Where pieces fit together, the epoxy functioned as an adhesive. Fissures between glass fragments were filled by injecting the epoxy. Mr. Byrne enclosed larger gaps in the prism with a mold which was filled with epoxy. The hardened epoxy was then painstakingly shaved with a knife until the rings regained their original shape. Mr. Byrne was careful to repair only modern damage and historic damage that might endanger the stability of the lens.
Much historic damage remains, as part of the story told by sparkling, but imperfect prisms.
Another stabilization procedure was the replacement of brittle and loose glaze between glass rings, and between glass prisms and their brass frames. The old putty, which was probably white lead and linseed oil, was replaced with vinyl spackle. After brass and glass were cleaned with alcohol and acetone, the repairs and preservation were complete. The eight sections comprising the lens, each about the size and weight of a person, were returned to their wood crates for the journey back to Devils Island. The helicopter's crew assisted National Park Service employees in carefully unloading the crates containing the lens and its heavy pedestal.