Crayola Crayon Maker Instructions

Surplus and broken crayons accumulate in every house or classroom that hosts an artistic child. The Crayola Crayon Maker lets you put these unwanted crayons to a new, creative purpose by melting them down into new crayons 12. You can combine broken fragments to make new replacements or even mix several colors to create strange new swirling combinations.

Setting Up

Open the lid of the Crayon Maker to install the bulb after first unplugging the machine from any outlets. The bulb compartment is under the melt tray; heat from the bulb melts the crayons so that the melted wax flows into the mold at the front of the device. If the melt tray -- a metal tray with two compartments ending in spouts -- is already in place, slide it out to reveal the cover of the bulb compartment.

Unscrew the two screws along the rear edge of the bulb compartment cover. Remove the cover and place it to one side.

Screw the bulb into the socket inside the bulb compartment. Replace the bulb compartment cover and screw it firmly in place.

Slide the melt tray into place. You will see two short metal arms at the spout end of the melt tray. Fit these into the slots on the green supports, then slide the melt tray toward you until it clicks into place. Make sure that the tab on the side of the melt tray fits into the green lifting arm on the left side of the Crayon Maker.

Assemble the mold; this consists of four clear plastic crayon-shaped tubes and comes in two halves. Press the two parts of the mold together firmly.

Place the mold inside one half of the mold frame. Press the second half of the frame onto the other side of the mold until the tabs click into place and the two halves of the frame connect. All the parts of the Crayon Maker are now assembled.

Using the Crayon Maker

Plug the Crayon Maker in at a power socket. Do not turn it on yet.

Peel the paper wrappers from the Crayola crayons you intend to melt 2. If they are full-sized, break them up into halves or quarters. Place around two crayons' worth of pieces in each half of the melt tray.The tray should be almost completely full. Only use Crayola crayons with the Crayon Maker 12.

Fit the mold frame into the open space on the front of the Crayon Maker with the Crayola logo facing outward 1. Flip the green tabs on each side of the face down so that they hold the frame in place. The opening at the top of the frame should now be positioned underneath the spouts of the melt tray.

Close the cover of the Crayon Maker 2. Flip the power switch to the "On" position.

Look at the right-hand side of the Crayon Maker; there are two green dials here. Turn the right-hand dial all the way to the right in a clockwise formation; never turn the dial counter-clockwise. An indicator light will turn on and the timer will begin to buzz quietly. The light inside the bulb compartment will turn on, heating the melt tray. It will take a few minutes for the crayons to melt.

Watch the right-hand dial as it rotates. When it reaches the "flip" position, the light will go off. By now, the crayons should be fully melted.

Turn the left-hand dial gently to the left to raise the lifting arm. The lifting arm will raise the back of the melt tray, pouring the melted wax into the mold.

Let the mold cool. When the timer rotates all the way to the left, it is now safe to open the cover and remove the mold.

Lift the cover. Flip the green mold tabs into the upright position and remove the mold. Keep the frame upright and let it cool for another 10 minutes.

Lift the tabs that hold the frame together. Separate the two halves of the frame and pry the mold open.

Remove the crayons from the mold. Remove any excess material from the top of the mold and put it to one side for later re-use. Fit each crayon into one end of one of the blue plastic crayon holders provided with the Crayon Maker. This should give you two long crayons, each with a point at either end.

Tips

Experiment with different positions and combinations of crayons in the melt tray to produce new and unusual colors.

Warnings

During the melting process, the melt tray becomes hot. Don't open the cover until the timer tells you to, and always check that the melt tray is cool before allowing children to handle it.

Never place the machine on carpet or a surface with any sort of fabric. Always place the machine on a smooth, dry surface.

Never cover any of the vents on the Crayon Maker, making sure only to use the machine in a well-ventilated area.