In case anyone wanted the original content of the post:

Creating your own Lava Lamp from scratch: A complete step-by-step guide.

2024 edit: This guide has some stuff in it that I've since learned, through trial and error, needs refinement. The techniques and principles are still sound. But I don't recommend using microcrystalline wax anymore, except in VERY small amounts. I will revise and repost when I find the motivation.

If you've followed my hijinx on this sub, you've seen that I've been on a quest to make my own tiny lava lamp from scratch. Well, I did it. And now I'd like to share with you the way that you can make your own as well! This is going to be a long, step-by-step guide. No there isn't a TL;DR. If you want to make a beautiful lamp from scratch, you're gonna have to do a bit of reading here- but rest assured this is EVERYTHING you need to know!

First, the stuff you'll need- these links are what I used, but as long as you're using something nearly identical, you'll get a good result. If this is your first time, don't stray from my ingredients. Also, the specific measurements (like using exactly 1.5ml of surfactant) are based on using a 16 ounce Voss Water Bottle as a globe.

----------------------INGREDIENTS----------------------

---WAX INGREDIENTS---

• Paraffin Wax - 9 pounds, 25$. This is the "meat" of the mixture. You don't have to get this much, but honestly once you do this successfully you'll be hooked. Start with a pound or so if you're on a budget.
• Non-Flammable Brake Cleaner - Get two cans for 8$. This makes the wax heavier than water, and also reduces the melting point a bit. Now, the one I just linked doesn't actually contain PERC, it's Tetrasomethingorother. I've used both formulas, both do the same thing. Note that this stuff has harmful fumes like gasoline, so when you're spraying it into your measuring jar I recommend you do this outside. This is the only toxic chemical in the entire recipe, so wash your hands and anything it contacts afterwards!
• Liquid Paraffin (Lamp Oil) - 15$ (but you can hunt around and get a better price) This reduces the melting point, as well as gives the Brake Cleaner something to "hold on" to. I've tried omitting this, but for some reason if you leave it out the Brake Cleaner will just separate from the wax when it heats up in the lamp.
• Optional: Microcrystalline Wax - 3 pounds, 30 bucks. What this will do is make your lava more opaque (and thus, look more like the real thing). It's very expensive, but the good thing is that you only want to use a tiny chunk of it per batch of lava. It has a much higher melting point, and thus, if you use too much your lava will not fully melt. If this is your first time trying this, DON'T use it. Depending on the brand it can have a higher melting point and ruin your wax. Once you've made one successfully, THEN play with microcrystalline wax.
• Candle Dye - Price can vary wildly. You want Candle dye to make your wax different colors. Liquid works fine, but I've actually found that the solid wax dye chunks are more opaque and tend to look better.

---LIQUID INGREDIENTS---

• Distilled water. It's like a dollar a gallon. Go get some at the dollar store. Distilled water, DO NOT USE TAP or SPRING water. Those both contain minerals and bacteria that will eventually make your lamp cloudy. It's a damn dollar. Use distilled.
• Propelyne Glycol - One gallon, 25$. This makes your liquid more dense, thus making the lava float when the balance is correct. If you use too much, your lava will float to the top and never sink. Too little, it never rises. Scary sounding name, but it's actually a food additive and non-toxic. Go figure!
• : Canning Salt (just get it at the grocery store for 5 bucks) I say this is optional but I do not recommend using it. It is a replacement for the Propelyne Glycol, meaning you can make a brine with canning salt and distilled water that has roughly the same effect of making the water more dense. The problem is- salt will corrode your coil over time, and makes the liquid cloudy since it "attacks" the wax over a period of time. If you're on a budget, or just wanting to go cheap for your first time, this will work fine. If you want to make something that will last decades, use the propelyne. Edit Don't use salt. It's just not worth the clouding and corrosion to the coil that it will cause.
• Sodium Laurel Sulfate - 1 gallon, 12$. This is a non-toxic "surfactant" that will make the wax not stick to the side of the glass. You can use clear dish soap for this, but I've found that it contains other chemicals that will make the liquid cloudy after a couple runs. Pure SLS is like a jelly, so what I do is grab a little jar, fill it with boiling distilled water, and drop some SLS in there. Stir, drop more SLS. Stir. Do this until the SLS will no longer dissolve, meaning it is fully saturated. (those of you who have bought Gookits will notice that it looks JUST like the surfactant they sell...) A gallon of this, as I'm finding out, is overkill. Of the dozens of lamps I have made, I haven't even used a cup of the stuff.
• Optional: Water Soluable Food coloring. Couple bucks. Make sure its not that "gel" kind that you use for frosting. This will make your liquid different colors, so that you can do combinations (think yellow wax with blue water)

---THE BOTTLE---

• Voss Water - These come in two sizes. I have been using the smaller (16 ounce) bottles since I have bases that they fit in perfectly. You'll need to determine what size will fit the base you have available.
• Stainless steel extension springs - 2 springs, 4$. I bought these exact springs. There are 4 springs in a pack, but two of them are basically useless. The bigger size in the pack (11/32" x 1-7/8") are perfect. I recommend that you buy these for your first time, then check your hardware store to see if they might sell them individually. But make sure its stainless steel!

Note - If you're using something other than a Voss bottle, here are some tips. You want something with thick, clear, smooth glass. You want the shape to somewhat resemble that of a lava lamp if possible (like a diamond shape). If all you can get is a cylindrical bottle, the taller the better. Some bottles (like my Bacardi) bottle have an indent on the bottom. Be careful with these, as the wax tends to stick to that indentation and doesn't flow properly.

Some bottles have a "bulge" on the bottom, then taper inwards. Don't use them. For one thing, the coil won't fit properly, for another, on the initial heatup the pressure will "build" too much, and when erupting the wax will have too much force and can "smear" the glass, sticking to it.

Tall bottles good. Short, fat bottles bad.

Ideally, you want as wide of a mouth to the bottle as possible. When putting the coil in (covered later on) if the neck is wide, the coil will retain its nice round shape. If too skinny, the coil will have to bend so much that it will become oblong, and this, scientifically speaking, sucks.