How to stop these small lava blobs? (picture included) - Oozing Goo - The Lava Lamp Syndicate2024-03-28T21:15:12Zhttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-to-stop-these-small-lava?commentId=1566398%3AComment%3A321607&xg_source=msg_com_forum&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe little tiny floaties I ca…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2015-02-15:1566398:Comment:5713702015-02-15T14:27:21.405ZChristian BayLeehttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/ChristianBayLee
The little tiny floaties I call them are just a result of older lamps.. Nothing you can really do.. When all the blobs get kinda small and hang out at the top it's overheated. This can sort of be fixed with a dimmer for lamps at lowes or Home Depot. When the wax melts I dim mine slightly and still flows good and keeps it from overheating for a little while.
The little tiny floaties I call them are just a result of older lamps.. Nothing you can really do.. When all the blobs get kinda small and hang out at the top it's overheated. This can sort of be fixed with a dimmer for lamps at lowes or Home Depot. When the wax melts I dim mine slightly and still flows good and keeps it from overheating for a little while. Agree with Tim, looks..acts l…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2015-02-10:1566398:Comment:5706622015-02-10T08:45:36.334ZMr MaGoohttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/MrMaGoo
<p>Agree with Tim, looks..acts like it is overheating. Second putting a dimmer on it and see what happens, bet if you cool it down just a bit you will get larger, stretchier blobs..possible reduction in tiny blobs, but, bet it will act better for you. Keep us in the loop bro, and good luck with it!</p>
<p>Agree with Tim, looks..acts like it is overheating. Second putting a dimmer on it and see what happens, bet if you cool it down just a bit you will get larger, stretchier blobs..possible reduction in tiny blobs, but, bet it will act better for you. Keep us in the loop bro, and good luck with it!</p> I've had the same experience…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2015-02-10:1566398:Comment:5706592015-02-10T06:26:54.637ZJC Harrishttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/JCHarris
<p>I've had the same experience and I've tried replacing the water, but once the wax starts doing that, it means that the wax has permanently changed.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Learn to love the bubbles. :D</p>
<p>I've had the same experience and I've tried replacing the water, but once the wax starts doing that, it means that the wax has permanently changed.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Learn to love the bubbles. :D</p> I bought a 1997 Silver Streak…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2015-02-09:1566398:Comment:5706522015-02-09T22:09:30.991ZChrishttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/1ce0gqe3mbh36
<p>I bought a 1997 Silver Streak (Haggerty original made in US as well) on eBay a few weeks ago. It had the SAME EXACT PROBLEM. Lots of small globes, lots of bubbles in the wax, and was proned to overheating after about 4 hours. I put it on a dimmer, but that mostly just made it alternate between columns and small globes. At first I tried to just embrace it for what it was, but I broke down and goo kitted it over the weekend and now I'm absolutely in love with it. Nothing beats the stands made…</p>
<p>I bought a 1997 Silver Streak (Haggerty original made in US as well) on eBay a few weeks ago. It had the SAME EXACT PROBLEM. Lots of small globes, lots of bubbles in the wax, and was proned to overheating after about 4 hours. I put it on a dimmer, but that mostly just made it alternate between columns and small globes. At first I tried to just embrace it for what it was, but I broke down and goo kitted it over the weekend and now I'm absolutely in love with it. Nothing beats the stands made in the US.</p> I'm having the same trouble w…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2015-02-09:1566398:Comment:5709102015-02-09T20:20:48.222ZJasonhttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/Jason675
I'm having the same trouble with my '71 Starlight. I'll have to try a dimmer as well.
