Homemade glitter lamp.

[Nolan Guess]

I'm so excited, I think I have a good way to make a glitter lamp, I've posted a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xOt1Ge9etE&feature=g-crec-u) of the first prototype glitter fluid, and I'm really excited about perhaps finally having a way to make glitter fluid at home.  At first I was running into trouble with the mylar glitter sinking to the bottom and not flowing right, then I made the fluid too dense and all the glitter floated to the top of the solution.  So after ALOT of experimentation I got the density of the fluid right so the glitter barely sinks.   you can see in the video that as the fluid heats and starts convection it has no trouble carrying the glitter with it.  Soon I will have a 52oz globe filled with my prototype solution and 18" glitter.  I'll post videos for all to see.   Im keeping my fingers crossed...

[Astralav]

Looks interesting.

I hope you'll share the recipe here!

[Nolan Guess]

When I get it working, I'll definately share...

[Tim Gill]

I am looking forward to the video and if you share the formular.

I salvaged a china glitter with cloudy water and I am planning to redo / replace the water so i will try your ideas on this and make some changes.

This is all really good stuff as a home made glitter really hasent been done before.

[Dr. WHAT?!]

Yes please keep us posted on this, I would love to make my own glitter lamp. I've tried with mineral oil and no luck so I'd love to hear your ingredients.

[Tim Gill]

It has been a idea of mine as well I have thought about using glycrine (i.e. fog fluid) and / or solvent based like the vintage glitters and also glycol was on the possable ingredents.

Dr. WHAT?! said:

Yes please keep us posted on this, I would love to make my own glitter lamp. I've tried with mineral oil and no luck so I'd love to hear your ingredients.

[Dr. WHAT?!]

I thought about fog juice too. I just did straight up mineral oil, I didn't think about densities at all lol.

[Nolan Guess]

I will be glad to tell you what I've done...    3 parts Glycerin to 1 part 100% brine solution...  add glitter and voila...   Use canning/pickling salt so the brine solution stays crystal clear.  I haven't been able to figure out exactly how much glitter to put in for a given lamp size, but as soon as my supplies get here, I'm gonna be building and posting videos...

The glycerin I'm using is pharmacological grade pure glycerol...   some glycerins are an 80% solution so make sure you know what you are getting...

 

[Erin]

Cool! What's the "brine"? 

Thanks so much for sharing! Very nice of you. :)

Nolan Guess said:

I will be glad to tell you what I've done...    3 parts Glycerin to 1 part 100% brine solution...  add glitter and voila...   Use canning/pickling salt so the brine solution stays crystal clear.  I haven't been able to figure out exactly how much glitter to put in for a given lamp size, but as soon as my supplies get here, I'm gonna be building and posting videos...

The glycerin I'm using is pharmacological grade pure glycerol...   some glycerins are an 80% solution so make sure you know what you are getting...

 

[Astralav]

Where do you find the mylar glitter flakes?

[Nolan Guess]

found the glitter flakes at http://www.displaycostume.com/store/Glitter-Asstd-Colors-1-8-.html 

The brine is a 100% solution of pickling salt in distilled water...   dissolve as much salt as can dissolve into the water to make the brine...    I was able to get about 15 tbsp pickling salt to dissolve into 4 cups of water...

 

[Astralav]

Thanks for the link, but I'll have to fond some locally as they only ship to US and Canada.

[Nolan Guess]

yeah.. running into trouble too, I may need to use some propylene glycol in my mix as the solution is still not dense enough to really let the glitter be neutrally bouyant...