Patching a Nelson Bubble Lamp  

Probably not
if it's a large bubble, flip it around so it can't be seen

Turn the flaw to face a wall
I bought a bubble lamp on Ebay years ago, and it arrived with a totally unstated repair on a 1/2" tear. Repair consisted of a tissue-like material glued to hole, from inside. Barely perceptible when not lit... glaringly obvious when lit.
My solution (I stupidly paid by money order/ seller was an unsympathetic shyster): I turned the flaw to face a wall, and left a richly-deserved negative.
Live with it.

Cleaning--
Not long ago, I noticed how dusty and dingy my bubble was looking, so (throwing caution to the wind) I unwired the socket, and gave the bubble shade a bath-- wet sponge with mild detergent... rinsed with water under a faucet... dabbed excess water with terrycloth towel... allowed it to dry completely before reinstalling the socket & wire.
I'm sure my cleaning method isn't Herman Miller-sanctioned, but the lamp didn't seem to suffer any adverse effects, and it certainly became cleaner.

Lots of advice...
Lots of advice somewhere...usually gentle soap and damp sponge.
They are quite strong but tears are common.
And i have one as well, with a small tear repair. It is hanging in a corner, repair is hidden,
facing the wall.
I had the e-bay seller that was sick about causing the clumsy tear and embarrassed about
his sloppy repair.

i called modernica and th...
i called modernica and they said they do not have the foggest idea how to repair them .
They use the original process of wire and then dipping in a solution, drying out and wiring
I bought three for our office warehouse and wanted to get some vintage ones originally on ebay, i could only find old holey ones, but after i heard no way to fix them, i said forget it and bought the modernica and i can say they are by far the greatest, best product they make,

.
I really like the parchment color the older lamps have,but large tears can be quite shabby looking.Has anyone ever noticed VERY aged the bubble lamps in the EAMES house are?But a tiny tear left alone turned backwards is the better solution...none,of this inner tube patch job stuff...

Is there no room for a sort of wabi/sabi solution?
A photo of a typical repair would be helpful. Meanwhile, think about those revered, 500-year-old, broken-and-restored Japanese tea cups. Or the 1947 Chevies still chugging around in Havana. Things age, wear, and get repaired. Accept it.

Well,it's in an entry surrounded by rooms all around
but I guess I can turn it to be least viewed from a bedroom.Thanks for all your suggestions.Surprised that in this age of restoration,there is no sure-fire fix.

Success???
Anyone have any success repairing one of these? I just picked on up on the cheap and it has a small tear. The tear will face a wall, but I'd like to try and prevent any further deterioration. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
On another note, I have followed the forum for a few months now and this is the first opportunity I've had to speak up. Thanks to all the DA "regulars" that have given their time and knowledge (and often humor)!

No real fix available yet
I actually (carefully!) white glued some very thin tissue paper of a similar cream color from the inside.Now,the trick is not to leave much paper around the hole/tear,as the excess looks just horrible when lit,but if you make it so it just covers the hole,it's not too bad.Nothing will replicate the "skin" of the bubble lamp,but a thin tissue patch,although not perfect looks decent enough.

cleaning
I used a Mr. Clean magic eraser slightly moistened and it worked well. Have done the same on a Majestic Z lamp after it was suggested by Moonlight Lampshades.

i don't think they dip the metal wires
rather, they spun the whole assembly while spraying the material in liquid form.
pretty interesting, btw...
http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2010/09/making-of-bubble-lamp.html

Thanks!
Thanks for sharing!