Having trouble locating a good up to date DIY formula

[Tetraspore]

I'm looking to swap the wax out in a lamp I have, and I'm interested in doing the wax and clear liquid from scratch. Is there a good up to date DIY formula for both the wax and the liquid? I've found some really good resources here, but I seem to have a lot of trouble finding consistent all around guides for doing a lamp from scratch, wax and all.

[Fernando Nicotera]

Found anything?

[Tetraspore]

Not yet, no. I'm trying to achieve clarity results comparable to Clearview lamps.

[Ant Bee]

I've got a very good formula going- modified from another user here.  I just don't have microcrystalline yet.  But it looks great and flows just like the real thing.

WAX Ingredients (by weight)

1 Parts Liquid Paraffin (clear lamp oil)
6 Parts Paraffin Wax

5 Parts Perc (Non-flammable Brake Cleaner)

For the liquid:
70% Distilled water

30% Propelyne Glycol (I got mine from a farm & feed store, its sold as an additive to cattle feed)

Clear Dish Soap with as few additives as possible.  Just a few drops, then adjust based on how it flows.  More = stringier flow, less = tighter spheres.

If your liquid turns cloudy, it's the soap and you need to find another kind.  I ordered 8 pounds of Sodium Laurel Sulfate from the web, which is the pure ingredient I'm looking for as a surfactant.

Good luck!

[Dave Cook]

Ant Bee-

That looks like a good start to a formula based on all the reading I've done.  A couple questions to clarify:  for the Perc, are you also weighing it?  I.e. squirting it into a glass and measuring totally based on weight rather than liquid measure?  Same with the liquid paraffin?  

If you were to add microcrystalline wax, how much would you be adding to the formula?  Would you be reducing the amount of paraffin?

Thanks!

[Ant Bee]

Yeah, I put an empty jar on my scale, tare it, then weigh the fluids.  I don't go by volume, only weight.

I've been messing with the microcrystalline in several ratios, and so far the best seems to be 1 part micro to 4 parts paraffin.  The micro seems to have a higher melting point, but also makes it more opaque.

[Dave Cook]

So are you replacing the amount of paraffin with microcrystalline, or that's how much you're adding to the formula overall?

[Ant Bee]

Right.  No matter what, the ratio of wax to PERC/Lamp oil is going to be the same.

[Diin]

I'm also interested in making some wax. Just wondering what brand of brake fluid you used? Does it matter if its chlorinated or not? 

Ant Bee said:

I've got a very good formula going- modified from another user here.  I just don't have microcrystalline yet.  But it looks great and flows just like the real thing.

WAX Ingredients (by weight)

1 Parts Liquid Paraffin (clear lamp oil)
6 Parts Paraffin Wax

5 Parts Perc (Non-flammable Brake Cleaner)

For the liquid:
70% Distilled water

30% Propelyne Glycol (I got mine from a farm & feed store, its sold as an additive to cattle feed)

Clear Dish Soap with as few additives as possible.  Just a few drops, then adjust based on how it flows.  More = stringier flow, less = tighter spheres.

If your liquid turns cloudy, it's the soap and you need to find another kind.  I ordered 8 pounds of Sodium Laurel Sulfate from the web, which is the pure ingredient I'm looking for as a surfactant.

Good luck!

[Ant Bee]

Diin said:

I'm also interested in making some wax. Just wondering what brand of brake fluid you used? Does it matter if its chlorinated or not? 

Ant Bee said:

I've got a very good formula going- modified from another user here.  I just don't have microcrystalline yet.  But it looks great and flows just like the real thing.

WAX Ingredients (by weight)

1 Parts Liquid Paraffin (clear lamp oil)
6 Parts Paraffin Wax

5 Parts Perc (Non-flammable Brake Cleaner)

For the liquid:
70% Distilled water

30% Propelyne Glycol (I got mine from a farm & feed store, its sold as an additive to cattle feed)

Clear Dish Soap with as few additives as possible.  Just a few drops, then adjust based on how it flows.  More = stringier flow, less = tighter spheres.

If your liquid turns cloudy, it's the soap and you need to find another kind.  I ordered 8 pounds of Sodium Laurel Sulfate from the web, which is the pure ingredient I'm looking for as a surfactant.

Good luck!

The brand doesn't matter- Just make sure its the non-flammable kind with Perc listed as the main ingredient.

[Dave Cook]

I'm pretty sure it is the chlorinated part that tells you it is most likely PERC/Tetrachloroethylene and it is non-flammable.  Non-chlorinated brake cleaner is something else and will also say it is flammable.  

[Ant Bee]

I have actually used both tetra and perc successfully, they seem to do the same thing

[Diin]

Awesome, Thanks :)