Top off Mathmos astro

[Cowmatian]

Today, I received my faded blue/blue astro from ebay. The seller didn't have the original box, so I expected just a blank box, but it was actually a jet box. I was happy with that because as you guys know, Mathmos anything is tough to get in the USA. As I was unpacking it, I saw that the jet box was wet, but it didn't smell like gasoline/rubber like my aristocrat did when I worked on it. It did turn out that the bottle leaked though. I have some clear 94 LL fluid on hand, but the LL fluid smells much more toxic (don't know how else to describe it) than the Mathmos. It is down about 1.5 inches, could I use distilled water, fog fluid , or something else. I don't want to mess up the flow. The cap has a small dent, but not too bad. What could I put on the threads when I put the cap back on to make sure it's a tight seal?

[Tim Gill]

It dosent look that bad, I think you could just use some DI water and it should be ok - others may have something else to say and I know how hard Mathmos lamps are to get in the USA, I don't want to contribute to messing up a lamp

The seal though - silicone would work fine I think that's what they use anyway and I have used it myself and it works well.

[Cowmatian]

If I get a hydrometer, and add a mixture of glycerine and distilled water that matches the astro's liquid density, could anything go wrong?

[Brad]

i agree with tim - would just add DI water and call it a day.

[Cowmatian]

I topped it off with distilled water, and it didn't hurt the flow at all! The blue isn't as dark either, I personally like it a bit lighter. I am amazed by how vibrant the colors are, and how nice the flow is. Now I just have to seal the bottle. Just to be sure, this (http://www.lowes.com/pd_17417-72643-GE500_0__?productId=1043637&...|0&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|0%26Ntt%3Dsilicone%26page%3D1&facetInfo=)  is the silicone I should use, right? Should I seal the bottle while its hot or cold? I would normally go with hot, but mathmos' production video seems to show them being capped while cold.

[Aladdin 2 Lava]

I've topped of a few Mathmos bottles with DI water, one violet/orange was down 2" and still flows well.

Glad it worked out ok for you Cowmation, especially after travelling all that way !

[Keith]

Personally I wouldn't use silicone since you may never get the cap off again.  I would use teflon tape or something else to seal without gluing the cap shut.

Cowmatian said:

I topped it off with distilled water, and it didn't hurt the flow at all! The blue isn't as dark either, I personally like it a bit lighter. I am amazed by how vibrant the colors are, and how nice the flow is. Now I just have to seal the bottle. Just to be sure, this (http://www.lowes.com/pd_17417-72643-GE500_0__?productId=1043637&...|0&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_price|0%26Ntt%3Dsilicone%26page%3D1&facetInfo=)  is the silicone I should use, right? Should I seal the bottle while its hot or cold? I would normally go with hot, but mathmos' production video seems to show them being capped while cold.

[Marley's Ghost]

Ah Oh, I used silicone on my cap, Keith, and I had teflon tape......Drat.   I hope a hair dryer works if I decide to add more blue to my lamp!   Thanks for that tip!!!  

[Cowmatian]

I'll post a video of it flowing as soon as I can. It is very impressive. Should I cap it hot or cold? I have capped both my LL's I have opened hot but what about mathmos? I'm going to have to use some silicone because the dent in the cap still leaks a little with the tape in place.

[Keith]

The globes are capped cold in the factory so that is fine.  If you need to recap a grande with a separate plug it might be better to cap it hot to help seal it better.

[Joanne]

careful I capped my grande hot and it sucked the stopper inside and tore it . I also used a little tiny bit of glue in a few spots but still sucked it inside

[Cowmatian]

I would love to goo kit a grande, but they can suck the stopper into the bottle if they are capped too hot, and they can pop off if capped when too cold, so I guess there's a happy medium to be found with those. I'm going to seal my astro now, and let it cure overnight, it says 3 hours, but more time won't hurt. How did you end up sealing that grande?

[Brad]

glad the DI water worked!  i wish my blue/blue was a bit lighter, so perhaps i will do this someday.  would you mind posting an updated pic when you get a chance?

 

as for sealing your astro, check out this video, 4' mark