Published by Argonautica on 25 Jul 2007 at 07:00 am
DIY Cheap Washers
Here’s a little pictorial DIY segment with a frugal solution to a missing washer problem. Not only will this save you from rooting through the cabinets or taking a trip to the hardware store, it is often cheaper than a single store-bought washer.
So, you need to bolt something together and you have the nut and bolt, but not a washer that fits.
Dig around in your pocket and grab yourself a penny.
Dimple the center of the penny with a punch.
Using a small bit, drill a hole through the center of the penny.
Use a larger bit the size of the bolt to complete the hole.
Look, a penny washer!
Look how nice it looks! Fancy!
Now, you can save yourself some steps and just drill through with the big bit to begin with, but it is difficult to get it started and keep it centered. My results were much better with the above steps.
HMiller on 25 Jul 2007 at 7:57 am #
It’s illegal to deface federal money.
Argonautica on 25 Jul 2007 at 8:38 am #
Hi, thanks for the great comment. While the Federal government does not want you destroying or mutilating bank notes, such as bills, with the intent of taking them out of circulation (18 USC 333), it is okay with the destruction or mutilation of coins, as long as it is not done with a fraudulent purpose (18 USC 331).
The idea behind that is to be able to prosecute the old practice of shaving or clipping coins for their precious metal value and then circulating the coin representing that it has a full value, which is where the fraud comes in. Drilling a penny to use as a washer is not a fraudulent mutilation, but drilling out the centers of pennies to make money recycling the metals and then recirculating the coin would be.
Disclaimer: this is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between Argonautica and any other parties.