I'm having the same trouble with my '71 Starlight. I'll have to try a dimmer as well. FWIW, my troublesome lamp has…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2011-08-29:1566398:Comment:3308002011-08-29T19:11:21.203ZMJMhttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/MJM
<p>FWIW, my troublesome lamp has been on a dimmer for over a month; I get the tiny blobs at any temperature warm enough to induce any flow at all, which is what got me thinking about surfactant -- it's pretty clearly <span style="text-decoration: underline;">some</span> sort of chemical issue in my case, but whether that's a surfactant issue, a goo-not-cohesive-enough issue, or maybe a balance issue that requires (mild) overheating to initiate flow (or even some other variant of…</p>
<p>FWIW, my troublesome lamp has been on a dimmer for over a month; I get the tiny blobs at any temperature warm enough to induce any flow at all, which is what got me thinking about surfactant -- it's pretty clearly <span style="text-decoration: underline;">some</span> sort of chemical issue in my case, but whether that's a surfactant issue, a goo-not-cohesive-enough issue, or maybe a balance issue that requires (mild) overheating to initiate flow (or even some other variant of innards-being-not-quite-right), well, that's anyone's guess right now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Glad to hear that yours seems to be responding to reduced temperature, Connor.</p> Right on. This is exactly wha…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2011-08-29:1566398:Comment:3297172011-08-29T09:17:31.847ZConnorhttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/ConnorBob
<p>Right on. This is exactly what happens.</p>
<p><br></br>So I tried the frosted bulb and it appears to have helped some. A dimmer will be my next test.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><cite>MJM said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://oozinggoo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-to-stop-these-small-lava?commentId=1566398%3AComment%3A321607&xg_source=msg_com_forum#1566398Comment321607"><div><p>Let me guess ... the tiny blobs crop up when a large blob separates, and the skinny, stretched-out goo between the upper and…</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Right on. This is exactly what happens.</p>
<p><br/>So I tried the frosted bulb and it appears to have helped some. A dimmer will be my next test.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><cite>MJM said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://oozinggoo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-to-stop-these-small-lava?commentId=1566398%3AComment%3A321607&xg_source=msg_com_forum#1566398Comment321607"><div><p>Let me guess ... the tiny blobs crop up when a large blob separates, and the skinny, stretched-out goo between the upper and lower blobs snaps into a tiny droplet-sized blob, rather than remaining part of one of the larger blobs, right? So you've got two medium-sized blobs, with a tiny blob or three floating in between them, right after separation?</p>
</div>
</blockquote> Too Hot I would suggest. The…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2011-08-23:1566398:Comment:3238542011-08-23T00:36:40.534ZModulo '70https://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/JeromeDopson
Too Hot I would suggest. The hotter the lamp the more lava 'breakage' and bubbling.
Too Hot I would suggest. The hotter the lamp the more lava 'breakage' and bubbling. Interesting comment there MJM…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2011-08-20:1566398:Comment:3223022011-08-20T21:48:53.822ZTim Gillhttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/TimGill
Interesting comment there MJM - I reckon its possible too much surf as if you add too much then this brakes up the surface tension and creates small blobs. I think this is quite common with lamps made around this time and generality with any Lava Lite lamp (even USA ones), I have a china lamp made around this time and its doing the same thing so it probably something to do with the formula.<br></br><br></br>I think it is overheating as so try putting it on a dimmer and see what happens…
Interesting comment there MJM - I reckon its possible too much surf as if you add too much then this brakes up the surface tension and creates small blobs. I think this is quite common with lamps made around this time and generality with any Lava Lite lamp (even USA ones), I have a china lamp made around this time and its doing the same thing so it probably something to do with the formula.<br/><br/>I think it is overheating as so try putting it on a dimmer and see what happens then.<br/><br/><br/> Let me guess ... the tiny blo…tag:oozinggoo.ning.com,2011-08-20:1566398:Comment:3216072011-08-20T10:35:33.634ZMJMhttps://oozinggoo.ning.com/profile/MJM
<p>Let me guess ... the tiny blobs crop up when a large blob separates, and the skinny, stretched-out goo between the upper and lower blobs snaps into a tiny droplet-sized blob, rather than remaining part of one of the larger blobs, right? So you've got two medium-sized blobs, with a tiny blob or three floating in between them, right after separation?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've got a 2000 lamp that does the same thing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My current best guess is that the bulb (both mine and yours) is…</p>
<p>Let me guess ... the tiny blobs crop up when a large blob separates, and the skinny, stretched-out goo between the upper and lower blobs snaps into a tiny droplet-sized blob, rather than remaining part of one of the larger blobs, right? So you've got two medium-sized blobs, with a tiny blob or three floating in between them, right after separation?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've got a 2000 lamp that does the same thing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My current best guess is that the bulb (both mine and yours) is just fine, and that the issue is a sub-optimal amount of surfactant. Whether there's a bit too much surf or a bit too little, though, I'm not sure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Clearly, in the battle between goo-cohesion and goo-surface tension, the surface tension is winning, which makes me think that the problem is too little surfactant, rather than too much. But that may just be wishful thinking on my part, because it's obviously a lot easier to add some surfactant than to remove some. (Although I do have a plan for that, if that should prove necessary.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Would anyone better-versed in goo chemistry care to chime in? </p>