DIY Lava Lamp
Lava lamps are fascinating to watch as the colors inside rise and fall and combine into different bubbles and shapes. Making a DIY lava lamp is a little tricky because the weight of the goo inside has to be just right or it will not rise and fall properly within the clear solution. Eventually any lava lamp becomes unbalanced and stops working. Pick up a few old lava lamps online and revive them with a lava lamp treatment.
Things You'll Need
- Rubber gloves
- Protective goggles
- Well-ventilated working area
- Nonworking lava lamp
- Wax, canning or candle
- Perchlorethylene (perc)
- Distilled water
- Salt, canning or pickling
- Ethylene Glycol Antifreeze
- Dishwashing liquid
- Canning jars
- Large pot
- Measuring cups
- Spoon
Instructions
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1
Pour one cup of water into an empty canning jar and mark the water line with a marker, then pour the water out. Set the marked jar aside.
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2
Fill a large pot half full of water and set it on the stove top at medium heat, then melt the wax by putting it in a clean jar and placing the jar in the heated water.
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3
Move the project to a well-ventilated area and put on protective rubber gloves and goggles or other protective eyewear.
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4
Pour one-third of a cup of the perc into the marked jar, then add melted wax until the one-cup mark is reached. Screw the lid onto the jar and gently swirl until the two are completely mixed, then set it aside and let it cool thoroughly.
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5
Test the specific gravity of the cooled ooze to make sure it is formulated to rise and fall successfully. Combine 80 percent distilled water and 20 percent antifreeze in a clean canning jar. With a spoon, take a little of the ooze and drop it into the 80/20 mixture. The goal is for the goo to sink. If it does not, add 1/8 cup of perc to the wax jar and remelt the wax to mix in the perc by placing the jar back in the heated water.
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6
Test the goo again in the 80/20 solution. Add another 1/8 cup of perc if the goo still does not sink and remelt to mix.
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7
Continue to test the goo in the 80/20 mixture until the goo sinks.
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8
Empty and clean out an old lava lamp, then pour the goo into the lamp and let it cool completely.
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9
Fill the lamp with distilled water, leaving an inch or two at the top, then add one teaspoon canning or pickling salt. Agitate to help the salt dissolve.
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10
Put the top on the lamp and plug it in. Allow it to heat for several hours.
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11
Uncap the lamp and add a tiny bit of salt at a time until the goo starts to dome, then add one tiny drop of dishwashing liquid to help decrease the surface tension of the goo and allow it to separate and form bubbles. Add one more tiny drop if the goo still appears too dense, then recap the lamp.
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Tips & Warnings
This project should not be attempted by children as the chemicals used, such as the antifreeze and the perc, are hazardous if inhaled or ingested or if they come directly into contact with the skin.
The American Academy of Dermatologists via the organizers of VaccineTruth.org instruct that antifreeze even in small amounts can cause severe skin irritation. It is suggested by data sheets on the chemical that exposed skin be protected at all times while working with antifreeze to keep the chemical from coming into contact with the skin. Antifreeze must not be inhaled and certainly must not be ingested.
As with antifreeze, the Material Safety Data Sheet for perchloroethylene (perc) instructs that protection should be worn to keep skin from coming into contact with the chemical. Safety information also suggests that goggles be worn to protect the eyes and that all contact should take place in a well ventilated area.
References
- Photo Credit lava lamp closeup isolated on white image by Robert Young from Fotolia.com
