How to Cash in with Simple Formulas
Mostly Formulas with One or Two Ingredients, which are Available in Drugstores
You can copy any of these Formulas and sell to other Agents, or put them together in packages - under your own name - and sell to Agents.
The specialty formulas presented within the pages of this report were carefully selected for the explicit purpose of placing the beginner with limited capital in a position to manufacture quick-sell products. Every one of them represents a popular product of wide appeal and genuine merit. No expensive equipment is needed to prepare these products. In most cases, you do the mixing, compounding and packaging from your kitchen table. If directions are adhered to faithfully, results are sure to be satisfactory.
Borated Talcum Powder - Gradually rub 1/2 part Perfume Oil into 5 parts Magnesium Carbonate. Add to this 90 parts Talc and 5 parts Boracic Acid. Mix thoroughly and sieve. Put up in 12-ounce shaker boxes and sell .
Solid Perfume - Melt together 33 parts Paraffin and 66 parts White Petrolatum. Stir until cool, and then add 1 part Perfume Oil. Allow to settle. Cut into 1-inch blocks, wrap in tin foil and sell.
Suntan Oil - Mix together thoroughly 25 parts Olive Oil with 24-1/2 parts Peanut Oil refined. If desired, 1/2 part Perfume Oil can be added for scent. Put up in 6-ounce bottles and sell.
Powder Fire Extinguisher - Mix together 5 parts Common Salt, 1/2 part Sulphate of Soda, 1/2 part Silicate of Soda, 1/4 part Chloride of Calcium,. 2 parts Baking Soda and 6 parts Ground Rice. Pack in one-pound long tin tubes with pull-off caps and sell. To use simply scatter the powder on the blaze.
Bath or Dusting Powder - Rub 1/2 part Perfume Oil into 75 parts Powdered Borax, then mix thoroughly with 25 parts Wheat or Corn Starch. Put in 4-ounce shaker boxes and sell.
Antiseptic Ointment (Astringent) - For soothing relief from bruises, cuts, bites, stings, etc. Dissolve 3.4 parts of Plienol and 6.8 parts Salicylic Acid in 38 parts of Melted Yellow Petrolatum. Let cool, then add 38 parts of Ilyrous Lanolin with which 6.8 parts Sulphonnated Bitumen has been thoroughly mixed. Put up in 3 ounce jars and sell.
Invisible Ink - Mix together 1 part Sulphuric Acid with 10 parts Water. Put up in ounce bottles and sell. To use, write with plain pen point. Writing can be read when paper is slightly heated.
Imitation Vanilla Flavor - Dissolve 30 ounces of Vanillin into 150 fl. ounces of Alcohol, add 180 fl. ounces of Glycerine. Then run in 40 fl. ounces of Caramel and 600 fl. ounces of Distilled Water. Filter to clarify. Put up in 4-ounce bottles, and sell.
Mothproofing Paper - Melt together 1 part Crude Haphthalene (inflammable) and 2 parts of Paraffin Wax. With this mixture paint unsized paper (ordinary brown wrapping paper will do fine). Use a broad brush. To use, wrap clothing in this treated paper before storing as a precaution against moths. Sell per sheet.
Bronze, Gold or Silver Ink - Fine Bronze Powder, or Gold or Silver Leaf is ground with a little Potash, and washed from the salt and mixed with water and a sufficient quantity of Gum Acacia. Put up in 1-ounce bottles and sell.
Auto Polish in Powder Form - Dissolve 2 ounces Paraffin Oil into 6 fl. ounces of Carbon Tetrachloride and mix with 16 ounces of Infusorial Earth. Pack this product in 8-1/2 ounce airtight cans and sell. To use, stir into 2 quarts of water.
Theatre Spray - Mix together 4 parts Water Soluble Perfume Oil and 124 parts Water. Sell this to theatres in gallon jugs.
Blackhead Cream - Rub 1-1/4 ounces of Preciditated Sulphur with 1 fl. ounce of Glycerine and incorporate this with 7-1/2 ounces of Ointment of Rose Water. Put up in 4-ounce jars and sell. To be used at bed-time.
