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Filling open end sealable tubes...thinking caps needed!


ah-soy

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Well my thinkin' cap is about worn out over this one. I have a bunch of samples of some of tubes that stand on their caps, are open on the end and meant to be filled and then sealed. I'm testing two products (my sugar scrub and thick body cream).

Problem is both products are tooooooooooooo thick to be pumped in (believe me I've tried) and so I've been spooning in by hand. Time consuming and messy to say the least. Then I got the bright idea to use one of those baker's decorating squeezy things (can you tell I don't bake) used to decorate cakes. Works pretty good but just as time consuming by the time I fill the squeezy thing and then fill the tube. Both methods also leave me with a lot of wasted product too.

So, I guess my question is, is there some type of contraption out there (short of the mega expensive fillers the big boys use). I keep thinking of the soft serve ice cream cone dispensers or those machines used to put the filling in donuts...only smaller scale and cheaper of course.

I don't want much do I :D Anyone who can solve this problem for me will not only have my endless thanks, but free tubes of sugar scrub and cream taboot.....come on ....thinkin' caps on?

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Maybe putting it into a baggie and then cutting off the tip of a corner? Or is that method similar to the "baker's decorating squeezy things"?

Thanks for the quick response...been there done that LOL ...it's pretty much the same but without the squeezy thing tip (gosh I've got to find the right name for this)! Thanks anyway though...I love a good brainstorming session!

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dang, how thick is this stuff.........hmmm how about a cookie press? maybe a really big funnel and cut the funnel part off at the base then bang like heck on the counter to get it in the bottle???? roll up a heavy paper plate and cut a hole in the bottom use that as a funnel ??? pretty lame ideas huh. what abou

lol last resort scrap the tubes - buy sample jars

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dang, how thick is this stuff.........hmmm how about a cookie press? maybe a really big funnel and cut the funnel part off at the base then bang like heck on the counter to get it in the bottle???? roll up a heavy paper plate and cut a hole in the bottom use that as a funnel ??? pretty lame ideas huh. what abou

lol last resort scrap the tubes - buy sample jars

dang Cowgirl...my stuff is really thick and your stuff is good stuff...especially banging the heck out of it on the counter (oh perhaps DH's head)! Now if you can just tell me what a cookie press is :D all my poor kids got as they were growing up were store bought!

Actually though, I've been using jars (and still will for quite sometime until I have this figured out and the money to meet the minimum for these tubes) but am trying to eliminate fingertip contamination and/or water contamination in the shower...something my buyers would love!

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I don't know what type of s scrub this is (oils, emulsified, cream based), so this may or may not really help. I know I personally hate filling lotion bottles. I've tried all the lovely methods that have been mentioned for filling the tubes, but they're still frustrating. Yours, I'm sure, is more so.

So I fill my bottles while my lotion is still warm (during creation time), and much more fluid. Could you pour while it's still warmer and not have the scrubby part fall out of suspension?

I, too, would love to hear what you end up doing. As I mentioned on the other thread, I've been wanting to try out the open ended tubes as a packaging option. I've got a company close by that will screen print them for me.

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Sounds like you need something to extrude the mixture. I think those pancake batter dispensers just allow a measured amount to "drop" out. I've never used one, so can't say for sure, but I think the scrub would be too thick for that. I would probably try working with it before it's totally cold; just cool enough to keep the scrubbies in suspension. Take a long-handled iced tea spoon and drop globs of it into the tube. With the long handle, you could reach all the way to the bottom easier, and then smooth it out.

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Asked hubby, who used to be a cook, about the pancake dispensers. You'd probably have to do some hunting, but he said you should be able to find one with a small enough dispensing hole. Most will not be small enough, but they are out there. You'll be looking for one that dispenses smaller amounts at a time, so something geared towards the silver dollar pancakes perhaps? :D

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Sorry, another thought popped into my head.

Jumping back to working with it while it's still warm, but helping you get it into the tubes without making a mess off the collar (which needs to be insanely clean for filling).

Do they make canning collars that small? You know those wide mouth metal funnels that they use for canning? It might help things along a bit. I just don't know if they make them that small. They really need something in between the tiny water funnels and the huge canning ones. I'd find tons of uses for them! LOL!

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What about a professional grade pancake batter dispenser? Batter is thick....lookes like a big metal funnel and you pull the handle and a certain amount comes out?? May work...try a google search...

But those work by gravity, right? If this is so thick it may be necessary to squeeze

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Asked hubby, who used to be a cook, about the pancake dispensers. You'd probably have to do some hunting, but he said you should be able to find one with a small enough dispensing hole. Most will not be small enough, but they are out there. You'll be looking for one that dispenses smaller amounts at a time, so something geared towards the silver dollar pancakes perhaps? :D

I'm going to check out this idea more. I've found pastry fillers at various places but they are pretty pricey and I'd hate to buy one only to find out it doesn't work. I'm going to see if there are any restaurant supply places near me who will let you try before you buy!

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I have two sauce guns. :) They look like really oversized caulking guns. They are made of stainless steel with different dispensing nozzles. You put your 'sauce' in a large plastic tube, place it in the gun and pull the trigger.

Hopefully, you could pick these up at any restaurant equipment supply store. I bought mine at a yard sale for $5.00. ;)

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I have two sauce guns. :) They look like really oversized caulking guns. They are made of stainless steel with different dispensing nozzles. You put your 'sauce' in a large plastic tube, place it in the gun and pull the trigger.

Hopefully, you could pick these up at any restaurant equipment supply store. I bought mine at a yard sale for $5.00. ;)

Sauce guns...sounds good (and fun too)...off to search the net some more! thanks

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