Every day I put all my pocket change into J’s Crayola Crayon Bank. She wanted to tap into her Xmas money to buy an Imaginext Dinosaur
. What did I learn carrying her Crayola Crayon Bank into the living room?
AWESOME. I get to fix something. Sometimes we show how to fix a tool handle, sometimes it’s how to fix a swing-away trailer jack. This time it happens to be a bank. Not only do I get to fix it, I get to OVER-fix it.
Step 1: Inspect the problem
The bottom is only held on by some two-lined double bump single bump system. Of course it’s going to bust out. Why wouldn’t they glue it at the very least?
Step 2: Think of repair options
Well the most obvious solution is you jam the bottom back in, put the money back in, and continue on your merry way. You and I both know that the seal is now compromised and the bottom will fail with increasing frequency until it won’t even stay in at all.
We could tape it. Probably Duct tape, or Gorilla Tape, but those just dry out and look ugly and then we’re peeling off the old and reapplying the new, and it’s a maintenance issue.
We could glue it, but I think that would break with enough weight as well. (But Emily DID just give me some WELDBOND glue I’d been coveting for Xmas)
Screw it, this is Dadand, and at Dadand we don’t just fix it, we over-fix it. I decided to, well, screw it. I went with #8 3/8″ Round-head machine screws with flat washers on the inside and outside. I’d use 4 of them even spaced around the bank. I would have used all 8, but I needed the other 4 screws for something else.
Step 3: Fix it
You have to pre-drill this thing, so line up the bottom with the bank and see how deep the bottom goes when inserted so you won’t miss the mark when you drill.
As you can see from the above photo, If I stay around that black line I’ll be fine, so drill away.
TIP: When choosing a drill bit size, pretend there’s no thread on the screw you want to use and use a size that’s about the same as the middle shaft part of the screw.
Next, since your 5 year-old is sitting there watching you and wanting to help, have her get the screws ready. You only need four, but she’ll do all eight no matter what. She’ll also put the nuts on the screws and you’ll have to remove them all to get them into the thing, but just let her. Once she gets in there and starts helping she’ll want to help more and will start in with the questions. Why did it break? How did it break? How much did the money weigh? How much was in there? Can I take your picture?
YES, take my picture.
I had to wedge my arm way down inside to get the inside washer and nut onto each screw so heck yeah you can take a picture. Luckily my arm was just long enough and just narrow enough to shove in there, hold the washer and nut on, and screw.
POW! 4 screws, 4 nuts, 8 washers. Super-reinforced Crayola Crayon bank bottom.
This is so strong it could probably be confused with something B.A. Baracus may have made to be used as a cannon on something the A-team would come up with to blast their way out of the workshop a bad guy locked them in. I’m just sayin’.