A SHOUT OUT TO ALL GOO KITTERS!!! Cloudy Water and/or Film

As many of you know, last summer I discovered a whole new obsession in my life when I joined OG.....GOO KITTING!! I have achieved great colors and awesome flow from some of my kits, however, one flaw. My water either clouds up over time, or I get this weird "scum" and/or "film" on the inside of my globe. I even had an in depth conversation with Kim at Magma Tower, and he seemed to attribute it to me running my lamps at too high of temps. I experimented with that idea and debunked it. Long story short in researching some of the OG archives from way back when, my reading fell upon something very interesting!! Someone mentioned that surfactant is like dish soap and will "degrease". In having that particular property, it seems to pull the oil from the MT goo into the fluid causing it to adhere to the inside of the globe and/or cloud the water. I know the goo kit tutorial calls for 15-17 ml of surf to be added to a 52 oz globe, but I have been experimenting with this also. I have recleaned all of my globes with a piece of dobie attached to a hanger. While the wax is cold and the lamp is still filled, I sweep around the inside and dislodge any film, then I dump the water (I use the straw that comes with the goo kit to hold down the wax puck so it doesn't dislodge) and then I do a clean water change. I add 1/2 of the amount of surf or approx. 10 ml. I have even gone so low as 5, but that seems iffy in a 52 oz. So far I have ran my lamps numerous times and no film and/or clouding as of yet!!! Also, I noticed that the surf really doesn't have anything to do with the flow of the wax. It is more a heat and coil factor. I do believe that the surf is just to avoid the goo from sticking to the inside of the globe. Anyway, for those suffering from this on their kits, try the above. I will see in the long haul how long, if at all this comes back.

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Permalink Reply by Tim on September 10, 2015 at 1:25pm

Carol. I will say this...I'm not real impressed with goo kits. However they do flow better than the LL china stuff but overall I will not be buying anymore goo kits. This is just my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Carol on September 10, 2015 at 2:50pm

Oh Tim, believe you me, I agree...I think the QC with the goo and dye is terrible anymore. I don't know how it was way back when, but I am not without my woes with this stuff. The only reason I hang in there is I have no other viable option. I buy china, I'm screwed, I try to buy vintage on ebay and seems like I get lava that is chunky and over used. I just have no luck unless I go with the kits and just fiddle and tinker and experiment until I get it right. I have changed fluids in some of my kits so many times I can't tell you.....also what keeps me going is that it is a HOBBY that I really enjoy and if it weren't for something going wrong I wouldn't have a hobby so I guess in one way it works for me. I have however given up on their blue dye as everything I have attempted to do blue turns plum/purple. I will be purchasing dyes from Peak candle company in the very near future for more kits. Also, I have gotten goo that looks like someone smoked a cigarette and dropped their ashes in the top of the bottle. They do however stand behind their product and I have gotten a lot of freebies from them when I had issues. Kim has left MT for whatever reason so now I don't know how things are going to be. Better or worse? There is a member that just recently joined who is from MT, but everytime I posted to him or questioned I didn't really get a reply, so again....???

Sad that us gooheads don't really have many options for good quality lamps. Oh and Mathmos is another problem. Having to deal with the whole 3rd party courries and shipping costs.....