Silver Polish that Replates with Silver - Mix together 3 parts Chloride of Silver, 2 parts Fine Whiting, 6 parts Cream of Tartar and 3 parts Common Salt. Put up in 6-ounce cans or bottles and sell.
Rubber Stamps - Set up the desired name and address in common type, oil the type and then put a guard about 1/2-inch high around the form. Next, pour in plaster of Paris that has been mixed to the proper consistency. Allow to set. Now get long strips of vulcanized rubber about 3 inches wide and one-eighth of an inch thick, cut off the size of the intended stamp, then remove the plaster cast from the type, and place both the cast and the rubber in a screw press. Now apply sufficient heat to thoroughly soften the rubber, turn the screw hard and let it remain until the rubber receives the exact impression of the cast and becomes cold. Remove and trim neatly with a sharp knife and cement to handle. Sell for so much for 3 lines of type and so much for each additional line.
Window Defroster - This is a good seller to storekeepers who want to keep winter frosts from hiding their window displays. Dissolve 55 parts Glycerine into 1,000 parts 62% Alcohol. Add a few drops of amber. Sell to stores in gallon jugs.
Oil Orange Flavor - Orange Oil, 6 ounces; Edible Corn Oil, 1 gallon. Put up in 4-ounce bottles and sell.
Oil Lemon Flavor - Oil of Lemon, 6 ounces; Edible Corn Oil, 1 gallon. Put up same as above.
Pineapple Oil Flavor - Pineapple Extract, 2 quarts; Edible Corn Oil, 1 gallon. Put up same as above.
Polishing Cloth - Dissolve 5 ounces of Oxalic Acid in 5 gallons of water, stir into this 5 pounds of Whiting. Soft pieces of cloth, such as Canton Flannel, are saturated with this mixture, gently squeezed out and allowed to dry. While treating cloth with the preparation, the mixture should be kept well-stirred to prevent the whiting from settling. Pack the treated cloths in glassine envelopes and sell.
Deodorant Powder - 1-1/2 parts Bismuth Subnitrate, 1 part Powdered Salicylic Acid, 1 part zinc Oliostearate. Grind all together in a mortar. Put up in 3-ounce shaker boxes.
Permanent Ink (Cannot Be Erased; Will Not Fade) - Dissolve 10 fl. drams of Gum Copal into 10 fl. ounces of Oil of Lavender with the aid of gentle heat. Thoroughly mix into this solution 100 grains of Lampblack and 20 grains of Indigo that has been rubbed to an impalpable powder. Put up in 2-ounce bottles and sell.
Soapless Oil Shampoo - Mix 100 parts sulfonated Castor Oil into 1 part Perfume Oil. If lower concentration is desired, add water to suit. Put up in 8-ounce bottles and sell.
Foot Powder - Mix thoroughly together 10 parts Boric Acid with 0.7 parts Zinc Oxide and 2.7 parts Purified Talc. Put up in 5-ounce shaker boxes and sell.
Marble Cleaner (used extensively on tombstones) - To 1 part Powdered Pumice, 2 parts Dried Carbonate of Soda and 1 part Chalk add sufficient water to make a thick paste. Put up in 16-ounce cans and sell.
All Purpose Cleaner - Satisfactory for cleaning woodwork, floors, dishes, painted surfaces, porcelain, linoleum, glass, etc. This is simply Trisodium Phosphate. Put up in 1-ounce bags with instructions to mix with 1 gallon of water and sell.
Shoe Saver - Simply melt together 2 parts Tallow with 1 part Resin. To use, apply this mixture freely to the soles of shoes with a table knife. Makes them wear much longer. Put up in 2-ounce, airtight cans, and sell.
Typewriter Ribbon Renewer - Dissolve 1 part Aniline Black with 15 parts of Pure Grain Alcohol and then add 15 parts of Concentrated Glycerine. Put up in 1-ounce dropper bottles and sell. To use, put one drop on each 1/2 inch of ribbon, rewind and let set for 72 hours. Each bottle will re-ink from 30 to 40 ribbons.
Eczema Ointment - Mix together 31-1/2 ounces of Boric Acid Ointment and 31-1/2 ounces of Ointment of Ammoniated Mercury until a homogenous paste is formed. Then thoroughly incorporate into this mixture 2-1/2 fl. ounces of coal Tar Solution and 4-1/2 ounces of Liquified Phenol. Put up in 2-ounce jars and sell.
