A slightly dubious attempt to test a DIY bubble lamp made out of a repurposed candle lamp filled with (combustible) acetone, an improvised vacuum drawing arrangement using a syringe and floppy bit of silicone tubing, some salt and four quarter watt resistors resined to the base of the lamp.
It works, but it's hard to maintain the vacuum without a proper seal, and the fine salt and acetone seem to result in violent explosive bursts of vapour. At one point with enough vacuum and a thin layer of salt I got fairly decent continuous bubbling.

16 thoughts on “Experimental diy molotov bubble lamp type thing.”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Topi Linkala says:

    I just checked: First the chemical safety statement for dichloromethane was 21 pages long. Secondly there was an importer in Finland. It seems it's used in making plastics. Haven't contacted the importer about the chance that I could purchase some.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Allan Toft says:

    DIY, molotov and bubble lamp in the same title. That's what I call a good clickbait title, none of the epic "gone wrong" stuff

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars paul clarke says:

    What makes bombs what's in side them I mean how are why are they so big I no its gun powered but what is gun powered made

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars REKHLAL SAHU says:

    See One time use to amonium solution 25%

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Karreth says:

    I wonder if rock salt would be better for the nucleation. It doesn't pack so tight.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mark Hodgson says:

    Hope the "glasslinger" is watching this

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Kickin Wiccan says:

    You can get just about anythong from amazon look there for glass tubing

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars zalmaflash says:

    I figured this was going to be a "Fanny Flambeau" encore.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Domino52o says:

    Use broken pieces of ceramic instead of salt. Gives the bubbles many more nucleation sites, instead of doing what's called in the chemistry business, 'bumping', which can break the glass container.

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars HIDLamp Dashcam says:

    T5 Fluorescent tube

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars andrew moon says:

    Rock salt will have a greater surface area and gaps between each crystal so they can jostle and release the air more slowly, it looks like the smaller salt is trapping it until it burps.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars willrobbinson says:

    lighting the filament looks tempting !!!!

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars herauthon four says:

    Now i notice that you need an Assistant called IGOR . .

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars bob fourjs says:

    Ok, so you had a go, shold have watched the lot first lol.

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Hunter's Moon says:

    Looks like someone farting in the bath

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Anvilshock says:

    The salt prevents heat circulation and agitation, so every once in a while, a patch of acetone becomes overheated. In that patch, the acetone starts boiling somewhere and triggers flash evaporation in the entire overheated section, leading to the sudden bursts. You should use larger grains, like a couple of glass beads, to provide steady supply of several smaller individual locations for evaporation to start from. This is done in chemistry labs as well. The glass beads mentioned before are called boiling granules. Lab glassware is very smooth, and lab substances are often very pure. Without agitation or evaporation "seeds", bringing some to the boil can easily cause explosions when the substance becomes overheated and, through some tiny disturbance, is suddenly reminded of its listed boiling point and quickly decides to become steam all at once. Very exciting! This is also the reason why you are advised to put a spoon in the cup of beverage when you want to heat it in a microwave. Where the spoon comes in contact with the cup's wall, boiling is triggered preferrably.

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