I Can Take No More - Colossus Goo Kit Project (Sorta')

[Kirk]

I've tried different coils, removing the small coil, putting in new custom coils, slowly warming the wax for weeks - still my Purple/Pink has not responded.  

It is just too sensitive to temperature changes in its environment - meaning it only runs well in a very narrow temperature range.  I'm convinced its the bloody wax.

So, I've drained the liquid, and I'm in the process of melting the wax on the base.  My plan is to goo kit it with clear liquid and that pretty neon blue everyone likes so much.  This should be fun!

 

[Ben]

So I woke up to 34 email notifications from this thread! Where's the flow?!??

[Kirk]

Update:

About 14 hours later, the flow is looking good.

[Ben]

Awesome! This process should be posted elsewhere on the site for all eternity.

One question: did you heat the wax/MT wax chunks at full power or reduced heat?

Any thoughts on doing a full 100% MT wax & water swap? I would sooner try that to prevent mixing (and maybe ruining) a lotta wax. That way, if 100% MT wax & water didn't work, you could still revert to your formula.

[Kirk]

Thanks, Ben.  I'm really pleased!

Heat both waxes at full power.  For 3-4 hours.  Hell, who knows, maybe the LL wax wasn't cooked long enough originally, and this extra heating makes the difference.  All I know is now I have 3 great flowing Colossus lamps!

Not sure about a full MT goo kit of the Colossus.  It's worth a try, but it would require a lot more effort.  If you remember, that was my original plan until I got crazy and hybridized.  :>)

[Marley's Ghost]

I was so punchy last night, I hunted for those dratted link, picture, etc. thingys, and didn't see them right above my postings....ARRGGG.   Thanks all.   Kirk, that is looking great, bud.  I'm proud of you and agree with Ben.  Your instructions should be posted in the Library for eternity.   P. S.  Poor little (well, not so little), Roshan hiding in the shower.  At least he has a "lovely" shower to hide in, I'd never come out!   It's storming here too, and I have one pup in my lap and one beside me, also terrified of thunder.

I do have one question.  Why did you put distilled water back in, when you still had enough LL fluid to use? 

[Kirk]

Ooops...

Wherever I said quarts of LL liquid or quarts of distilled water.  Correction:  It's GALLONS !!  I've corrected it below, and deleted the original post so there's no confusion.

Kirk said:

Here are the steps for Frankenstein-ing your Troubled Colossus, and It Almost Never has to Leave Its Base While Avoiding Pyroclastic Flows:

 

** One important prerequisite - an electric blanket.  If have one, great.  If not, go get one. **

Also, I use a 250w heat lamp bulb on full power, it heats the wax faster.

 

1. Remove the aluminum cap.  Use a flat head screwdriver to pry the underside of the cap away from the black sleeve.  Be patient.  This takes a little time.

2. Remove the black sleeve and remove the rubber plug.  The black sleeve takes a little patience.  It’s tough to get the sleeve off, but it's harder to put it back on.  :>)

3. Siphon off all the liquid.  It's around 9 gallons, so you need some containers.  I make wine, so a couple of 5 gallon carboys work great.

4. Heat up the wax.

5. Once the wax is melted, pour 2 or 3 quarts off into quart jars.  Use a large funnel on the quart jars and go slow.  The globe is heavy and the bottom is hot from heating the wax, so put a glove on to help protect your hand from the heat.

6. Take 2 or 3 quarts of Magma Tower wax and put it into the remaining Lava Lite wax at the bottom of the globe.  I used a bread knife to cut through the center of the Magma Tower container.  Then, I removed the 2 big halves of wax and sliced them in chunks small enough to drop through the globe opening.

7.Drop those chunks of MT wax into the hot LL liquid.  You already have wax that is sticking on the sides of the globe from pouring off 2 or 3 quarts of LL wax.  Now, the splashing causes more wax to stick to the sides of the globe, but you aren't worried.

8. Take your trusty electric blanket and throw it over the globe.  It's good to tie some twine or use a BIG rubber band to keep the blanket against the side of the globe.  Turn it on high.  The electric blanket will heat up and cause all the wax on the sides of the globe to slide down to the pool of wax below.  If you like, add a 3rd coil.  I did!

9. Allow the LL wax and MT wax to heat and mingle for 3-4 hours.  Turn off the lamp.

10. Now, allow the wax to cool and harden.  3-4 hours.  I put a fan on it.  It still takes time - it's 6 quarts of goo!  If you like, change the bulb from 250w to 200w.  I did!

11. Once the wax is hardened, add the siphoned off LL liquid and 2 to 3 GALLONS of distilled water.  If you added 3 quarts of MT wax, add 3 GALLONS of distilled water.  2 quarts of MT wax, 2 GALLONS of distilled water.

12. Put the rubber plug and the black sleeve back on the globe top.  Turn it on and get ready for your lamp to run like it should have in the first place!

13. As an added bonus, you should have 2 or 3 quarts of LL goo and 2 or 3 GALLONS of LL liquid.  Think of all the fun you’ll have!

[Kirk]

The LL liquid's density is greater than water, and when I added the MT goo, it flowed straight to the top of the lamp and didn't fall back down.  So, on my pink/purple I put 3 gallons of distilled water in place of 3 gallons of LL liquid.  This adjusted the density, so that the wax flowed up and down properly.  Kinda' fun!

Marley's Ghost said:

I was so punchy last night, I hunted for those dratted link, picture, etc. thingys, and didn't see them right above my postings....ARRGGG.   Thanks all.   Kirk, that is looking great, bud.  I'm proud of you and agree with Ben.  Your instructions should be posted in the Library for eternity.   P. S.  Poor little (well, not so little), Roshan hiding in the shower.  At least he has a "lovely" shower to hide in, I'd never come out!   It's storming here too, and I have one pup in my lap and one beside me, also terrified of thunder.

I do have one question.  Why did you put distilled water back in, when you still had enough LL fluid to use? 

[Marley's Ghost]

Kirk, were you thinking that the original LL fluid was the culprit and that is why you used some distilled water?  I don't understand why you used distilled water when you had enough LL fluid left that you could have used.   

[Kirk]

See my previous reply, Libby.  :>)

Marley's Ghost said:

Kirk, were you thinking that the original LL fluid was the culprit and that is why you used some distilled water?  I don't understand why you used distilled water when you had enough LL fluid left that you could have used.   

[Marley's Ghost]

We obviously crossed in the "mail," Kirk.   I just saw it!   Thank you for explaining that. 
 
Kirk said:

See my previous reply, Libby.  :>)
 

[Loren]

Sorry I'm late to see the results, but AMAZING! I am really impressed with your dedication, tenacity, and your results, Kirk!

Oh, and it took the contents of 8 of these glitter lamps to fill a grande, which is 2 gallons, so it would take 40 of them to fill a colossus. (@_@)

It would look totally amazing though! The biggest glitter lamp in the world, probably!

[Ben]

I am so sick of my purple/yellow Colossus that I'm willing to make it into a Glitter Colossus! A blue glitter Colossus, to be exact.  All I need is a formula for the fluid... and some glitter, of course.  I'd hate to kill 40 glitter lamps to get it to work!

I wonder if it would be possible to convert it to a Colossus glitter vortex with blue LEDs and a suction-style aquarium pump (pump outside the glass, impeller inside). That would make it a Glitter Volcano.. Colussus GlitterCano? Do the vortex lamps use water? That would be the easiest.  Am I crazy?

Or maybe the impeller from a vortex... that would make a much lazier flow in a large lamp, which would be a plus...