For my goohead friends, some porno...

[Jeff Neely]

I am quite the nerdy loser with the lava lamp collection. I am certain that you, my good friends, can add many lines to this list, but this, in no particular order, is a sample checklist for collectors on their progression towards being a complete loser as I am:

- I purchased lamp number ten.

- I spent many hours actively searching ebay, then craigslist, then newspaper classifieds and foreign ebays (and on and on and on...) looking for a score. I still do.

- I bought my first icon.

- I NEEDED a tenth Grande to balance the shelf.

- I cried real tears and experienced real depression in the great Christmas crash of 2014.

- I ran out of shelves.

- I tripped breakers in the house because I was running too many lamps.

- I began the superhero shelf. And the rock and roll shelf. And the homemade shelf. And the...

- I realized that, as I am an ass man, I am also a goo man. I just don't care for glitter lamps.

- I reached a point where I have seasonal lamps I only break out at Halloween or Christmas and such...

- I did my first gookit.

- I joined this here club on the internet to find other likeminded nerds.

- I learned to envy those with lamps from Europe and I take pride in the fact I have made a few other collectors jealous with some of my prizes.

- I realized that every lamp has its own personality and flow style and I describe them as if they are alive.

- I have spent an amount for a lamp I just HAD to have that left me a little ashamed.

- I stopped giving anything other than lava lamps as gifts years ago. Birthdays, weddings, housewarmings... All get lava lamps (And I tend to turn them on when I go to my friend's houses to visit.)

- I somehow accumulated spare parts...Lots of them. I also have lamps I have never opened and bought "for the collection".

- I made my first custom lamp - a 750ml Ciroc bottle.

- I have made plans for one of those 8 ft. tall ones in the same manner of fantasy I made plans to win the lottery or get Elizabeth Shue naked. (Boy, that sure shows my age!)

- I reached a point where I began rotating the lamps around the house all the time to have fresh views and appreciation for all of them.

- I have somehow gathered a huge box of bulbs.

- I scored our first Colossus. And later a second and third in the great January LAVA giveaway of 2013. And now number four which is what I am actually getting to today...

Not too long ago I found a Humongo for sale on Craigslist. It is black/clear and the base and cap is the black granite covering. I posted it here and no one bit (I suppose because the posting was asking for $5k?) so I called the person up and offered $800. She agreed so long as I did the work so I set up a shipper to pick it up and pay for it for me and, one week and $1200 total later I had number four in the house here in Texas.

I knew when I bought it that it was in bad shape but I also had hope that the photo made it look worse than it would be in person.

No such luck. That black wax has bled into the liquid so bad that it can only be seen through if I put a bright-enough-to-see-mars flashlight behind it.

Because I like to share with my fellow losers, I always said that if I ever did a gookit on one I would share it as I did it. I know I am not the first to share such a thing, but we all got a kick out of another one a few years ago so I am going to share my experience here with my friends.

Here is all the gear...

I hope this works...

[Jeff Neely]

OK, maybe just one more because it may be the coolest selfie ever!

Ever!

[Jeff Neely]

Well here goes nothing....

[Sentrex]

LMAO - looking good!

Jeff Neely said:

OK, maybe just one more because it may be the coolest selfie ever!

Ever!

[Jeff Neely]

While I wait, here are some pics of the grande I bought from another member on here to test for the big one. I was really thinking about gold sharpie and wanted to see how I like it because silver was awesome. People are saying that they can't get flow from a goo kit. That was not the problem as you can see. The problem is that the gold marker, at 32 sharpies in, has not given the goo a metallic and beautiful look. It has left it looking like melted baby shit instead. I am super glad I tried it before I did it if you know what I mean.

Since didn't work out, I think I am going to have to go with orange.

[Jeff Neely]

It is alive...

[Jeff Neely]

Time to start tidying up, add a few extra lights to look prettier...

https://youtu.be/-eAuHToFGtY

[Erin]

This really is the best selfie ever. :)

Also, we have the same Dust Buster. 

Jeff Neely said:

OK, maybe just one more because it may be the coolest selfie ever!

Ever!

[Jeff Neely]

When I went to bed last night it was still sputtering out the air inside of it and nothing much was happening. This morning I woke up to this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYyaoD-lGbw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wo1ZH-2Sds

It is not exactly perfect, but it is pretty damn close!

At the moment, I am about 1.3 16 oz. bottles of surfactant, 5 quarts of goo, and 8.5 gallons of water. When it came alive yesterday it lifted the entire ball of wax as the pic showed. This left the screen I am using for a surface breaker leaning on the side of the globe. I adjusted it to the center and am cooling it for a bit to allow some settling. I will fire it up in about an hour and get it going again. If it remains as near perfect as it was earlier, it will be coloring time as it is too close to be messing with. I am going to go with the orange color from magma tower. When I bought that grande it was the same color and I really liked the way that looked.

[Claude J]

Good info

I'm considering doing something with my Humungo (Once I can find a friend that can bench-press a rhinoceros)

That sharpie color would of been perfect for my doggie cookie jar conversion

Ozzing poo!

Initial post should read: "Top 20 indications that you have a Lava Lamp addiction" 

Jeff Neely said:

While I wait, here are some pics of the grande I bought from another member on here to test for the big one. I was really thinking about gold sharpie and wanted to see how I like it because silver was awesome. People are saying that they can't get flow from a goo kit. That was not the problem as you can see. The problem is that the gold marker, at 32 sharpies in, has not given the goo a metallic and beautiful look. It has left it looking like melted baby shit instead. I am super glad I tried it before I did it if you know what I mean.

Since didn't work out, I think I am going to have to go with orange.

[Critter]

Looks to me like the Humungo/Colossus had been previously opened. The ring of silicone you found is not typical.  It certainly needed refilled and you have made good progress.

Good Luck on the refill, I will enjoy watching your progress.

The Gold Sharpies appear to have produced an animated "Mr. Hankey".  Flow looks great....typical Goo Kit (assuming you avoided any sticking issues).

Crit

[Aladdin 2 Lava]

Made me smile no end :) 

Erin said:

This really is the best selfie ever. :)

Also, we have the same Dust Buster. 

Jeff Neely said:

OK, maybe just one more because it may be the coolest selfie ever!

Ever!

[Jeff Neely]

It has been a couple of days now and I have made some progress on the lamp.

It us very hard to capture the color right. It is really a very vibrant orange and looks super stony.

And here is the flow this morning...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZHVlDBrXbw

There is a piece of me that thinks it still needs a little more soapy stuff in it because it is a bit too ropy for my taste. Also, I am going to cool it down and check the bulb. The brace for it is a little loose and one side of the base is a good deal warmer than the other leading me to think I have the heat lopsided which could make a big change in the flow. That said, after three days of running it is still letting a lot of air out and keeps lifting the cap. Once the air gets out of it there is a good chance it will change and adjust as well.

Claude, If yours is cloudy then do it. If you are like me, you will be very happy with yourself when you get it going again. As for the weight, once the water was out of it it was only about 25 pounds or so. The size makes it a little tough to move around easily if you are short statured,  but it not as bad as I may have made it sound. The other part is the fear of breaking it. That easily adds about 150 pounds, but it is sooooo worth it!

Have a marvelous Monday and good, clear flow to you, friends,

Jeff

hj