Ink in Powdered Form - Pulverize and mix 16 parts of Nut Gals with 7 parts of Gum Arabic. Put up in 2-ounce drug envelopes with instructions to mix into one pint of warm water. This makes a good grade black ink.
Insect Repellant Pads - These are made by dipping fabric remnants, paper toweling, paper napkin stock, etc., in a simple solution made of: 1 part methyl (di-methyl) phthalate, 1 part isopropyl alcohol - 95% alcohol, 190 proof (approx.). NOTE: This is not the isopropyl rubbing compound. The alcohol serves no active purpose beyond carrying the potent ingredient, Methyl Phthalate, into the fibres of the pads. The alcohol then evaporates. Directions for Use: If the skin is heavy with perspiration, fist dry, then use the pad just like cleaning tissue, for protection against gnats, mosquitoes, chiggers, flies and other insects. Do not apply close to the eyes. Perfectly safe elsewhere. For sale, a dozen or 20 small pads in a polyethylene bag makes an effective retail unit.
Kitchen Wall Cleaner - This is a syrupy, water-like liquid, until recently patented, but now produced by a number of manufacturers who wholesale it through jobbers. "Triethanolamine", pronounced Try-ethan-all-a-meen. It would be difficult to find a chemical wholesaler who does not sell it, but may not know its value as a cleaner-polish for smoked-up kitchen walls. Directions: To make an amazing kitchen wall-cleaner, add about an ounce to a quart of water. Add a trace of blue dye for eye-appeal, if you wish. Or, sell "as is" as a concentrate, for the user to dilute with water, himself. The kitchen walls, of course, must be "washable". Moisten a cloth or sponge with the solution, and wipe the soiled surfaces. Rinsing is not necessary. The solution converts kitchen grease deposits into soap, and leaves the walls gleaming like new. Never dull or powdery as do many other, more expensive wall cleaners.
Spray-On, Wipe-Off Glass Cleaner - Obviously, the base necessary for all glass cleaners is water. But to make water much more effective as a cleaner, other ingredients must be added. One of the simplest and best is a solution of 3 or 4 parts of water and 1 part of Methanol, which is also known as denatured alcohol, wood alcohol or methyl alcohol. It's inexpensive, too . This simple formula makes a quick-drying glass cleaner that will amaze you. If you want to improve it slightly, add not more than 1/2 of 1% of any synthetic detergent like Vel, Tide, Rinso Blue, and/or even less than 1/2 of 1% of trisodium phosphate, better known as TSP. This is so cheap that you may be well-advised to buy your first or experimental needs at retail. A trace of blue or red dye may be added to your product, for eye appeal. If you want a very effective solution and are impressed by instant-drying properties, just use TSP and water. The ready-to-use liquid cost about the same as plain water - but it does the job! And it leaves no chalky deposits. Few products for home use provide such a high margin of profit as this one. (Note: The above analysis is sold as information only. we cannot be held liable for any accidents that may result from your using the solution improperly.)
Liquid Dishwashing Detergent - Unlike many detergents and surfactants, this is non-corrosive, non-rusting. To this extent, at least, it is superior for cleaning car bodies, milk cans and other metal objects. Formula: "Nimex 21" from Stephan Chemical Company, one of the largest producers of Lasic synthetic detergents in the United States. It has a number of factories, which we list below. Any of these firms can and will answer your inquiries as to the distributor of their products who is located nearest to you. Address to Stephan Chemical Company at the following locations:
- 224A West Frontage Road, Northfield, IL
- 693 Humphries St., S.W. Atlanta, GA
- 100 West Hunter Avenue, Maywood, NJ
- 5587 North Ridge Rd, North Madison, OH
- 1139 Ellamae Street, Tampa 2, Fl
Dissolve Nimex 21 (any quantity) in an equal amount of water. As you stir, the liquid becomes thicker, not thinner, as you might normally expect. A trace of perfume oil, such as any chemical house can supply, may be added if desired. The perfume should be dissolved in the Nimex before adding water. Directions: For dishwashing, add a tablespoonful or so to the dishpan, the amount depending on the number of dishes and the grease deposits, etc. For car washing and the like, 2 tablespoonfuls (one ounce) to 3 to 4 gallons of water is usually ample. When hosed down, the body will dry without streaking.
