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How to Fix a Musical Water Globe

Water globes are a staple for any person on vacation.
Toronto Snowglobe image by Julian Kilsby from Fotolia.com

Many people own a musical water globe at some point in their life. Some people collect them, while others may have received one as a gift or purchased one on vacation. Unfortunately, these beautifully crafted works of art do not last forever and are prone to damage. Most people throw away the water globe when it becomes damaged or the music stops working. You can easily repair these problems with just a few steps, restoring the water globe to its former condition.

Water globes are a staple for any person on vacation.
Toronto Snowglobe image by Julian Kilsby from Fotolia.com

Things You'll Need:

  • Salvaged Parts Such As Fake Snow Or Figurine
  • Sharpie
  • Scissors
  • Underwater Glue
  • Glycerin
  • Egg Crate Foam
  • Rubber Gasket
  • Glass Globe 4 ¾ Inch
  • Pre-Drilled Base Plate
  • Musical Movement
  • Wood Base
  • Distilled Water
  • Small Screws

Salvage any usable parts of the broken water globe such as the figurine, the snow or the base. Allow snow to dry. Clean the figurine with water. Determine if the figurine needs to be remounted on a new rubber gasket; if so, use the underwater glue and adhere the figurine to the middle of the new rubber gasket.

Place musical movement onto the pre-drilled base plate and fasten with small screws. Fit the base plate into the bottom of the wood base and secure with small screws. Wind the musical movement to ensure it is in working order.

Check to see if the glue has dried on the figurine and rubber gasket. Insert the rubber gasket into the top of the wood base carefully. Adjust placement if needed.

Take the egg crate foam and trace the pattern of the top of the glass globe. Cut out the pattern with scissors to create a nesting place for the glass globe to rest. Make sure the glass globe will be well supported in the egg foam. Remove the glass globe from the egg foam.

Fill the glass globe with distilled water. Remove 3 tablespoons of the water to make room for the snow. Add 2 teaspoons of glycerin to the distilled water and mix thoroughly. Pour snow into the glass globe.

Rim the glass globe with the underwater glue, laying down a thick line to seal the glass globe to the wood base. Place the wood base gently onto the inverted glass globe. Set aside in the egg crate foam to allow the glass globe to dry on the wood base.

Tip

Depending upon the type of snow used, it can take from 1 to 2 weeks for the snow to settle in the globe. You can purchase a snow globe repair kit from a craft store.

Warnings:

  • Be careful when dealing with broken glass to avoid cuts. If the job is too complicated, seek professional help.
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