Gerald Dunbar's Friends

Gerald Dunbar's Page

Something Interesting About Me:: Retired and have time to play with lava lamp restoration

Love old Corvettes and currently have a 1999

At 4:02pm on November 23, 2013, Marley's Ghost said…: Be really careful about getting that old screw cap off. Sometimes they crack and/or break. You might want to turn a hair dryer on it first and heat it up. I saw where some put rubber bands around the cap to get a good grip too. Good luck, Gerald, I'm so glad you are determined to give new life to a good old lamp!

At 3:39pm on November 23, 2013, Marley's Ghost said…: Gerald, I'm not sure what models of the Century lamps had heat rings and which did not, but I don't think they all did. Someone will correct me if I've made a mistake saying that. I looked in the Lava Library and couldn't find that info, or else I missed it someplace. I did find a picture of what the original heat rings look like. Autumn made a homemade one out of tin foil for a lamp in which it was missing.

http://oozinggoo.ning.com/photo/home-made-heat-ring?commentId=1566398%3AComment%3A158652

At 12:06am on November 19, 2013, Marley's Ghost said…: That's the coil in the bottom, Gerald. The old Century had a heat ring/reflector that fit down inside the top of the base, which the globe sits on. I bet it got lost in the shuffle somewhere. You don't really always need it, I have one that overheats if I use it, so I take it out. It does sound like that wax is definitely fried and the liquid faded. I'm sure you'll have it looking great before you're through with it!! Post pics!! ;-)

At 8:53pm on November 18, 2013, Marley's Ghost said…: Did your Century still have the heat ring in when you bought it, Gerald? Just wondering, since they are usually lost over time, as they are removable. I run my Midnight Century on a 40W clear bulb and have the heat ring in it. The wax in mine is close to being "fried" too, but it runs pretty well right now. Good luck on fixing it, and please don't hesitate to start a discussion if you have any questions. P. S. That 15W bulb should never have been in a 52 oz. lamp. You never know what you'll find in the lovely old lamps we rescue though.

At 7:07pm on November 18, 2013, Marley's Ghost said…: You came to the right place, Gerald! Check out the Lava Library, there is a lot of info there and you can also use the search bar for particular discussions on your interests. Lots of knowlegable folks on here that will be happy to give you any help you might need to get that lovely Century revived again!