Liquid Vitamin - Simply made from one product of the field. Gives you quick energy and vitality. Author claims that after one week, you'll be kicking up your heels and raring to go. Ideal for men and women past 40. In a porcelain or enamelware vessel, put 2-1/2 lbs. of clean Oats. Add 2 gallons of distilled or unmineralized rainwater. Set in a cool place for 48 hours. Bring to boil slowly. Strain through cloth. You will have about one gallon of liquid. Put in a jug, keep in refrigerator. Dose: A 2 oz. glass , 3 or 4 times a day. If larger quantities are made, add 1/10 of 1% of Benzoate-Soda to the gallon to act as a preservative.
Transferix for Transferring Pictures - Common yellow soap, 1-1/2 oz., 3-1/2 oz. of fl. spirits of turpentine, 1 pint of soft water (made soft by boiling, then cooled). Dissolve the soap by boiling in the water, and when nearly cool add the turpentine, then shake the ingredients together thoroughly. Put up in 1-ounce bottles. Paste a small label on the front of the bottle, and on another small separate sheet (about 3x6) have the following directions printed: Directions for Using Fluid: Apply liberally to the surface of the printed matter with a soft brush or sponge (being very careful that you do not smear the ink, which becomes soft when the fluid is applied), and allow to soak for a few minutes. Then place the plain cloth or paper over wet side of printed matter and subject it to moderate pressure - one minute - using bowl of spoon or small roller. Upon separating them you will find the picture has been transferred to the other surface.
Marvel-O Eight-in-One Product - Orthodichlorobenzene, 1 part; Carbon Tetrachloride, 2 parts: by weight. Mix. Put up in 6-ounce cans, or in such sizes are best suited to your purposes. This is truly a marvelous product on which the profit is large. It does work, too. Insect Exterminator: Used as a spray, it kills moths, their eggs and larvae, as well as bedbugs, roaches, silverfish, ants, mosquitoes, flies and other insects. Powerful Disinfectant: Adding two tablespoonsful to warm water or soap suds, it serves as a powerful disinfectant when applied to mattresses, springs, upholstery, walls, floors, wash bowls, etc. Leaves a pleasant, clean odor and guards health. Paint Remover: This wonderful product is amazingly efficient in removing lacquer, shellac and paint of all kinds. Hand Cleaner: Excellent for the workman or mechanic, removes dirt, grime, grease and leaves the hands clean and soft. Used full strength it will not harm the hands. Spot Cleaner: Takes out dirt, grease, grime, spots and stains from any material. Leaves no ring and is non-injurious. Deodorant: Used as a spray, it becomes an effective and pleasant deodorant that kills unpleasant odors and purifies the air. Easy to use. Quick-Action Cleaner: An effective cleaner when added to soap suds, cuts the grease and makes clothes washing easier. Also speeds cleaning action on floors, walls, linoleum, tiling, wash bowls, bath tubs, etc. A wonderful window cleaner. Metal Polish and Cleaner: Apply full strength on a soft cloth, cuts the surface dirt film with just a few easy rubs, and will not injure any metal surface. Produces a brilliant finish or restores original lustre. Renews and Cleans Typewriter Platens, Ribbons and Printers' Rollers: Wash rollers with this solution. Dip ribbons in this cleaner and roll out, wait 24 hours to use.
NOTE: Above is suggested for label and advertising copy. All claims made above can be depended upon in this fantastic product. Simply and easy to prepare and very profitable. It makes a wonderful demonstrator item and is great for house-to-house canvassing.
To Improve Odor: The odor of Orthodichlorobenzene will probably have to be masked with a scenting oil, such as Oil of Myrbanc or Citronella, by dissolving the scenting oil in a small amount of rubbing alcohol and adding to the mixture. The Orthodichlorbenzene and Carbon Tetrachloride may be obtained from any wholesale drug company or chemical firm.
