Flaky wax

[chainsofsilver]

On the third of April I acquired a vintage yellow/orange Carlisle from a vintage shop in my town (see my photos)-- now I can say officially that I have a collection of lamps!

My 25 watt that came with my first lamp, a new Lava brand from Target, wasn't hot enough, and the wax half-way melted into these weird positions and I was worried that it had semi-petrified. But I bought a 40 watt bulb and all is right with the world. It chugs away happily all day (it just sent up its first plume of the morning).

I do wonder though, before I had turned it on for the first time, the wax was rather flaky and in pieces. When melted, it has lots of little bubbles. Do you think the previous owner had manhandled it and the wax chipped? What are the signs of an effort to replace cloudy liquid? The liquid is as clear as day but the cap will not come off at all.

[chainsofsilver]

Those sound lovely, I hope they work out too. Thankfully, my Carlisle's wax tends to start off looking a bit like tapioca but flowing properly, and after a few hours the wax is smooth with just some air bubbles.

[chainsofsilver]

I'm happy it all worked out for you! I find the bubbles to be pretty entertaining now, "how many will pop this time?" :D

I couldn't find a replacement bulb for my 25 watt but now I know where to go - thanks!

[Alita Jean]

I had the same problem with my Blue USA Lava Lamp. I had went through a phase where I somewhat lost interest, and it sat in the corner of a drawer for several years. I had fired up my black a couple of weeks earlier, and I held both lava globes side by side - The blue pellet looked somewhat pale with deep blue chunks stuck to its surface, while the black pellet was as smooth as a baby's bottom. When the blue lamp heated up, the wax was swirly for a while until the pigment remixed. I came back to check it again while it was cold, and the lumps were gone - it was smooth once again :-)

Also, I decided to get a Starship 2 (8 ounces) for my mother (Mother's Day is coming soon), and the 15 watt bulb was not sufficient to move the bubbles, so I tried the 40 from my Starship 1, and after a few minutes of fast movement, most of the wax moved to the top, so I turned it back off. I went to Lowes and bought a 25 watt lamp for it and it works perfectly!

[chainsofsilver]

Ah, thank you. Good to know my lamp is acting its age, harr harr.

[fog rider]

Pretty typical of older lamps. The wax tends to seperate a bit over time. If the wax flows properly, then the liquid is probably original. Bubbles are often found in older wax.