LAVA LAMPS!!! c/d

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SO my sister got me a lava lamp for CHRISTMAS! I love it. Oh look it just spurted out its first bubbles after 2 hours layoff! So, COOL or hopelessly trite sixties talisman?

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 26 December 2002 14:04 (twenty-three years ago)

or whatever.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 26 December 2002 14:07 (twenty-three years ago)

classic, but I don't think mine has ever worked properly!

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 26 December 2002 15:06 (twenty-three years ago)

classic. especially when the lava makes the shape of a winky!

― nickie (nickie), Thursday, 26 December 2002 15:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Mine does that a LOT.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 26 December 2002 15:09 (twenty-three years ago)

mine has defo never worked properly! oh-er! (Gawd, sorry I'm turning this into Carry On Lava Lamp)

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 26 December 2002 15:11 (twenty-three years ago)

they are cool. i don't have mine anymore, i don't think. a bunch of the liquid leaked out and so it was kind of pointless

― ron (ron), Thursday, 26 December 2002 18:44 (twenty-three years ago)

I got one for Christmas one year. But I am convinced some NJ Shakespeare Festival members stole it. I hate actors.

― rosemary (rosemary), Thursday, 26 December 2002 21:24 (twenty-three years ago)

i don't have mine anymore, i don't think. a bunch of the liquid leaked out and so it was kind of pointless

*insert .WAV of Dan's head imploding from immature giggle-fit here*

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 26 December 2002 21:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Giant lava-lamp planned for Soap Lake, WA:

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/images/wa/WASOAlavalamp_blake.jpg

This was mentioned on the radio the other day. One of the developers said "People will come to see this from all over the world, just as they do when visiting other structures of awe".

― Alfie (Alfie), Friday, 27 December 2002 10:24 (twenty-three years ago)

It's got it's own website - www.giantlavalamp.com - with some more pictures! This one is particularly 'structure of awe'-some.

― Alfie (Alfie), Friday, 27 December 2002 10:30 (twenty-three years ago)

God I would. This is the most wonderful idea I've ever heard.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 27 December 2002 10:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Go to see it and be awed, I mean.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 27 December 2002 10:31 (twenty-three years ago)

lava lamps are just clumps of wax in colored water.

― That Girl (thatgirl), Friday, 27 December 2002 10:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Music is just vibrating air.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 27 December 2002 11:06 (twenty-three years ago)

And it's not water it's some other stuff.

― Elisabeth (Elisabeth), Friday, 27 December 2002 11:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Some manner of OIL I believe, a friend of me and E's girlfriend emptied his out to clean them and replaced it w/water. They didn't work.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 27 December 2002 12:01 (twenty-three years ago)

apparently its a 'trade secret' on what the two compounds are.

― Fuzzy (Fuzzy), Friday, 27 December 2002 12:04 (twenty-three years ago)

According to this:

(From US Patent # 3,570,156 March 16, 1971)
The patent itself is not very specific as to proportions of ingredients. The solid component (i.e., the waxy-looking stuff that bubbles) is said to consist of "a mineral oil such as Ondina 17 (R.T.M.) with a light paraffin, carbon tetrachloride, a dye and paraffin wax."

The medium this waxy stuff moves in is roughly 70/30% (by volume) water and a liquid which will raise the coefficient of cubic thermal expansion, and generally make the whole thing work better. The patent recommends propylene glycol for this; however, glycerol, ethylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol (aka PEG) are also mentioned as being sufficient.

Sounds like a fire hazard to me!

― Alfie (Alfie), Friday, 27 December 2002 12:12 (twenty-three years ago)

'take ever single flammable liquid you can think of and stick it in a jar, heat it up....'

(wooooooshh!!!)

― Fuzzy (Fuzzy), Friday, 27 December 2002 12:15 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

A friend of me and E, I meant, geez

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 22 January 2004 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I've got one of these, it's purdy, but I haven't used it for years!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Thursday, 22 January 2004 12:48 (twenty-two years ago)

six years pass...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4397672794_b4fcba3ff2_o.gif

― weatheringdaleson, Friday, 5 March 2010 09:41 (sixteen years ago)

Mine died. Lo this last year I have wailed.

― The reverse TARDIS of pasta (Niles Caulder), Friday, 5 March 2010 10:21 (sixteen years ago)

The important thing to remember with these things is don't try to heat them.up on the stove because even though it apparently looks cool at higher temperatures, it will explode and the shrapnel will kill you.

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Friday, 5 March 2010 10:46 (sixteen years ago)

i had one, red blobs in yellow water. it went all weird and cloudy, though. i would quite like a new one!

― eau de humanity (haitch), Friday, 5 March 2010 11:21 (sixteen years ago)

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