Lava Lamp - What happened?

[mically]

Not so much of a "Which" post, although that will come later.

What has happened to the modern lava lamp ? I have googled this, but remain unable to find anything to answer my question; hence this post.

In late 90's I got my first lava lamp (standard sized astro.) This was bloody amazing. Unfortunately however, due to high usage and old age; it died

I received a new one at christmas, but this doesn't seem to be the same?

A few differences:

On the old lamp, the wax would heat and 'spiral' to the top whilst 'warming up.' Each spiral would branch out, looking like the inside of an ants nest. It would all start to melt, with the blobs forming, rising and falling.

The new one just rises as a complete lump, before falling, and starting to split off.

Once the wax was heated and blobbing about; if the blobs ever met, they would merge - form different shapes, move around before falling.
In my new one, they bounce of each other... bounce!? BOUNCE !?!?!

WAX DOES NOT fkING BOUNCE !

So..... does anyone know what has changed, and why?

From what I can gather, Mathmos appear to be the primary owners of the original formula, and I may ask them. But no mention of what happened to the original company.

Also, does anyone know whether you can get a purple/ green combo?
My current one is violet/ red, but glows pink Not good.

I've always wanted purple/green

[TheEnd]

There was a mythbusters about these, explained some stuff about the liquids inside.

i think they changed the compounds anyway

[Nickyboy]

Try changing the bulb in the base, i changed mine for a lower power one. Takes longer to warm up but doesnt rise in one big lump anymore.

[mically]

cool, ok - lower wattage - will try that.
but what about the bounce?

also noting the wax seems erm, shiny? looks more like a 3d computer model moving around....

I don't know, I might just be remembering what I want too. But, I'm bloody sure the one I had was much, much better than my new one.

[mically]

just realised - the one I got for christmas isn't a Mathmos one........
I have a <no brand> lava lamp...

this, I hope, could explain the shyteness of it.

right, off to buy a mathmos asto lava lamp...
they best do purple/green!

[fastfreddy]

Use a dimmer switch. Then you can 'tune' the power of the lamp to the temperature of the room it's in.

I didn't have an original, but I suspect the contents are now different and won't give the same results as an original, whatever you do.

ETA - Ah, Noname Lamp will probably be something like candle wax, turpentine and food colouring. Mathmos will be an improvement...

Edited by fastfreddy on Tuesday 30th December 01:13

[Trooper2]

Nickyboy said:

Try changing the bulb in the base, i changed mine for a lower power one. Takes longer to warm up but doesnt rise in one big lump anymore.

That's what I was going to suggest, play around with bulb wattages...

[mically]

OK< I assure you that I don't work for these. Wish I bloody did however!

http://www.theglowcompany.co.uk/acatalog/HOME_LIGH...

WOW

Not only do they do proper lava lamps, but they do HUGE ones too!
and laserpods, which look really cool.

Sod it, the rent can pay itself this month

[mically]

Trooper2 said:

Nickyboy said:

Try changing the bulb in the base, i changed mine for a lower power one. Takes longer to warm up but doesnt rise in one big lump anymore.

That's what I was going to suggest, play around with bulb wattages...

I like this idea for the heating process, but it's the fact the wax is very shiny and bounces around... The wax ought to merge when it collides.

Going to get myself a 3ft lava lamp, an original laserpod, projector clock, and no doubt some other stuff :-)

[wildoliver]

I have one of these annoying objects. Everytime I feel I want it on (usually bringing a bird back) I forget to turn it on before hand so by the time it starts to wake up we're already well in to it! Plus because it was a present I feel rotten not having it out on display. To be blunt if anyone wants the bloody thing send me an email with an offer and get rid of it. Even better if you have some other kind of cool gadget that I may find more amusing do me a swap.

Don't think it's a mathmos but it is quite big, stands hip high with blue wax/lava.

I'm afraid for me lava lamps are one of those cool things that in my life at least don't live up to the fantasy (usually like the women I bring back )

[Nickyboy]

mically said:

Trooper2 said:

Nickyboy said:

Try changing the bulb in the base, i changed mine for a lower power one. Takes longer to warm up but doesnt rise in one big lump anymore.

That's what I was going to suggest, play around with bulb wattages...

I like this idea for the heating process, but it's the fact the wax is very shiny and bounces around... The wax ought to merge when it collides.

Going to get myself a 3ft lava lamp, an original laserpod, projector clock, and no doubt some other stuff :-)

Got one of them, its got about 4lb of wax in it and takes a good 30-40 mins to warm up. Cracking when going tho.