Bank Customization Options

Here are all your options when it comes to making your very own custom bank.

Any additional options or things you wish to be further customized, just contact SandboxRanch.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7RP5eE0FIk/

Name Engraving (Front Window)

Let us know what words, symbols or logos (that you own the rights to) that you wish to have engraved into the acrylic or color changed onto the polycarbonate of your custom bank.

Engraved 1/8″ transparent acrylic front window using Red Oak. Tung oil finish, 8″ tall with brass pan socket head screws. Horizontal glued laminate orientation with no chamfer.

The default pricing is for text but if you want something more, contact SandboxRanch.com first.

Front Window Material

There are many material options available for the front window of your custom bank.

With acrylic, our laser is engraving INTO the acrylic then cutting out the outline that will fit within your custom bank’s perimeter, for instance, we’d engrave “Aaron” and then laser cut out the letter A window insert.

Engraved 1/8″ transparent acrylic front window with black paint fill using Red Oak. Tung oil finish, 8″ tall with steel pan socket head screws. Vertical glued laminate orientation with no chamfer.
*Note: Early prototype, flaws and all, for owner of SandboxRanch.com

With polycarbonate, our laser is color changing the top surface of the bullet proof glass, unlike acrylic, the texture left is similar to grip tape but jet black.

SandboxRanch.com brand the inside of the window, so the surface that’s “grippy” (for polycarbonate) or engraved (for acrylic) is on the inside of the bank, not outside, leading to a flush window surface on the outside.

Both custom branding processes are PERMANENT and will not fade, crack or peel overtime.

Front Window Engraving Paint Filling

There are literally endless options when it comes to enamel paint filling, our pricing is for one solid color but if you wish to have different or multiple colors, contact SandboxRanch.com first.

The reason paint filling isn’t generally available with polycarbonate is because unlike acrylic, we cannot engrave INTO the material using the laser though if you REALLY wanted the option, we can use our CNC router to carve into it at additional cost but the results won’t be anywhere near as clean.

Engraved 1/8″ clear acrylic front window laser engraved with copper hammer paint fill using Red Oak. Tung oil finish, 8″ tall with brass pan head screws. Vertical glued laminate orientation with chamfer.

Paint filling adds a day before your bank can be shipped as we need to wait 24 hours for the paint to dry and cure before assembling it to the rest of the bank.

Engraved 1/8″neon blue acrylic front window with white paint filling using Red Oak. Tung oil finish, 8″ tall with black pan socket head screws. Horizontal glued laminate orientation with no chamfer.

Wood Species

If you want a wood species other than what’s shown on the order page, contact SandboxRanch.com first.

We currently offer two hardwood species, red oak with an average Janka hardness of 1 200 lbf and poplar which is half that at 540 lbf.

The major advantage of red oak is the hardness and it finishes very well with a deep brown/redish, it also has a very distinct grain pattern.

Poplar on the other hand, engraves beautifully as the wood is more consistent without a very heavy grain pattern and less prone to splintering, also a lot softer to handle.

Regardless of your choice all our woods are sourced in the Northeastern USA and Southeastern Canada.

Literally any wood species is available, Ash through Zebra wood but as these are special orders in the grand scheme of things, the costs will be higher than going with the default option and certain volume minimums may apply.

Size

We offer three default sizes, small, which is 8″ tall (~200 mm), medium 12″ tall (~300 mm) and large 25″ tall (635 mm), of course as with everything else here, if you want a different size, contact SandboxRanch.com first.

Regardless of the size of the bank, the thickness remains the same, roughly 1.7″ (43 mm) +/- 8% with a depth of 1.4″ (35 mm), the variation is due to the fact that we are using rough sawed lumber, sometimes we need to flatten some boards more than others for our glue-ups. There are also variations during acquisition and production of humidity which can expand or contract the wood, this is why we seal the wood (if option chosen) to create a barrier so this is greatly reduced on the final bank.

12″ bank vs 8″ bank, both red oak finished with tung oil

8″ vs 12″ poplar, no finish

The pricing of bigger banks sizes doesn’t just reflect the additional use of wood, but also additional paint, window material, screws, finishing and so forth, this is why you don’t see a proportional jump in the other elements that make-up your bank.

Message Engraving (Back)

The back of the bank is an empty billboard, include a personalized message, dates, times or even images like maps or whatever you want. This process must be done BEFORE finishing at the shop as we need to sand the surface before applying the finish to remove the smoke stains that are left on the surface by the laser.

The default pricing is for text but if you want something more, contact SandboxRanch.com first.

If you have a few paragraphs or something beyond a few words, just add it to the notes when you complete your order.

All banks are branded on the back with the SandboxRanch.com logo for easy ordering down the line, this will also be shown on the digital proof.

Screw Type

Personalize the screws that are used to hold the window to the wood backing of your custom bank, all are equally strong and durable so the choice between the option is more aesthetic than anything else.

Not engraved 1/8″ transparent acrylic front window using Red Oak. Tung oil finish, 8″ tall with plated steel pan socket head screws. Horizontal glued laminate orientation with no chamfer.

Not engraved 1/8″ transparent acrylic front window using Red Oak. Tung oil finish, 8″ tall with solid brass pan socket head screws. Horizontal glued laminate orientation with no chamfer.

Not engraved 1/8″ transparent acrylic front window using Red Oak. 8″ tall with black oxide pan socket head screws. Vertical glued laminate orientation with chamfer.

If you have a special request, contact SandboxRanch.com first.

Finishing Type

When it comes to adding protection to your bank from the natural environment, finishing is an important step as it penetrates into the wood to protect it by creating a barrier.

Regardless of the option you choose, add a few days for completion before shipping as we need to wait for the finishing to dry and cure.

Tung oil is sourced from trees and also food safe and free of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). It also gives the wood a deeper, warmer and more protective solid coat from the environment than mineral oil with beeswax. You can see how much of a difference Tung oil does with the “C” in the image below surrounded by its unfinished friends.

BIO-SUPRA Wood Oil is vegetable based, natural, solvent and VOC free like Tung oil with the major advantage of being able to easy sand and touch-up with minimal effort. This finish is made in Italy and is food safe.

Top is poplar finished with tung oil, left is stained poplar with cherry finish and the right is natural with no finish.

Mineral oil is a refined petroleum product, although “food safe”, requires additional layer of bees wax added in order to give the back and front of the bank a nice smooth feel. Note that there will be slight smearing due to the nature of the wax, which itself is food safe and a natural product. As this is the only option that isn’t eco-friendly, the cost is higher to dissuade you from choosing this option.

Glued Laminate Orientation

For strength, durability and aesthetic reasons, SandboxRanch.com works from solid lumber and live edge pieces then cuts them into smaller slats which are then glued together to make the final bank.

During the design process, we optimize the banks to fit on the new laminated sheet as efficient as possible, as such, some banks have the slats going top to bottom (vertical), sideways (horizontal) and rarely, at a 45 degree angle.

If you have a specific requirement regarding the orientation of these glued slates, THIS IS NOT RELATED TO WOOD GRAIN, but it does follow it very closely as our boards start off “tall” like a tree!

Other options

We have more than two decades of custom design and fabrication experience, whatever you may want, we can generally do, include your timeline and budget and we’ll get back to  you.

T-Rex with gold mirror inlay, cherry finished poplar.

For something totally custom, it’s probably best to contact us through our sister company, CNCROi.com.