Introduction: Loose Change (coin) Sorting Trays.
Make loose change sorting trays from plastic bins. Drill a pile of holes (just the right size) into some plastic bins, stack them, and empty your Piggy Bank in and shake.
Step 1: Making Change Sorting Trays.
What you need:
- Stackable plastic bins. (one for every coin size you need to sort)
- Drill
- Drill bits, 11/16", 3/4", 7/8" (U.S. coins)
Step 2: Short Play by Play..
Real quick... (if you're actually interested, please watch the 6 min. video)
Drill random (or precisely arranged) holes in the first bin with a 7/8" drill bit for nickels to fall through.
Drill random (or precisely arranged) holes in the first bin with a 3/4" drill bit for pennies to fall through.
Drill random (or precisely arranged) holes in the first bin with a 11/16" drill bit for dimes to fall through.
I used a 5/8" bit for the dimes, and it needed to be worked over with a tapered bit.
Remove the loose plastic..
Stack the trays..
Toss some change in and shake to separate.
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23 Comments
14 years ago on Introduction
First of all, great instructable. Secondly, I have come up with a design for a change sorter that might be easier to operate.It's a design, I havent made one yet. Sorry it's so small. If you cant read the text it says,"The farther down, the larger the hole associated with the coin."and,"The larger coins will slide over the smaller coin holes and end up falling into their own hole probably leading to a tube or something for containment."
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
(I know I'm replying to an old post) I'll take that concept, simplify it (in 17 hours), and then make my simplified design (not involving holes; it's just the same idea).
13 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for sharing. I already found commercial version of this somewhere.
I wanted to sort quickly all my coins as I dumped them in my coin box (huge shoe box by now...).
The problem I came up with was the precision of the holes required. Mine was similar, more like this one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_APLN3g2X9A&feature=related
It failed because too often toonie would get stuck in my loonie hole, however in the video it look well crafted.
I'm going to transform my shoe box so it has a drop box, so I can simply literally dump all my coins and get sorted in seperate cases.
See this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc7oIYYJ7JY
.. for ideas on how to make coins "flow". This could be useful on having them lined up, so they don't jam in the previous sorter I linked to.
Thanks!
14 years ago on Introduction
Fizzxwizz: I'm not sure how that design would work. All of your coins will have to slide over the holes one at a time. If any coins were on top of one another (like a dime on a quarter) they'd both drop in the quarter slot. Also, the smaller coins may slide right past the holes meant for them if they are not lined up properly. It looks like all of the holes need to be to one edge and the "slide" also needs to be angled so as to keep all coins sliding down that edge. Kepp us informed if you make it work.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
>If any coins were on top of one another (like a dime on a quarter) they'd both drop in the quarter slot. That's probably why the boxes are nested and arranging in decreasing size - coins are supposed to drop through holes larger than themselves, because then they can get to a hole only they can fit through farther down the stack.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Not referring to the boxes Chavez. I was talking to Fizzxwizz and referring to his slide design.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Oh, I see. Sorry, your post looked to be pushed all the way to the left, so I thought it was a response to the article, not another comment.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
thanks for the comment and the video.. another great idea. Mine works quite well, thanks.
14 years ago on Introduction
Ok....my last post on the subject... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Q4fc8yd1c&NR=1 .
14 years ago on Introduction
Fizzxwizz: Check this mechanism out.... http://www.banksupplies.com/catalog/popup_image.php/pID/1120 . It's a simplified version of what you are getting around to.
14 years ago on Introduction
It's a great idea but, there is a problem. Some times there will be coins that will fall into slots that are bigger then it. I have one like it and that keeps happening.
15 years ago on Introduction
Brilliant!
15 years ago on Introduction
great and simple. If you put some small pan head screws in between the holes in the penny tray they will act like speed bumps and prevent the pennies from just sliding , allowing the dimes thru.
16 years ago
Pretty cool coin sorter. I was (over)thinking the idea and planning a fancy wood version, but yours is so simple I'll do it instead. And to make it more efficient (hopefully), I'll sit it on top of my random-orbit sander and let it do the shaking for me. Turn the sander up-side-down and use the built in velcro to link it to the sorter after putting some velcro on the bottom of it. Fill the top tray, power on the sander, and sort-o-matic!
16 years ago
I like it: trival, inventive, perfect instructable criteria.
16 years ago
amazing fantastic idea
16 years ago
I made one! I used smaller trays (the food kind). It works pretty well. I have to make more for the place where I work so they can count the money quicker.
16 years ago
i know abunch of banks were i can just take my change 2 and they will sort it and give me cash
16 years ago
Those "uh...coned shaped" bits are called stepper bits. And how the fuck do you cut yourself drilling holes?
Reply 16 years ago
you didn't finish my quote.. "uh... coned shaped grinding drill bit".. so its not a stepper bit at all.. its a uh.. grinding bit. i needed a [controlled] gradual taper to get the proper size for the coins.
I'll make an Instructable on cutting oneself if theres a call for that kind of thing... but it wasn't drilling the holes that cut me.. it was the sharp plastic edges that made the cut when clearing the debris. "Be careful kids".