Author Topic: Winter projects? (Read 10900 times)

brooksbeefarm · « **on:** December 20, 2015, 03:51:22 pm »

Where do you guys buy your lip balm containers, like jars, tins, and tubes? Also which sells the best and what flavors?Will be using the candle molds i bought 2 years ago (never used) Finally going to use up some long stored bees wax this winter when i'm not taking care of live stock or repairing and making bee supplies, or treasure hunting. Not looking forward to winter. Jack

riverbee · « **Reply #1 on:** December 20, 2015, 10:42:58 pm »

jack,
i have purchased this in the past: they are oval clear tubes with a filling tray from sks bottle and packaging, and i am about to fill 500 tubes in the near future. no other company i am aware of gives me the tubes and filling tray. you can buy separately, but it was a help to get started and a good price, also you can get the round tubes with the tray as well:

SKS BOTTLE & PACKAGING CLEAR OVAL TUBES WITH TRAY

SKS BOTTLE & PACKAGING ROUND TUBES WITH TRAY

oops, now i see they are only giving you half the amount of tubes the tray fills (24).......tubes aren't that expensive it's the mix of your lip balm!

also, most folks i found do not like the tins (very few), i tried a few, so my HO is stick to tubes. this may be different for you.

i stick to one recipe jack for the most part, a copy of the famous one (peppermint flavor) you can get wound up in trying all sorts of things, it makes your head spin and your hard earned cash disappear paying for all the ingredients. for kids keep it simple, they like all the 'funny' flavors and are easy to please.

for adults maybe a couple flavors?

candles? you will probably do well on the candles jack, folks love candles!

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #2 on:** December 21, 2015, 12:16:42 am »

Thanks,riverbee, this is just one of many questions i'll probably be asking.

Jack

Perry · « **Reply #3 on:** December 21, 2015, 07:21:32 am »

It's getting late for this year Jack, but candles are the way to go. A "rough" example would be that out of $500 in sales at the market right now, candles account for around $200 of that.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2015, 08:48:28 am »

I only have one of the long tapered type of candle mold,i'm guessing you have several perry and pour more than one at a time? Probably couldn't pour very many in a day with just one mold? This is all new to me and i have a lot to learn.

Jack

Perry · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2015, 12:21:58 pm »

I bought 4 of those taper molds so I could make 2 pair at a go, and then had a friend make a rack to hold them in.
Last week we sold over 50 t-lites at $1.25 each! That turns bulk wax (around $10/lb.) into almost $40. We also sold 2 3 x 6" pillars ($28/each) and 2 3 x 3" pillars for $18/each, plus other assorted stuff like skeps, bars, spirals.

Lburou · « **Reply #6 on:** December 21, 2015, 07:10:10 pm »

Which flavors do people like in the lip balm?

riverbee · « **Reply #7 on:** December 23, 2015, 12:13:35 am »

jack around thanksgiving and into the week or so before christmas you can do well with candles, and honey...........i made 500 bucks in one day last week, mostly on candles and small honey jars. i don't have the taper molds. here is a sampling of what i sold:

as far as any molds go jack, you want to get more than one, to make the process go quicker! and for any orders that you need to fill quickly.

lee........flavor? i stick to one or two, that's it. you can spend a lot of bucks trying to please everyone. my standard is a copycat of the famous lip balm in the peppermint flavor. if you ask folks this helps.........but keep in mind your costs for the essential oils/flavors to make lip balm, and they all have a shelf life......

you can ask your customer base, or take a 'poll' to find out what they are using and like. up here, many of my customers buy the 'famous' brand and that's what i replicate.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #8 on:** December 23, 2015, 09:40:29 am »

Very nice rb, i can see a lot of melting and remelting on my part to get things right.

Jack

Perry · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2015, 10:09:41 am »

Quote from: brooksbeefarm on December 23, 2015, 09:40:29 am

Very nice rb, i can see a lot of melting and remelting on my part to get things right. Jack

That's the beauty of it Jack, you really can't go wrong. I am always thankful at the end of a day at the farmers market. When I am packing up and putting things back in boxes I look at all the other vendors (farmers) and bakers trying to come to grips with the product that didn't move, most of it perishable.

