Wax is sticking to the side of the globe.

[Jennifer]

I just added some new wax to a lamp that didn't have enough. For some reason it is totally stuck to the sides of my globe. What the heck? Why is it doing this? Should I add a drop of soap? I have not added any salt to the globe. It's just goo and filtered water. Someone help!

[Kris]

Was this the red lamp with the gold base that I saw a picture of that said you only added filtered water? Either way, that's probably why it's sticking to the side. There is nothing to keep it "lubed". It's a chemical balancing act. The salinity of the water determines if the wax floats or sinks. The soap keeps the wax from sticking to everything. Add too much soap, it clouds. Too much salt, your wax bombs.

If you add soap, add like half of a half of a drop. Yeah. Take a drop, half it. Then take that half and half it.

[Jennifer]

Thanks Kris, It is the hot rock lamp, the picture you see was before the lamp mysteriously clouded so I had to start over, then I decided to take some wax from it and put it in a little one I was working on. I took to much so I had to buy a 20oz. and add some of that wax to hot rocks. Wow, what a long and boring story! Anyway, I was waiting for the wax and filtered water to heat up so that I could add the salt. I don't recall a lamp ever doing that so bad. After it was all heated up, the wax connected to the coils but would not lay in the middle of the coil,instead it just inched up the side of the glass. I will work on it today and get the salt in it.
Adding soap sucks. It is so hard to only add such a small amount. I can't tell you all the times I've had to start over cause a lamp clouded because I put too much in! Do you have any particular brand of soap you suggest? I was thinking of ordering lava louis surfectant.

[Kris]

Honestly, I have never added soap to any of my lamps. The only major thing I have done was add salt.

I am not sure what LL uses as his surfactant, but I have never heard a bad thing so you might want to give it a try. Also as a tip, go to a pharmacy and get a syringe. Something just a tad bigger than a diabetic one. They are too small. This will give you better control of how much soap is added when you do it. Do a couple test drops so you can get an idea of size.

Hope it all works out.

[Keith]

One way to add soap is to dilute it in a small volume of water. Add a drop of soap to a few drops of water, then add one drop of that mixture to the globe. I have not done this myself, so I have no suggestions as to what type of soap to add. Good Luck!

[Jennifer]

Oh, the hot rocks lava I ruined a long time ago! I had lava world lava in and added the same. Unless the lamps had been sitting on walmarts shelf for a long time, it was with in the last 6mos. that i bought the other goo. Do you think that the mix isn't mixing well, and that's what's causing the goo to stick to the glass? Is there anything I can do to fix it? I just added perk to the water to get the wax off the sides, then once it cools I will start over with my salt mixture. So far the perk has worked. Whether it has screwed up the wax, I don't know! We'll see! Thanks for the birthday wishes!