaced from the first generation, Cadence isn’t going to send a replacement; they’ll issue “credit” as a gift certificate, and you’ll have to purchase a new set online, which is subject to tax. Since the new capsules are more expensive, the credit issued might not be enough to purchase the same quantity of capsules from your original purchase.

I have read other reviews stating that the flex system leaks, even though they are supposedly patented to be leakproof. I’m not sure if the second generation flex capsules are still subject to cracking, which I assume they probably are.

I would advise first time buyers to proceed with caution. Don’t go crazy spending $200+ worth of capsules. Try out one or two and test out how it handles liquids. Perhaps these capsules have better longevity holding cream products, or used as containers to hold pills, jewelry, etc.

I’m fairly disillusioned with Cadence because I think they are misleading customers with their durability. I also think their customer service has gone down considerably.

Now I have a mismatched set that I feel “meh” about. I haven’t found anything to the equivalence of these capsules, so I’ll begrudgingly continue to replace them.