MAGMA TOWER GOO IS NO GO?

[Benjamin Terracina]

So my first goo kit I've ever bought arrived and I am trying to revamp an old 1960s 52 ounce globe. It is now sitting on it's second batch of goo and no flow. Just tiny little balls of wax floating around here and there from taking the globe off and twisting it back and forth on the counter to try and get the goo to move around the coil. It seems to be adhering to the coil in its molten state, but no movement. I have cleaned out everything really well and added distilled water both times, but no flow. I cleaned the coil by soaking in straight vinegar overnight, then soap and water, and back in the lamp. Still no flow. Tried making my own SS coils out of 22 gauge wire, put 2 of them on the bottom, and still no flow. What is going on? Is this a bad batch of wax from Magma Tower, or should I try some Propylene Glycol in addition to the distilled water they call for. Should I try a 60W halogen flood bulb instead of the regular 40W that I've been using? Should I just wait longer? Ran it for 6 hours yesterday with the 2 SS coils I made. It has been running for 4 hours now with the original coil that I cleaned off with vinegar. Any ideas? I am unsuccessful thus far and I'm starting to give up hope in Magma Tower's products. May start fooling around with my own homemade wax with brakekleen and paraffin. I've spent a lot of money so far, and I'm about at my wits end. Thanks for any advice anyone can give.

[ash-hole!]

Did you add the surfactant? 

[Autumn]

I've experience this issue with their formula first hand recently. The wax was way too dense. All you need to do is add propylene glycol. You can get it for about $25 a gallon at Tracor Supply Co.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ideal-animal-health-usp-p...

You really will likely only need a tiny fraction of that gallon though. Add the PG at 2 ML an hour until the lamp begins to flow. Then add it at 1 ML an hour to make sure it flows without overheating. If it over heats and the wax stays at the top empty half of the water and fill it with distilled water and start adding PG again until you get the balance right. The key here is patience. Adding a couple ML of PG is going to make a difference and the closer you get to the proper balance the more a single ML will change the flow. You want to get the balance as perfect as possible.

[Benjamin Terracina]

Thanks Autumn and ash-hole! for the great advice. I did add surfactant 15ml to 17ml as called for in a 52 ounce lamp. Also, wanted to say that I am dumb. Magma Tower is not to blame for any of this, but only myself. The issue I was having was of heat. The base I set this in for testing has a heat shield in it. It was a newer base from the 70s i believe. I took it out of that base and put it in its original base and added a 60 watt halogen spotlight bulb. That got things going and when heated to full potential great flow was achieved. I will be doing a re-cord job with a dimmer added to the base, so when it heats up really hot, I can dim it down and keep it at a constant heat. Thanks again you guys for all the help. I will definitely look into the PG method as well. 

[KittenChops]

Propylene Glycol does the trick. I had the same problem with my first restoration. Magma Tower really needs to let buyers know that their kits do not flow properly on their own. You need to add a liquid density agent like PG. You will also be surprised how much PG it will take to get it flowing properly. But it works and doesn't cloud the lamp either. Be patient while adding a little at a time. Good luck.