Attention
All container sizes given in this report are merely suggestions, and do not necessarily convey any prevailing specifications.
You become a manufacturer when you label and package any product yourself. In many localities, when you sell the goods directly, a license will be required. However, often no local license is necessary when interstate commerce is involved. City, county and state authorities should be consulted for guidance on these matters. No license is required by the federal government.
Some of the preparations outlined in this report are subject to the Federal Food, Drug and cosmetic act of 1938. Briefly, this act: 1. Authorized establishment of standards of strength, quality and purity. 2. Forbids adulteration, misbranding, deceptive containers. 3. requires clinical testing before general sales of new drugs, including new combinations of existing drugs and existing drugs recommended for new uses. You can obtain more detailed information by securing a copy of "Digest of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act". It will be sent free on request from The Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC.
A government permit is required when alcohol is used in any preparation. For full particulars write the nearest Bureau of Industrial Alcohol.
The federal government imposes a Retailers' Excise Tax on the retail price of cosmetics. This luxury tax must be paid by the customer regardless of how the sale is made. A Treasury Department pamphlet titled "Regulations 51" lists what specific items are covered and also gives other information. You can obtain a copy from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington. DC. Also, write to your state authorities for details on local taxes, if any.
The use of an trademark indicates that the identifying sign under which a product is sold has been registered as a trademark, and that a similar product cannot be sold under the same identifying sign. A trademark can be a word, a group of words, symbol, picture, design, or combination of these. For full details write to the Department of Commerce, U.S. Patent Office, Washington, DC and ask for a copy of "Protection of Trademarks".
Sources of Supply
Isopropyl Alcohol - For making the Glass Cleaner. In small lots you can use the 70% grade of Isopropyl Alcohol Rubbing Compound as available at low cost in all retail drugstores. In commercial quantities, use the 91% grade of Isopropyl Alcohol available by the drug from your local Chemical Dealer or Commercial Solvents Corp., 245 Park ave, New York, NY 10017. Sales offices are located in many principal cities (see the Yellow Pages of your nearest large city telephone directory).
In addition to the Olin Corporation, previously suggested for a Fire Extinguisher grade of Sodium Bicarbonate, we submit other large suppliers of Sodium bicarbonate and who may also have a special grade for this use.
Church & Dwight Co. Inc., 2 Pennsylvania Ave., New York, NY 10001 BASF Wyandotte Corp., 1609 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte, MI 48192 Hummel Chemical Co. Inc., P.O. Box 250, So., Plainfield, NJ 07080
Perfume Oils
Fritzsche Dodge & Olcott, Inc., 76 North Ave., New York, NY 10011 Leuders, 427 Washington St., New York, NY 10013 Norda Essential Oil Co., 475 10th Ave., New York, NY 10018
Colors
Where you require only small quantities, you can use the simple food colors available from most grocery stores. In commercial quantities, you can obtain all kinds of colors for all purposes from:
Pylam Products Co. Inc., 9510 218th St., Queens Village, NY 11429
Plastic Bottles
Bemis Co., 800 Northstar Center, Minneapolis, MN 55402 W. Braun Co., 300 N. Canal St., Chicago, IL 60606 Foster-Grant Co., 289 N. Main St., Leominster, MA 01453 Penn Bottle & Supply Co., 5619 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19139
Cartons or Boxes
Sealright Co., 314 S. 1st St., Fulton, NY 13069 Acme Folding Box Co., 1495 Horkimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11233 Stone Container Corp., 360 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60601
Labels
From your local printer or from:
Dennison Manufacturing Co., 67 Ford Ave., Framingham, MA 01701 Topflight Corp., 165 E. 9th Ave., York, PA 17404
Things to Remember (Smart Things)
Have confidence in yourself. Don't sell yourself short. Many manufactured products with national distribution today were once manufactured in a small way by people who possessed this confidence in their ability to succeed. They did succeed, and there is absolutely no reason why you can't make products as good as the finest on the market. You must believe it!
