Lamp Project Questions, Physics and Salt

[Destroyer]

Project Post Coming Soon  The Retro-Basic Formula 

Other Questions"

One,  sea salt I have is NOT iodized, so shouldn't it work fine?

A: Any Un-iodized Salt without additives will function, but more glycol can substitute the salt in proper amounts.

Two: Is a wooden base and heating carrier a fire-hazard?

A: Using 40 Watt Inc bulbs shouldn't heat the wood enough to ignite it.

Three. do black lights warm up enough to make the goo react?

A: No Black-lighting fixture or bulb within realistic grasp is powerful enough to generate a significant amount of heat.

Four, I'm not clear on how to color the wax I'm using, I want a bright green but I have no idea how to "dye" the wax. ****Answered

Any answers would be appreciated thanks :)

Five: What is a most effective way to control the surface tension of the Wax Solution that ensures the Solution moves smoothly?

A: Either: A Stainless Steel Meshing, weighted down. Or, a coil similar to those used by commercial lamps, only much greater in length and instead of a ring, the coil is anchored between both ends of the tank just about half an inch from the base of the holding tank.

[MagicLamp]

IMO, having just a couple of 40W bulbs, spread along such a long surface just ain't going to cut it, in either an "acquarium" or straight upright "bottle" configuration. For one, the heat will be too evenly distributed and will not create enough of a temperature gradient. Also, unless you use reflectors to redirect all of the "light" and heat on the globe, most of it will get wasted.

However you could compensate for that by using some conventional bulbs placed below the tube for the real heating, and keep the black lights for the effect.

You could use IR-filtered incandescent reflector bulbs or use a dimmer, so you will get minimal visible light with most of the heat still there, and so the black lights can do their trick.

Or, you could use one or more UV incandescents at the bottom of the globe: these are actually quite high-powered and their coatings block most of their visible light (dunno if they also block their IR radiation though, which you need to heat the wax). Keep in mind though, they are not as efficient in producing UV radiation as fluorescent black lights and you may need to keep the tubes too, or use a multi-lamp design. They also don't come in reflector variants (not that I know) so you may have to craft your own reflector bases.

As for the coil....you could probably use a small extended height solid wireframe contraption with several coils attached, but getting it inside and having it stand upright would be tricky.

[Destroyer]

Ya, currently the coil and heat are the biggest problems.

[Destroyer]

So is there anywhere I can get linear Blacklight bulbs over 40 watts?

[MagicLamp]

I don't think you can: linear fluorescent tubes, regardless of type, have a a given wattage/unit length, and 40W for 48" is already higher than typical.. After all they are optimized to emit light or UV radiation, not heat, which is a byproduct.

You can of course use reflector fixtures but even then the warming effect will be too mild and will not create temperature gradients: all of the globe will be equally (and slightly) warm, which won't allow the goo to cycle.

Let alone that you will literally have to shroud the globe: with tubes concealed by 48" reflector fixture.

IMHO, your best best is to use conventional incandescents for the actual heating where they will actually work, aka the bottom of the tube (as I said, they can be IR reflectors with minimal visible light, so that you don't spoil the UV fluorescence) and use the tubes just for the effect.

[Destroyer]

Any Tips on how to acquire all the glass I'll need? I've almost solved every logistical and design problem, I need glass, and then I've got the starting materials.

[MagicLamp]

I'd start with an existing aquarium and kinda split and then splice it in the middle, no idea how easy it would be to actually cut through the glass, and whether the aquarium glue would withstand the heat and the heating/cooling cycles, especially with reflectors shining directly on the glued seams.

having the bottom of the "aquarium" being a continuous slab with seams just on the sides would probably work better though, Still, I'd get the frontal and back glass panels from an existing aquarium, and only custom-order the tall-and-shallow sides and the long-and-shallow bottom part.