Friends don't let friends buy 20oz Lava Lite lamps

These are such garbage! This is my FIX of the lamp. When I got it (in with another lamp I wanted - did NOT want this one), it was so cloudy you couldn't even see the wax.

Here's (almost) exactly what I did: dump all liquid. Fill the globe back up with distilled about 1/2 - 2/3rds (closer to 2/3rds) of the way up. Put a half cup of distilled water in a glass measuring cup and add one tablespoon of pickling/canning or epsom salts. Microwave the water/salt mix so the salt dissolves. Turn on lamp and heat wax until fully melted. In my case, wax didn't do anything when fully melted - just sat there. Then add about 1/2 teaspoon of the salt/water mix. Weird shit might happen (wax will go all wonky for a few moments). Wait about 15 mins. to see how it plays out. If it's not yet moving, add more. Wait 15 mins. and see how it flows. Keep doing this until you get flow (lava finally rises towards the top and detaches), but don't overdo it. Keep in mind that you'll likely need to top off with distilled and when you do that, it can change the flow again. Once you get it moving, add a few drops (like two) of Miracle Bubbles/SLS/SLES - this will break up the wax and make it more stretchy. You may need more Miracle Bubbles. Keep tinkering until you get it how you like. I think I tried it 2-3 times before I got this one right. It's cheap to tinker with, so go to town and keep trying until you get it right. :)

There is still a lot of white powdery-looking crap in the wax, but it doesn't seem to affect the lamp or it's flow.

That being said, avoid these 20oz lamps at all costs! Total garbage.

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Albums: China / crap / misc lamps

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Comment by Brad on June 3, 2013 at 6:40pm: agree - too small for decent flow. the wax needs to be able to cool as it approaches the top of the globe, and there just isn't much space in the 20oz globe for this to occur.

Comment by Erin on June 3, 2013 at 6:02pm: I agree - too small for decent flow. I LOL'd at "no lava left behind"! :)

Comment by Metallica Man Trevor on June 2, 2013 at 11:10pm: I have o couple 20ozers I like. like my sponge bob one! I did however transplant crestworth wax and liquid into it lol!!! The flow is amazing

Comment by Deb on June 2, 2013 at 10:36pm: My previous answer was somewhat tongue in cheek. Never put anything away or got rid of based on someone else's opinion. I just realized most 20 ouncer's don't perform well.

But whether it be an off brand or not, if it's pleasing to my eye it's staying. I'm a lava lover after all. :)

Comment by Marley's Ghost on June 2, 2013 at 9:59pm: I have one off brand clear/red that I loved, and displayed all the time. It was one of the first lamps I had that a friend gave me. Dr. What has one just like it, and in one of his pictures. I asked him what it was------he said it was an 8 dollar Big Lot special. It flowed great, but I think I ran it all the time, way too much, and the red leached out of the goo and stained the glass,not the water. It's not clear now, has a red tint to the glass I don't like. Broke my heart. :-(

Comment by Keith on June 2, 2013 at 9:20pm: To paraphrase Dr. Suess, "a lava light is a lava light, no matter how small" Which is a nice sentiment if they actually worked.

I have several off brand lava's and glitters but not on display. Not because of what someone else may think but because of limited display space I would rather have 32 ouncers and 52 ouncers.

Comment by Marley's Ghost on June 2, 2013 at 8:04pm: Very true, Erin!! But I think before and after pics would greatly satisy me, that is if I manage to fix mine. If not, no pics.....LOL And you are exactly right. Any lamp, no matter what kind or pedigree it is that is loved by someone, is a great lamp to whomever owns it. To each his own!

Comment by Erin on June 2, 2013 at 7:36pm: Some Lava Lite China stuff is OK, but really, if you like it, you like it - no matter where it came from or what it looks like. I don't begrudge anyone who likes 20oz. China lamps - to each their own. :) Wouldn't be my first choice, but that's the lovely thing about choice - many to chose from!

Libby - definitely post before and after pics! I wish I had taken a before pic of this one, but we all know what crappy cloudy lamps look like. ;)

Comment by Marley's Ghost on June 2, 2013 at 6:50pm: Great!! Thanks,Erin! I don't have a printer, so I'm gonna copy every word down you just wrote and we'll see what happens! Like I said, I sure can't hurt either of them, and can re-do as many times as it takes to get it right. I think I'll take before and after pics!

LOL, Deb, that's hilarious. I can't say as I blame you after that response! But I might have left it out to watch for myself and just not told anyone. :-) I'll be watching for you to post some pics!

Comment by Deb on June 2, 2013 at 6:35pm: I'll post some pics of it. Just made it last week. Been watching and running it last few days. I put the one metallic away till I found a second. It took awhile cause Hastings never had one in stock every time I checked and it has a Peace lamp base.

I posted a Pink Floyd poster pic a while back titled, "What's missing from this pic?" Early in my collecting. Hilarious responses. Someone said I'd replace that peace lamp with a nice 32 oz.Lava brand lamp. I learned right then that chinas were not too kindly looked upon from this group. So in answer to ur question Mar.... I put it away because I was too damn ashamed to keep it out. XD