Oozing Goo - The Lava Lamp Syndicate

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie and still finding my way around, I looking for some help to cure my bubble problem.

I've recently really enjoyed refurbishing my first liquid-less Crestworth Astro Baby using the wax that was left in the bottle, distilled water, epsom salts and a drop of washing up liquid from a recipe I found on the net.

I'm generally well pleased with the result with the wax cycling properly (especially as her indoors likes it too) I now have 4 copper Crestworth's and two liquid-less bottles waiting for revival.

My problem is that some of the cycling wax has air bubbles in them.

I've burst all the bubbles as they reached the top but they keep re-ocuring.

Does any one have any suggestions for banishing them (other than buying a new bottle)

Appreciate any suggestions.

Bob

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Tried many a time to restore an old Crestworth Bob. never been contented with the flow... I could start a whole new thread lol... best leave it to the Mathmos team....  ;)

I feel an Astro/Astro Baby goo transplant coming on as I have a couple of more modern ones I do not like

Aladdin 2 Lava said:

Tried many a time to restore an old Crestworth Bob. never been contented with the flow... I could start a whole new thread lol... best leave it to the Mathmos team....  ;)

Bubbles in the wax is, sadly, a problem no one really knows how to fix. :( Many have tried and to date, I don't know that anyone has a solution to it. Sorry!

bubbles, or pockets of water in the wax, usually occur when the wax isn't getting hot enough or when the wax is old.  try heating the wax with a higher wattage bulb.  if that doesn't work, you most likely won't be able to get rid of them.

Thanks Brad, im going to boil it in a saucepan on a saucer to heat it up and see what that achieves. Ill post if sucessfull.

Brad said:

bubbles, or pockets of water in the wax, usually occur when the wax isn't getting hot enough or when the wax is old.  try heating the wax with a higher wattage bulb.  if that doesn't work, you most likely won't be able to get rid of them.

be safe, bob!  i would do that with the cap off.  not doing so may lead to a potentially fatal situation if the glass shatters.

I have a few nice pockets of air in the Enchantress that I just purchased off of ebay.  I know it's not from it not running hot enough because it really cooks!!!  So much, that I had to do the dimmer trick on it.  It did have a frosted bulb in it but it was blown and the only bulbs I had on hand were not frosted so I put a clear in.  I'm now thinking "guess that's why the frosted bulb was in there".  I have vintage flow so I just over look the couple of bubbles that come up now and then.  The one air pocket blob likes to just sit up at the top.  Don't know what's with that.  So I'm chalking it up to old wax.  Guess that's another mystery of the goo!!!

Oh, P.S.  On an episode of 1,000 Ways To Die, this kid was cooking his lava lamp on the stove and well, um, you know what happened after that......let's just say, the show is called 1,000 Ways To DIE........be careful, always safety first as Brad posted!!

Here's my air blob...
Attachments:

Well said, you are absolutly right and thank you for your concern for me and others
Sorry, yes its an origional Crestworth with a screw cap and as an engineer I understand pressure vessels and would never advocate heating a sealed container of any kind, I will of course be removing the cap, heating very slowly in water of the correct depth and seperating the bottle from the direct heat of the bottom of the pan etc etc. I have however now realised how careful one must be with posts that can be read by all and methods possibly tried by others without appreciating risk assesments and method statements etc.  I apologise for not thinking my posting through and will do so in future.
Brad said:

be safe, bob!  i would do that with the cap off.  not doing so may lead to a potentially fatal situation if the glass shatters.


Hi Carol, please see my reply to Brad. Bob
Carol Morrow said:

I have a few nice pockets of air in the Enchantress that I just purchased off of ebay.  I know it's not from it not running hot enough because it really cooks!!!  So much, that I had to do the dimmer trick on it.  It did have a frosted bulb in it but it was blown and the only bulbs I had on hand were not frosted so I put a clear in.  I'm now thinking "guess that's why the frosted bulb was in there".  I have vintage flow so I just over look the couple of bubbles that come up now and then.  The one air pocket blob likes to just sit up at the top.  Don't know what's with that.  So I'm chalking it up to old wax.  Guess that's another mystery of the goo!!!

Oh, P.S.  On an episode of 1,000 Ways To Die, this kid was cooking his lava lamp on the stove and well, um, you know what happened after that......let's just say, the show is called 1,000 Ways To DIE........be careful, always safety first as Brad posted!!

of course.  i posted that disclaimer to cover my arse in case something strange happened, really. :)  best of luck.

I posted because that darn episode of 1,000 Ways To Die popped in my head and I iimmediately got that visual!!!  I guess us gooheads have a thing for visuals!!!!  Now knowing you are an engineer I kind of feel stupid, lol!!!!

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