Colossus Issues

[Claude J]

My NOS Colossus that I got @ 1 yr ago stopped flowing

Please note: It never flowed enough to let any light out and I had it chromed.
Although the flow was coveted by all, There was always a puddle at the bottom blocking the light with this dense stinky goo

1) THE MAIN PROBLEM

The rubber plug is unlike the one that I had in my other colossus (Humungo?)  when I re-goo it.
That old rubber cap had a depression for expansion similar to a grande and looked like a t-section to cover the rim of the globe.

This one has/had NO insert for expansion at all (might explain why a few of these exploded) and was totally deteriorated. it inserts down into the globe for no apparent reason at all.

I need a replacement of alternative ASAP.

Possibly just use sheet rubber and silicone to seal it?

Are there plastic plugs available similar to a glitter lamp?

THE REMAINS

Here is the Cap in case anyone knows the production codes.

2) I decided to change the master fluid and check everything out.

I have yet to check the old specific gravity but plan to

3) 250 Watt bulb is OK, but seems to me to be too far away from the base of the globe.

It is currently @ 2" below the rim

My old one looked like this (@3/4")

4) Since I chromed it, the plating radiates and absorbes the heat.

I decided to insulate the inside due to the excessive heat it gives off, it is actually too hot to the touch. We were wrapping a small blanket so nobody would get burned.

The cat thinks that we did this for him, so he would have a heated blanket all winter.

He pulls it down off the base then cuddles up for his nap.

BIGBOY AFTER AN EXHAUSTING DAY OF LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW

MEASURING THE INSULATION MATERIAL

VIEW OF INSIDE AFTER INSTALLATION

DIMMER

The factory dimmer it had would not go over 103VAC when under full load

I bench tested a new 1000W SCR dimmer and only got 114VAC

I bench tested a NOS lava Lamp 500watt replacement dimmer-Same Voltage

And this is the line voltage when under load

So I'm going to run naked with no dimmer.

I'm adding 12oz Surf and 1 Gal Propelyene glycol and @11 gal distilled water

If for any reason it gets too hot, I'll add an external inline dimmer

This lamp is too heavy for me to just pluck the globe off to remove the dimmer when assembled.. Its easier to just put an inline dimmer (if necessary) on it until I move

Does anyone have any ideas about the rubber plug issue?

[Bohdan]

Looking good and yes LW China had many problems with top seal plugs. Many plugs were short and made a bad seal that when cooling down that seal would be sucked up inside into the liquid. I made a great seal by using a Magnifying glass made of glass and using silicone to seal when cold. As I sealed it up I used a thin plastic tie down to released that extra air inside as it sealed. I then removed the tie down as I pulled it out with the silicone in place you could hear the air coming out and I slowly turned the Glass top slightly for a complete seal. This seal lasted many years.  As you can see the first original run by LW China was hand written only a few made this way.

[Claude J]

Bohdan

That's an interesting way of sealing it,

it is sorta sealed like the glass head you/we made

The gal i sold my glass head to overheated it and it popped the silicone coasteer and drained out everywhere. 

I do have concerns about the lack of expansion, I have read stories of two different colossus lamps exploding.

I found a silicone rubber sheet with a SHORE A 50 (flexible) and another standard rubber with a SHORE 80 (Stiffer),

I'm going to try to seal it with the flexible SHORE 50 with epoxy while hot, let cool so it sucks in a bit, then glue the stiffer rubber sheet to the top (in theory) thus creating an expandable rubber seal

I may not crimp the cap all the way either, just in case.

Recently I had a standard Magna tower goo kitt'd grande explode from lack of expansion in a corporate office (second time) so I'm a bit overcautious

FYI,. Make sure your insulation is high temperature worthy, the type I used started to give off a burnt smell so I pulled it and am waiting for specific ceramic hi-temp insulation to arrive

[Claude J]

I finally love the flow

however, it was a difficult task

8 gal distilled water

12oz Surf

1 additional coil from a grande

1 gal propylene glycol

No dimmer

still no flow

just a molten puddle at the bottom

Damn,..

its a 30 mile round trip to get more propylene glycol

UGH

Add 2 quarts of boiling water with a lot of pickling salt dissolved into it, then strained through a coffee filter and Whalla! 

flow like I have never had with a Colossus!

it actually give off light now

[ElectricAstro]

Has anyone tried refilling a colossus with grandes, I know it would take a few but wondering if it would work at all or simply overheat?

[Claude J]

With Goo?

Id just use goo kit, its easier

Cost me @$260 last ime

I was considering buying glitter Grandes and converting my Colossus

or

buying glitter from Kirk ($500)

it takes 5 of Grandes to fill a Colossus

 

1 Grandes hold 252 oz  (approx)

Colossus holds @10 gal

1 Gal = 128oz x 10 Gal = 1280oz

Total ounces needed for Colossus are 1280

divided by grande capacity of 252 ounces = 5 Grandes @$80 ea. =$400

[ElectricAstro]

I think Kirk's glitter would be amazing. He does hands down the best glitter lamps. Thanks for the chart :)

[Claude J]

I've bought a lot from him in the past years.
Sometimes I had issues but he always made good on any problems.

Although Buying  5 Grandes to fill a colossus wouldn't only save me $100, but give me 5 more empty lamps to convert to color change.

I seem to have this thing for Grandes lately

Must be the awesome flow and size

I think only three of them are original.

1. Green Kirk Glitter
2. Neon Yellow (factory)
3. Neon Red (factory)
4. Silver color change (for sale)
5. Black color change (for sale)
6. 50th anniversary (factory)
7. Copper Plated with orange goo and yellow fluid
8. Harley Davidson
9. Top Secret undisclosed project in process
10. Pink Floyd The Wall 
11. Pink Floyd Dark Side of Moon 
12. Pink Floyd Division Bell -in process
13. Blacklight (dented base)