I was heating the globe,and..(Question about globe)

[Bowlerhat]

It was a normal day.My lava lamp has got some flakes in the wax,and I went to the kitchen to heat it..after a couple of minutes ,i heard a crackling sound and suddenly it's all went wrong.

And then I found this :

(see pic)

Yes it was china,but I succesfully revamped the other lamp (by heating it),and it works great.

Anyone has tips for the globe?

How to tell if it's kinda enough to not broken.

I want to buy another,but is every globe like this?

[Tim Gill]

I think every globe is like this but if you have had done the same with another globe (the same type as this one) and it has worked then why? - Was the heat higher this time then last it could be that or it could be that this is just generality a dodgy globe and really doesn't take heat well.

I don't heat my globes like this at all (the only time is if I want to super heat them to smooth the wax) i just empty the water and use their base to heat them.

[Metallica Man Trevor]

I've revamped 8 china lamps none have done this. Could just be that globe

[Tim Gill]

Probably yea - sounds like it.

[Bowlerhat]

I've been heating 2 other ones so far,one is in the same shape,and tye other one is tube-shape.

But I really surprised to see the whole bottom glass had come off.I want to buy another rocket shaped lamp but It's kind of dodgy..

[Tim Gill]

It seams that the globe was a dodgy one - the others should be fine.

I think another lamp should be fine and even if its not then its a cheap china lamp so no big loss.

The bottem of it probably came off as thats a week point in the glass and that is where the most heat is going so will stress this part of the globe.

If you don't want this to happen then the safest way is just to heat it using the base.

[Pierre Brazeau]

When it comes to glass, extreme temperature differentials causes them to break. Anything that comes in direct contact with it that would cause a sharp increase or decrease in the glass itself will garantee something will let go. Other reason that aren't usual is when the glass is made some impurities in the batch that when cooled in the making of the glass can cause it to break at anytime without notice,could take days or even decades, it's a crap shoot. Unless you're using glass like pyrex or of the like which made to withstand extreme temperature differences accidents like are bound to occur. Pyrex glassware is much more expensive than regular glass.P.S. it's very unlikely you will ever come across glass that have impurities as these items are hand made and usually but not often of a lower standard.