The product, regardless of type, has not been made that cannot be improved upon. That's why some products put out by little known manufacturers are actually superior to those offered by the big companies. So, never be satisfied with the product you are making. Always try to improve upon it - you don't have to be a chemist to do it. Experiment on your own - you might be surprised at what you can do. The big companies are working 'round the clock to improve their products, which accounts for the constant change in the formulas of many products. Just take a look at the evolution of camera since Polaroid introduced its Land Camera - supposedly the "ultimate camera". So, regardless of how good a product may be, the possibility of improvements is always there and should be explored at every opportunity.
Lack of finances is no barrier to success. The unsuccessful person inevitably uses this as an alibi for his failures, but it is an overworked alibi. This person leans heavily on the old adage that "it takes money to make money". While there is nothing particularly wrong with the statement, why is it that so many people with little or no money to speak of have achieve greatness in their chosen field or profession? It is because they want success strongly enough to work for it and they have confidence in their ability to achieve it.
They were Positive Thinkers, one of the outstanding characteristics of successful people. Instead of looking upon a project with doubt, fear and skepticism, the positive thinker turns a deaf ear to all the Doubting Thomases who tell him it can't be done. He goes ahead and does it!
The Negative Thinker, as much through laziness as anything else, seems to welcome negative comments from others so he won't have to put out the effort. It gives that person a good excuse for being a failure.
Occasionally we receive a letter from someone who practically accuses us of misleading people into believing they can make money in the Chemical Specialty Manufacturing business and then proceeds to tell us why it cannot be done. A self-appointed expert on the subject who has never tired it and never will because he has already accepted defeat - without even trying. Always remember: What others are doing, you can do.
For every letter we receive from those defeatists, we receive countless others from people who are making a success in this business and enjoying it; but you can bet your bottom dollar they didn't achieve it listening to the Gloomy Busses and Doubting Thomases.
A living example if this is the story of the Italian man in Montreal who went into this business on a "shoestring" with a liquid cleaner, mixing it in an open head drum and selling it for about $80 profit per drum. After developing a paying demand for his cleaner, he obtained formulas for other products to add to his line until the time came for him to add a good floor wax or finish. When he mentioned this to one of his customers, advising him that in the very near future he would have a good floor wax, the customer told him that he was foolish to add such a product to his line because the Johnson Wax People had the business sewed up. The Italian man replied, "Whoosa this Johnson? Neva heara him. He neva hearda me, so I have new floor wax nexta week". He couldn't have cared less about competition, no matter how big - he had confidence in his ability to do things and he did them.
Many proportions in this report are designated by "parts". Any one weight, such as grams, ounces, pounds, etc., may be substituted for "parts".
Related Articles
How to Make Lamps and Vases from Bottles
To do this you must place the glass under water completely, then with a pair of ordinary scissors, proceed to cut the glass as you would paper or cloth. This method is, of course, not as smooth as job as the methods described above.
Jewelry From "Ordinary" Treasures
Almost everyone has a box of sparkling old buttons from Grandma's sewing chest to marvel at, or set of dominoes, checkers or mah-jongg pieces rescued from a flea market.
Our Multipage Plastics Report
In order to prepare a foam of given density, thoroughly mix Polylite 8601 with the necessary amount of Catalyst R1 and water.
Six Simple Plastics Formulas
This is the age of plastics! One of the most amazing developments in this age of wonders . . . NEW developments and discoveries are constantly being made in the plastic field. Here is a truly rich field for experimentation.
Flexible Mold Compound
This new mold material is much superior to ordinary gelatin (mold glue) and is very easily made. It does not shrink or dry out like ordinary casting gelatins.
Acid Test for Gold
If you wish to find out if a piece of jewelry is made of gold, touch it with a glass stopper which has been wetted with nitric acid.
Fishing Bait - 10 Oil-Based Formulas
Mix together 5 parts oil of rhodium and 2 parts oil of cumin.
Making Your Own Plastic Molded Objects
This plastic is particularly adaptable for making molds and light castings requiring tensile strength but very clear outline. It may also be used for making ornaments and novelties. However, as this is flammable, do not use for ashtrays.
"Lenz-Brite" Liquid Eyeglass Cleaner And "Anti-Fog"
This product is a small plastic vial with screw cap, in which a piece of chemically saturated folded felt is packed.
Homemade Kentucky Beer (15 Gallons)
Use 15 gallon plastic garbage can with clip on lid. You need: