Solution for the sticky wax?

[Bowlerhat]

I have refilled my lava lamp with my solution,using epsom salt,with

-1/2 litre purified water

-around 2 spoon of salts

--1 drop of soap

I've fiddled with the exact solution,by adding or removing the water until level,but after a few months the wax tends to have some little nodules stick to the bottle insides.the wax will usually welts off,but leaving two or more bits of wax.The solution is clear and works well,but the wax tends to stick at and making spots on the glass.

Is it need to be reffiled with another solution?

or some additions?

thx!

[Tim Gill]

The solution for the fluid is fine - that's not the problem.

Wax sticks when the globe is not prepared / cleaned properly. My suggestion would be to empty the globe and clean it using hot water from the kettle with dishwasher liquid - this should melt all the wax on the sides of the globe.

Once done and rinsed pour some water with some surf (less then a drop of soap) and swirl this around the globe and tip it out but DONT RINCE - this will coat the globe with soap and should stop the wax from sticking.

[Bowlerhat]

Anyway,I mean the salt solution is half litre with two spoon of salts,not for entirely solution for the globe. (the solution dripped to the water on the globe to be mixed).

I've tried to use dishwasher liquid to clean it uip but in the end I screwed the solution..I will try again this time.

Oh,I tried to clean it up,but I havent tried using hot water.Is the glass going to be fine?

And isnt the soap will be too much if I dont rinse it?

Thx !

[Tim Gill]

The salt solutions sounds fine, thats ok

Using hot water should be fine.

If you only use a small amount of soap with water to coat the globe then this should not be a problem.

If this dosent work then try using some kind of degreaser to get the wax off.

[Bowlerhat]

what kind of degeaser?

[Tim Gill]

The US guys on hear have said that jungle jakes degreaser workes well http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/217064-cleaner_degreaser.html#... I havent tryed it myself but somthing like white spirit or even petrol could work.

[Bowlerhat]

but you still have to melt the spots of wax..

Petrol doesnt seems to be "safe".

Have tried it,but the wax flow is not normal..only one-two blobs and very slow..

I'll try again.

Thanks for the advice !

[Tim Gill]

Well you could melt the spots of wax using a hair dryer or somthing simmiler, yea I wouldent reccomend petrol but it has been used in the past as a cleaner. 

Could you upload some pictures so we have a better idea.

[Vision]

I had this problem once, some smart-ass told me to wrap a towel around it to increase the heat and it would fix itself. 30 minutes later my lamp exploded. The next time it happened I cleaned out the globe really good and swirled some WD-40 in it.

[JP]

Vision, was your lamp capped? I don't think it is safe to heat up sealed lamps. The internal pressure could indeed explode thm.
I boiled my OPEN bottle for 30 minutes trying to get ride of wax on the sides. It partially worked. Waiting for the wax to cool off now and see where I stand.

[Tim Gill]

It is very dangerous to heat a lamp to higher then its design when sealed as it could explode.

When heating a lamp higher then designed caution should be taken as even as its open it still could crack or explode.

[Vision]

Yes, the lamp was capped. And yes, it's not safe to heat up a sealed lamp, I was assured by a former moderator that it would fix the problem. Instead I lost a good lamp. I learned from then on never to trust that guy, and study things out first before asking.

PS. Don't boil globes, Ever. Open or closed.

JP said:

Vision, was your lamp capped? I don't think it is safe to heat up sealed lamps. The internal pressure could indeed explode thm.
I boiled my OPEN bottle for 30 minutes trying to get ride of wax on the sides. It partially worked. Waiting for the wax to cool off now and see where I stand.