Jen · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2015, 11:50:59 am »

That's the beauty of it Jack, you really can't go wrong. I am always thankful at the end of a day at the farmers market. When I am packing up and putting things back in boxes I look at all the other vendors (farmers) and bakers trying to come to grips with the product that didn't move, most of it perishable.

Perry.... Such a nice guy you are

I am thankful you are on this forum and have helped me so much.

Jen · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2015, 12:08:43 pm »

Riverbee, I love your pictures and am particularly fond of the tiny honey jars with the candle included, so convenient for people who have to buy a little something for a building of workers, and stocking stuffers.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2015, 12:37:15 pm »

Your right on perry, i can't count the times i've taken unsold produce home that didn't sell

. Our farmers market is on Wed. of every week from April to mid. Oct., i won't let it go to waste. I will give it to the Fair Grove senior center or the children's home in Springfield, Mo.,i get a kick out of it when people ask me how long the honey will keep, and i tell them for ever if you don't eat it first.

I don't think i've ever heard how long bees wax will keep before (or if?) it discolor's or starts to crumble??? I've not seen it in my life time, and like you bees wax people say, if you mess up you can remelt and start over.

Jack

Jen · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2015, 12:46:20 pm »

Exactly Jack, I'm going to get into the candle thing more this year. I have to stop putting off getting a solar melter...

apisbees · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2015, 06:41:08 pm »

Quote from: brooksbeefarm on December 23, 2015, 12:37:15 pm

Your right on perry, i can't count the times i've taken unsold produce home that didn't sell . Our farmers market is on Wed. of every week from April to mid. Oct., i won't let it go to waste. I will give it to the Fair Grove senior center or the children's home in Springfield, Mo.,:occasion14: Jack

The Salvation Army that provides food hampers and runs a soup kitchen, has a guy come to the market at the end to pick up any produce that vendors wants to be donated. Saves the few dozen vendors from having to find some place to donate.

riverbee · « **Reply #15 on:** December 23, 2015, 09:16:38 pm »

"I don't think i've ever heard how long bees wax will keep before (or if?) it discolor's or starts to crumble??? I've not seen it in my life time, and like you bees wax people say, if you mess up you can remelt and start over."

it keeps forever......even when your furnace malfunctions and heats the house up past 150 degrees during august..........lol.........don't ask me how i know this!

beeswax, and beeswax candles develop what's called 'bloom', a whitish light covering on it........just take a nylon or a soft cloth to a beeswax bar or a beeswax candle and polish it, looks shiny and new again!

jack i have sent many candles back into the melting pot when i muffed them up!

Jen · « **Reply #16 on:** December 23, 2015, 11:54:06 pm »

I love the bloom on bw candles, for one thing it tells me it's 100% beeswax, and I just like the feel of it.

River, I appreciate your tenacity with your projects. If it doesn't work out the first time... try again and again and again and again and again. Me Too

apisbees · « **Reply #17 on:** December 24, 2015, 02:29:25 am »

Quote from: riverbee on December 23, 2015, 09:16:38 pm

beeswax, and beeswax candles develop what's called 'bloom', a whitish light covering on it........just take a nylon or a soft cloth to a beeswax bar or a beeswax candle and polish it, looks shiny and new again!

Heat also works, Use a heat gun to warm the candle sides This works well on candles with a lot of details, like pine combs and skeps.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #18 on:** December 24, 2015, 10:57:19 am »

I haven't checked in Mo. and was wondering if you have to put your phone # or address on the lip balm labels? I was just going to put (J Bees lip balm) and the flavor over the top??? Jack

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #19 on:** December 30, 2015, 12:56:38 pm »

I'm waiting on the lip Balm tray that holds 50 tubes, and four 10in taper candle molds i ordered, before i get started melting bees wax. I know that the price of this stuff will very in different locations, could i get an idea what to price it at?
1. Emergency Taper candle.
2. 10 inch taper candle
3.beehive skep
4.one once bees wax mold bars
5.Angels set of 6 mold
6.rb's 3oz. Dixie cup candle mold
7.round tube Lip Balm tubes