Build Your Own Lava Lamp 197
Manip writes "My new project: 'The difficult part about making your own liquid motion lamp is, of course, the motion. We won't go into the lamp base too much. The store-bought ones use a 40w appliance bulb in a metal housing which directs the heat to the underside of the glass container. If you're making your own base, we recommend installing a dimmer switch so that you can control your heat output.'"
Case? (Score:5, Interesting)
How hot can an AMD chip get again?...
Re:Screw Lava (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, given that you are using flammable (possibly could even use somewhat explosive) substances to do this I'm sure with the proper mistakes you very well could have just that...
Has anyone though about using the phosphorescent powder's [unitednuclear.com] available from United Nuclear? I'm sure you could create quite the lava lamp in this fashion..
Lava lamps are more than silly sixties items (Score:5, Interesting)
Very shaggadelic
While we're on the subject... (Score:5, Interesting)
... here's a litt bit [virginia.edu] about making those crazy lightshows from the sixties.
Re:Dimmer (Score:5, Interesting)
Also get a timer, since they don't recommend running the lamp more than 10 hours a day. Mine was set to come on 30 minutes before I got to work, and shut off five minutes after I left.
Re:Case? (Score:3, Interesting)
Good 'ol Google Groups (Circa 1995)... (Score:5, Interesting)
From: stormoen@sparc.isl.net (Stormoen MD)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: Lava Lamp Plans Here.
Date: 13 Jan 1995 08:08:15 GMT
Message-ID:
I've had SEVERAL requests for the plans, so here they are.
Sorry, I guess I lost the name of the guy who gave 'em to me.
(I recieved two versions, and I liked this one best).
WARNING!! This electronic document deals with and involves subject matter and the use of materials and substances that may be hazardous to health and life. Do not attempt to implement or use the information contained herein unless you are experienced and skilled with respect to such subject matter, materials and substances. The author makes no representations as for the completeness or the accuracy of the information contained herein and disclaim any liability for damages or injuries, whether caused by or arising from the lack of completeness, inaccuracies of the information, misinterpretation of the directions, misapplication of the information or otherwise.
Please note: The information contained in this electronic document can be found in the 1992 Edition of Popular Electronics Electronics Hobbyists handbook, published annually by Gernsback Publications Inc, USA.
Inside a lava lamp are two immiscible fluids. If it is assumed that fluid 1 is water, then fluid 2 must be:
Furthermore, fluid 2 must not be:
In addition, fluid 2 must have a greater coefficient of expansion than water. Check a Perry's handbook of Chemical Engineering, and the above list eliminates quite a few possibilities.
Here is a list of possible chemicals to use:
If desired, use a suitable red oil-soluble dye to color fluid 2. A permanent felt-tip pen is a possible source. Break open the pen and put the felt in a beaker with fluid 2.
It is recommended to use benzyl alcohol as fluid 2. (Caution!! Do not come into contact with benzyl alcohol either by ingestion, skin, or inhalation.) In addition to water, the following items will be necessary:
The performance of the lava lamp will depend on the quality of the water used. A few experiments must be conducted to determine how much sodium chloride is necessary to increase the water's specific gravity. Try a 5% salt concentration first (50 g of salt to 1 liter of water). Pour the red-dyed benzyl alcohol mixture in a Pyrex beaker. Add an equal or greater amount of water
Dimmer switch explained (Score:2, Interesting)
If the light is to hot -> the viscous fluid that you observe tends to turn into tons of small bubbles that go all over the place in not that cool of a way.
If the light is too cold -> nothing will really happen.
If the light is just right -> you'll get the sexy phallic undulating viscous membrane that women tend to prefer. Slight variations on this can be controlled with the switch.
Just an FYI....
Re:Fun projects (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Fun projects (Score:5, Interesting)
what you could do... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Fun projects (Score:5, Interesting)
Just take about 20 raisins, rinse them and dump them into a glass of clear soda. Raisins go up, raisins go down.