What Determines The Size Of The Blobs?

[JC Harris]

I've done several lamps with Magma's 'goo'. Worked fine. Now one of them has -really- tiny blobs. Almost like champagne. Looks great.

So... how did that happen? What determines the size of the blobs? Is this controllable or was that just a one-off?

[Brad]

guilty as charged!  lowly phd students have to get their kicks somewhere.

really though, i think the most basic question to ask given the conflicting information is why add the surfactant?  what is the purpose?

[JC Harris]

To paraphrase Kim... "If you're using -our- wax, the ONLY purpose of the surfactant is to keep the wax from sticking to the glass.Our wax will perform (blob/float/sink) just fine with -pure- H2O." And I have found that to be true so far. 

The 'variable' in this case is... I'm using old school lavalite wax, which I've found behaves quite differently than Magma goo. Ohhh... one other thing... I -think- I mixed in a small amount of tap water, I believe I did this because of the 'how to' video I saw here. Maybe the minerals in the water did it.

My point is: I'd sure like to know. I talked with a lavalite lady in Chicago once (very nice), but she made it sound like the whole deal was a state secret.... Patented wax. Patented -fluid- (not water). Impossible to replicate properly. :D

[Keith]

Well, in regards to Lava Light, who wants to replicate their poor flow anyway? 

JC Harris said:

To paraphrase Kim... "If you're using -our- wax, the ONLY purpose of the surfactant is to keep the wax from sticking to the glass.Our wax will perform (blob/float/sink) just fine with -pure- H2O." And I have found that to be true so far. 

The 'variable' in this case is... I'm using old school lavalite wax, which I've found behaves quite differently than Magma goo. Ohhh... one other thing... I -think- I mixed in a small amount of tap water, I believe I did this because of the 'how to' video I saw here. Maybe the minerals in the water did it.

My point is: I'd sure like to know. I talked with a lavalite lady in Chicago once (very nice), but she made it sound like the whole deal was a state secret.... Patented wax. Patented -fluid- (not water). Impossible to replicate properly. :D

[Carol]

Good point Keith!!!  haahaahaa!!  I find from doing my kits that heat is the factor that determines my flow rate/speed, etc.  The amount of heat also affects the clearness of my goo.  My son's white lava/blue fluid kit will turn 100 percent clear when it gets too hot and my pink used to do the same.  Also, the lower my dimmers go, I get a more snake/column flow that doesn't break until I amp up the dimmer, then I get more faster smaller blobs.  Now this is with the MT goo.  As was pointed out, LL has they're formula under CIA/FBI/Ghost Hunters/myth busters and all the other groups lock and key as far as "what the heck is it"?  lolololololol

[JC Harris]

What kind of 'dimmer' is most commonly used? Is this something one can get at a Home Depot?

[Brad]

i stated the physics behind the phenomenon you observed and even posted a video showing the effects.  you did an experiment as well and found the same, so i don't know what else to do at this point to convince you. :)

JC Harris said:

To paraphrase Kim... "If you're using -our- wax, the ONLY purpose of the surfactant is to keep the wax from sticking to the glass.Our wax will perform (blob/float/sink) just fine with -pure- H2O." And I have found that to be true so far. 

The 'variable' in this case is... I'm using old school lavalite wax, which I've found behaves quite differently than Magma goo. Ohhh... one other thing... I -think- I mixed in a small amount of tap water, I believe I did this because of the 'how to' video I saw here. Maybe the minerals in the water did it.

My point is: I'd sure like to know. I talked with a lavalite lady in Chicago once (very nice), but she made it sound like the whole deal was a state secret.... Patented wax. Patented -fluid- (not water). Impossible to replicate properly. :D

[Brad]

yep, an in-line dimmer switch can be found at HD/Lowe's in the lighting section.

JC Harris said:

What kind of 'dimmer' is most commonly used? Is this something one can get at a Home Depot?

[Critter]

Here is a pic of a lamp I once did and over-surfed it.  It was pretty cool, but I ended up fixing it.

[JC Harris]

Now -that's- what I'm talkin' about! FABULOUS!

Just to be clear: that's simply -Magma- goo + -Magma- surf? + H2O?

[Brad]

thanks critter 

[Aladdin 2 Lava]

Bugger me !!! ....you poor sods having to piss ball about like this....

God bless Mathmos  !!!

[Critter]

Yes that lamp.was just as you said....just too much surf.




JC Harris said:

Now -that's- what I'm talkin' about! FABULOUS!

Just to be clear: that's simply -Magma- goo + -Magma- surf? + H2O?