Another fine mess,.. experiment explosion.

[Claude J]

Well it finally happened to me.

A glass explosion/breakage.

(its happened before but on very smaller scale (14", and mostly due to the kitten called Chithead)

I was working on a experiment that was near completion.

It WAS a custom black-light grande in florescent blue gookit dye and custom brilliant blue florescence liquid'

The base primmer base and cap is in my spray-booth drying as I type this.

I spent the weekend removing dents,scratches (due to shithead the cat), sanding bondo, priming, (second trip to store, etc.)

Custom cabinet materials were bought and assembled (waiting for hi-end laminate to be ordered)

The globe was already done,I had used an expensive rainbow and 1,5 quarts of Acetone and a stinky mess, and it was clear,'

The lamps goo was fried, Lava would not move and the paint job on the glass sucked anyway, so no real loss of a current operation valuable lamp.

But,...

Original price $114

Acetone $8

Goo Dye  $44

Goo $32

Shipping Dont remember

R20 150 Watt Black-light/reptile heater bulb$15

R20 100 Watt Black-light/reptile heater bulb $10

2-24" GE florescent tube black-light lamps $40

Paint Primer Clear $15

Ruined Cat beds $40

Carpet (it was a rag anyway ready for replacement)

Time invested -DO NOT get me started!, it was weeks.

It was a $320 dollar Grande Project

[Keith]

Man, that's hard.  Any idea what went wrong?

[Loren]

Okay, I didn't see this thread before.

I'm sorry this happened to you. :(

But yeah, how did the pressure get great enough to blow the globe up?

Scary...

[Claude J]

the only conclusion I can come up with is that the 24oz of fluid I bought for blacklight coloring has a higher expansion rate than distilled water.

IF I was to do this again, I would install a fluid expansion insert like Kirk uses on glitter lamps

Unlikely I will use a LL globe for the next one, I would prefer to have the florescent blacklight inside the globe

the reptile heaters just do not give off the right wavelength of light

This is only a part of the damage, tonight i will get a picture form above with a blacklight on

[Johnny]

Sounds nasty i hope Chithead wasnt harmed in the explosion :-/

[Mr MaGoo]

Completely obvious what happened here to me.  Seems as though some misguided soul placed and glow in the dark lava lamp too close to the culprit's lair!

[Claude J]

Chithead is OKJ

She was outside since she has a litterbox training issue, I send her out for the day after breakfast

[Claude J]

more pics

Photos dont do the lamp justice when he blacklight was on, it glowed nuclear

[Tim Gill]

It would have been a grate lamp, was the plan to heat it with a reptile heater and also have a UV bulb in the base as well.

[Claude J]

Well, I tried the 100 watt reptile heater and it would not get hot enough.

I blacked out the bottom with hi-heat black paint and used regular 100 watt incandescent bulb and two florescent tubes on the side.  (does not work well if florescent lamps are in front of lamp-only in the side/rear)

then i noticed (my oversight) that this base I was using was the VERY old style and the lamp socket was much lower than the newer models, which would of attributed to the fact it wouldn't heat properly with the 100 watt reptile blacklight.

The next step was to remove the dents, paint the base, add the dimmer (almost completed) and use a 150 watt reptile heated since it was a taller bulb. (and remove the blackout paint),

Blacklight florescent dye works best with florescent tubes due to proper wavelength, so if this final step of just the 150 watt reptile heater didn't illuminate well, a box was designed to house the lamp (and half built), the two florescent tubes, and flexible mirror in rear to disburse the light..

he best scenario/design for this type of lamp would be a LL double play OR magma tower globe where you can install a small florescent blacklight tube RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the lamp