Making a new Lamp, Goo and solution:

[larry williard]

Making a new Lamp, Goo and solution:

I found the basic forumlar on this site.

I started trying to rebuild a cloudy Grande.

First some things I learned by mistakes:

A: If you want to color the wax, make sure you melt it and the color agent together and mix, mix, mix thoroughly other wise it will separate when it cools.
    Make sure you check this before you put it into your lamp.

B:  I found I had to add a lot more dish soap than I thought I needed, I also found that the more I added the more cloudy the lamp got.
    The problem was the Dawn was not concentrated, the second problem was the dawn was green. The green made the lamp look cloudy.
    The only clear dish liquid I could find was Ivory and its concentrated. The best way to add it is to add some to some hot water and a bottle and gently swirl it around to mix, its quite thick.

C:  Wax is supposed to be specific gravity of 1000 although different types of wax are slightly  different, especially candles with color and or sent.

D: I have tried distilled, dehumidifier run off, air condition run off and my tap water which is very soft. I would not use hard tap water.

E: I used a pan of water on the stove and put my wax in a jar, making a double boiler. I brought the water to boiling and backed off until simmer.

Here is the method I used:

To make goo, the wax needs to sink in plain or distilled water. I checked both and both are 1000 specific gravity.

1. For 1 cup of goo, melt 3/4 cup of wax and add 1/4 cup of perc. Mix very thourley. Perc is easiest found at Walmart as Brakleen in the red can. Not an exact science. You may have to add more perc later.
   
When I placed my goo mix in a bottle or pan with hot water the wax floated on the top. If the wax sinks, skip to 3.

Alternate way:
Remove some liquid goo, cool it and drop it into some warm water that a couple drops of Ivory has been added.

If the wax sinks your through, go to step 3. If the wax floats on the water go to step 2.

2. If you did it the first way, cool the wax until hard, punch a hole in it and pour out the water. Heat again and pour some perc into the liquid wax, mix thourley. Try again to see if it sinks, if not repeat until it sits on the bottom. Its actually possible to get it to hover in the middle.

Perc has a specific gravity of 1620, so adding it to wax makes the wax 1000, heaver than water 1000, but do not add too much other wise you will have to add a lot of salt later. So try to get as close as possible. Very important.

Making the solution:

3. When the goo sinks, its time to make the water/salt solution.

Pour the liquid goo into your bottle. Then add warm plain or distilled water leaving an inch or 2 for salt water.

Heat some water in a bottle or cup and add some Epsom or caning salt, make about a cup, add as much salt as the hot water will dissolved. Now start pouring the salt water into the bottle with the goo. I used about 1 teaspoon at a time. It also depends on how much salt is dissolved in the salt water solution how much you have to add. The closer it gets to a balance the more agitated the goo gets when the salt water is poured in, at first almost nothing but close the whole goo ball wiggles, sloshes around and even floats for a while.

If you run out of room, remove some water with a turkey baster to make room for more salt water. Let it settle for about 5 minuets.
Sooner or later you should see a dome of goo. Now add a little of the dish soap mix you made to break the surface tension. The more you add the smaller the globs will be so be careful and take your time. Keep adding salt solution until it starts to flow waiting between additions.

The target is to get the goo to float up in stringy balls to the top and fall back.

If the goo stays at the top, you have to remove solution and add plain water, if goo stays on the bottom, add more salt to get your desired flow.

I have done this 5 times with different amounts of Perc, I was able to get a nice flow each time. 

If you use plan water, it will work but I have no idea if plan water will cloud faster than distilled or not. Mine is very soft. If anybody does please respond.
 
I found some red wax tea candles and combined it with paraffin and it came out florescent red.

Using only paraffin wax it is clear but turns white with time.

The only thing that cost much is the Perc its about $3.50 a can 16 oz. You can use other chemicals but they must be heaver than 1000 and must blend with the wax.

One further thing. The bulb also has a lot to do with the flow, too many watts not good, too few, goo doesn't flow. My small lamp has a clear 25W and my Grande had a 100w but works on a 75w halogen.

I will post some pictures soon, I'm still playing.

Some chemicals and there specific gravity's

Chlorobenzene 1106
o-Dichlorobenzene 1306
Dichloromethane  1326
Diethylene glycol 1120
Dichloromethane 1326
Ethylene Dichloride 1253
Ethylene glycol 1097
Trichlorofluoromethane refrigerant R-11 1476
Dichlorodifluoromethane refrigerant R-12 1311
Chlorodifluoromethane refrigerant R-22 1194
Glucose 60oF 1350 - 1440
Glycerine 1259
Glycerol 1126
Trichlor ethylene 1470

[Magnus Axelsson]

I have done the same experience as you. What chemicals of the above can you use with the stearin? I've only used Trichlorethylene because that's all I can get in Sweden. And it's through my job ... Regards Magnus.

[larry williard]

I can't answer your question. I would think anything that is oil based chemical would work. If you can get any of the other chemicals see if they would combine with the wax which is oil based. I think Pec is the heaviest so it would take less.

Cant your find Paraffin in the grocery store?

I do have some Freon I picked up about 30 years ago and its in a glass bottle and it is still all there. It has to be the old stuff R22 I believe. That should work. R11 is heaver. Here are 2 specific gravity charts I have found.

http://www.chicagosensor.com/SpecificGravity.html

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/specific-gravity-liquids-d_336.html