I have had trouble with colored glass losing it's color, but it has always been a "new" piece of glass...meaning that it was manufactured recently. So far, all of my vintage pieces have held their color. I think that now they chemically color glass, whereas in the past, the glass was actually made that color. It can be very frustrating when you've made a really cool piece of junk and the colors start disappearing! As far as gluing metal to glass, it may be that the metal is too slick and sanding may help, but you may need to also use a different kind of adhesive, even though I would have thought that the GE silicone would have work....hmmmmmm....maybe some of our talents who make penney BB's will have a better answer. Good luck!

HI Busylizzy
I think that much of the cheap glass is just coated with color. So you have to be careful what you buy. On the other hand there are people here who paint glass so I am wondering if the new cheap stuff is sealed, maybe with spray on urethane, will it keep the color? I'm going to experiment with a red vase that I bought at sa. And a few cute plates that I got at the dollar store. (I'll spray half with urethane and set them out in the winter sun.) I will let you all know. I should have realized the vase wasn't colored through cuz there is a tiny spot where the color has come off.
Check your lamp glass carefully. I suspect that it is solid color throughout due to the age. Maybe you could email one of the people selling them on ebay and ask if the glass color fades (is that devious.)
Metal to glass. Somewhere on this forum I read to use plumbers goop for metal to glass. I haven't been able to find that thread since, but that's what I've been doing. Except for a part which had too much weight for a small amount of surface contact it has been a very strong bond. But it is more evil smelling that the ge s ii. I think most folks here have been ok with silicone ii so I'm not sure what happened with yours. I am doing a project at work which involves using silicone ii and the directions say if it overflows and drys to clean it up with xylene or tolulene. Both are bad stuff, and I don't know if one could clean up large amounts of ge s ii with xylene, but if I needed to I would try that (after razorblading most of it), since I've got some.
Good luck. The lamps sound great! What ever you do, post pics!
kathy

No, this glass for the blue vase was not cold painted I checked that prior. You could not chip it off either.

I have solvents you mention for clean up, those are also used for when I paint my pool using Epoxy. Unfortunetly, it did not work for the hardened GEII, nor does it removed dried Epoxy either, tried that. Have a toe print on the tile around the pool decking I can't get off, lol.

For solvents that are not dried I usually use nail polish remover, acetone. Sure is easier to dab a cotton ball or Q tip for clean up on small projects.

Not sure of what "plumbers goop" is, I have for plastic pipes, again for the pool. I also have Marine caulking, love that stuff. 10.00 a tube, but worth it, is the best stuff for outdoor, above and below the water line or weather. Unfortunelty comes in solid white.
I have some very nasty smelling stuff for fibereglass repair and gel coat painting also, but that is not in tubes and you have to work very rapidly.

I have some 70's green vases wonder if that might be the same coloring process as the lamps.

I'll post a pic of the lamps " as is" prior to construction, for these I want other kewl stuff to add and as the way of my life, when I want it I can't find it, but when I am not looking for it I find it!

There is a whole line of goop products. Plumber's Goop is one of them. I usually find it at the hardware store or Big Box store in the adhesive section. Comes in a tube and has a strong smell, so good ventilation is important, but it does work really well. I prefer to use Lexel for gluing glass on glass, but would use the Plumber's Goop for gluing glass with metal, plastic, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plumber's Goop

Hey thanks!
I will have to get to the hardware store and see if they have it.