Not sticking to coil

[Da9L]

I have a lamp where the wax doesnt stick to the coil.. Take a look at the attached picture ..

So from what i can read in the library i were to take it out and rinse it .. So i did.. I used gasoline and tried with cilit bang, as i have great experience with this and degreasing .. After around 12 hours it seemed to look clean, so put it back in the lamp with the wax melted in the globe in a pot on the stove. But now the wax isnt sticking at all to the coil .. Should i try again ? And is there something i have forgotten?

[Da9L]

Anyone ?

[Derek Hyde]

I actually have a similar problem with one of my lamps.  About ready to give up on it.  Waiting to see what reply you get here.  Sorry, I am of no help, I know.

[Da9L]

Theres allways the way of trying another coil.. Problem is that i just dont have any spare to try with..

[Derek Hyde]

I'm not sure if my problem is the same.  I have a Century where the wax just sits in a blob on the bottom.  Lame.

[Da9L]

That could also be because the liquid density is too light compared to the wax' density.. but if the wax isnt sticking to the coil thats most likely the reason i believe ! I just dont have any experience with coils, but from what i can read here the coil is very important for the wax to flow.. 

[Da9L]

So i've now tried to clean the coil again .. Same problem.. Looks like i will have to get a new coil somewhere.. Its just wierd as i do not think the coil looks bad.. No rust or anything!

[Da9L]

I bought a spring from my local hardware store today, im gonna try to create a new coil..

Does anyone here now how you would attach each end to each other ?

[Pierre Brazeau]

Hi everyone, I looked at the position where the coil contacts the globe, to me much needed heat is better concentrated closer to the center of the globe, hense a smaller coil causing it to keep in contact with more heated ooze and also a greater heat concentration from the lamp. In other words the coil has a much greater chance of capturing more heat and retaining it. As to the cleaning of the coil and globe, oil from your hands to me would'nt help your chances of assuring a good job.Wearing new latex or rubber gloves while handling everything after cleaning would certainly better your situation,after all surgeons need to use them to assure nothing becomes an incident over tiny microbes we are unable to see. After everything was cleaned, I would put everthing in a clean container filled with distilled water till completetly ready to assemble everything, after all it's going to end up in mixed distilled water anyway. In my telescope making books,before there ready to silver or aluminize their optical parts a thorough washing with mineral oil or turpentine is done,followed by a cleaning with hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide, these are found in commercial toilet bowl cleaners to remove any traces of grease or other contaminants, followed with a good rinsing in distilled water and then kept in a container filled with fresh distilled water till ready to begin silvering operation. For whatever it's worth whenever I needed to make up my own bandsaw blades by silver soldering, regular borax soap was used,it assured me no contaminants like grease or anything else would ruin my luck of a successfull weld period, no if and or buts, Sorry for foaming at the mouth one of my bad habits.

 

 

[Jus]

I ran one of my coils through the dishwasher, and after that the wax refused to stick to it.  Soooooo-I began trying all kinds of things.  Rubbing alcohol, degreasers, even tried roughing the coil with a metal file-nothing worked.  Then, I decided to try super heating the coil with a torch.  Not a flash-light torch (British speak) but a torch lighter that makes the real hot pointy flame.  First time I heated it, then cooled it-still no luck.  I tried again, but this time I got the coil all heated up then dropped it sizzling hot into my container of melted goo.  Guess what?  It WORKED!  If anyone decides to try it, keep the torch moving cuz if it stays in one spot too long the coil may try to contort its shape.  That happened to mine, but it was minor and I jus bent it back to position.  I'm amazed!  The same coil that was repelling the wax is now jus thoroughly bonded with it-and working good as new!