ReGoo Question About Coloring The Water??

[Carol]

Ok, I think I've read though just about everything there is on here about the goo kits and regoo'ing, but I haven't come across anything that says how or what to use to get the water colored.  I know I have read that in lamps where the water has faded members use food coloring.  Is this what is used and how much is generally used?  I guess you just add a few drops at a time until the liquid is the color you want?  What is the best brand to use or does it not matter?

[Keith]

Just as you said, a few drops at a time.  One thing to note, Magma Tower (goo kits) recommends NOT coloring the water.  I'm not sure but doing so may even void any guarantee on their goo.  There is another method very similar to food coloring that I'm going to post.  I will put a link here when I'm done. 

[Wonky Tonk]

I use food color, and I've never had a problem... and I've ran a gookit 24/7 for 1.5 years once, and the color was fine, though the flow started to get funky. I think they recommend not to use food color because it can go rancid (being organic), and therefore not good in a lamp marketed as non-toxic (just a guess though). I've never had a lamp fade at all, but I guess it may if you don't re-goo it on schedule.

The food dye works so well, I wouldn't even consider using anything else since it takes maybe 5 drops at most. I'm not sure about brands, but if you're wanting a deep blue you need to test the dye in something else first, because I bought some from Walmart once that would turn purple if you used a lot of blue. Keep in mind, there was one brand of dye from Walmart that turned deep purple when using a lot of blue... Every other brand I've used doesn't do that. The ones I'm referring to has bottles that look like teardrops!

[Keith]

I've never heard of any problems with coloring the water either, just wanted to give that caveat for awareness.

What different color combos have you done?  It would be interesting to see your work, especially you have colors different that the ones LL put out. 

Wonky Tonk said:

I use food color, and I've never had a problem... and I've ran a gookit 24/7 for 1.5 years once, and the color was fine, though the flow started to get funky. I think they recommend not to use food color because it can go rancid (being organic), and therefore not good in a lamp marketed as non-toxic (just a guess though). I've never had a lamp fade at all, but I guess it may if you don't re-goo it on schedule.

The food dye works so well, I wouldn't even consider using anything else since it takes maybe 5 drops at most. I'm not sure about brands, but if you're wanting a deep blue you need to test the dye in something else first, because I bought some from Walmart once that would turn purple if you used a lot of blue. Keep in mind, there was one brand of dye from Walmart that turned deep purple when using a lot of blue... Every other brand I've used doesn't do that. The ones I'm referring to has bottles that look like teardrops!

[Keith]

And here it is;

http://oozinggoo.ning.com/forum/topics/adding-color-to-globe-fluid?...

Keith said:

Just as you said, a few drops at a time.  One thing to note, Magma Tower (goo kits) recommends NOT coloring the water.  I'm not sure but doing so may even void any guarantee on their goo.  There is another method very similar to food coloring that I'm going to post.  I will put a link here when I'm done. 

[Carol]

Wonky Tonk, I'm going to regoo 2 52 oz.'ers.  I'm doing the blue sharpie in one and I may or may not color my purple.  If I color my purple it will probably be a pale pink so I will use food coloring in that one and let you know how both look and hold up to the test of time!!!  I'll post pics of both lamps when project is completed.  I also want to do before and after pics to help show new members what happens when you insist on running the China lamps for more then what is recommended!!!   Lol!!  Man, they look god awful, lol!!  The thing with the regoo though is this IMO.....the water is so stinkin clear that one has a tendency to not want to color it!!!  It's such an amazing transformation from that slight haze that seems to show up in all the new lamps.

[Wonky Tonk]

Carol Morrow said:

Wonky Tonk, I'm going to regoo 2 52 oz.'ers.  I'm doing the blue sharpie in one and I may or may not color my purple.  If I color my purple it will probably be a pale pink so I will use food coloring in that one and let you know how both look and hold up to the test of time!!!  I'll post pics of both lamps when project is completed.  I also want to do before and after pics to help show new members what happens when you insist on running the China lamps for more then what is recommended!!!   Lol!!  Man, they look god awful, lol!!  The thing with the regoo though is this IMO.....the water is so stinkin clear that one has a tendency to not want to color it!!!  It's such an amazing transformation from that slight haze that seems to show up in all the new lamps.

Just to make sure, you're using the Sharpie to color the wax right? Sharpies are what you use to color the wax, but I thought we were talking about the liquid :o.

[Carol]

oh, i'm confused.  Keith said he colored his blue liquid with the Sharpie I thought.  He was doing his wax??  My original post was what to use to color the LIQUID, and that I was under the belief that ppl use food coloring and then Keith said he knew of another way to color the liquid.  Well, I still have time before I get this whole thing straight, lol!!!  My son wants white lava with the blue liquid.  Anyway, I thought the gookit dye pack was for the wax.

Wonky Tonk, they are talking about Sharpie to color the water.  Click on the above link that Keith posted and it tells you about that method.

[Wonky Tonk]

Carol Morrow said:

oh, i'm confused.  Keith said he colored his blue liquid with the Sharpie I thought.  He was doing his wax??  My original post was what to use to color the LIQUID, and that I was under the belief that ppl use food coloring and then Keith said he knew of another way to color the liquid.  Well, I still have time before I get this whole thing straight, lol!!!  My son wants white lava with the blue liquid.  Anyway, I thought the gookit dye pack was for the wax.

I've never heard of it being used for the liquid, but maybe Keith knows something I don't! I know before the gookits, people used markers for their wax, and if you come across metallic looking lava lamp waxes, they use a special metallic marker to make it look like that. Maybe someone will chime in to clarify, because I've never personally used a marker myself, but a quick search shows that's what people use markers for (and also to make those rad mercury looking lamps).

[Keith]

The highlighter method I describes is to color the water not the wax

Dr. What!? describes using silver metallic sharpies to make the wax metallic.  I have used that method also, the silver metallic sharpies do NOT color the water, only the wax.

Food coloring colors the water, highlighter pen ink colors the water.

[Wonky Tonk]

Keith said:

The highlighter method I describes is to color the water not the wax

Dr. What!? describes using silver metallic sharpies to make the wax metallic.  I have used that method also, the silver metallic sharpies do NOT color the water, only the wax.

Food coloring colors the water, highlighter pen ink colors the water.

Well there it is... I learned something new. If you use a highlighter, does it maintain its UV properties in a blacklight setting?

[Keith]

I haven't checked it out yet.  I will get my blacklight out of storage in a few days and check 

Wonky Tonk said:

Well there it is... I learned something new. If you use a highlighter, does it maintain its UV properties in a blacklight setting?

[Carol]

Keith, Is it better to color the water when the lamp is cool or when it is flowing?  I'm afraid it will mess with the wax if the wax is warm?

OOOPS, Nevermind Keith.....I posted to quickly.  I clicked on the link again and saw that your lamp was in cold mode........lol!!!  Thanks again for the info...I will be getting ready to order my goo kits.