HD mailbox, fun project

[gde]

I have had the misfortune of having my mailbox blasted 6 times in the past 5 years, each of which has demolished the post and box. I got pissed and built one out of 4 inch square tubing with 3/16 wall. It is identical to the shape of the ones you buy in the store and was painted white like all of the previous ones. The difference with this one, besides being metal and nearly indestructible, was that I mounted (welded) a coil spring from a 1 ton truck to the bottom of the post and then anchored it into concrete. Now when the jackasses blast through the corner the mailbox bounces back up and leaves their car with a large bruise I would love to attach some sort of device that could speak to them after they hit it which might say, "take that bit_ _" Ahhh, I love being able to build this kind of crap--Grant

[dwwright]

Nice box! What are you mounting it on?

A few years back my parents had received a letter from the county stating that they had passed a law that homeowners were liable for damage to "Others" property if the post was over 1" in diameter and more than 1/8" thick wall. My parents had a 4" diameter 3/8" wall pipe that was concreted in 4' deep and concrete filled, the box was like yours. Dad sent them a registered letter stating that it had been installed prior to their law and "Grand-fathered" it in...it's still there and will be for many years.

[Crithpy_Critter]

I'd bet it'll survive a coonass M-80.

Idee tres tres bonne

[russell]

That is a 200 year mailbox! I love it!

I had a neighbor whos box kept getting run over...so he welded a 3ftx3ft piece of 1/4 steel plate to the bottom of a 3x3 piece of square tubing...he buried it about a foot deep... he put one of those cheap boxes on it...and that night he to caught his mailbox buddy.

When that ford truck hit it ...it flipped up...and took out the radiator,,oil pan...tie rod..and one of his tires....along with the trans oilpan....the 17 yr old driver was not pleased.

[BKC]

Mailman lives a few houses down, and I've done alot of remodel work at his house. He's a buddy.

[Franz]

Originally posted by Scott S
Franz, I had the same problem sans the fancy box. I set a 8" I-beam in concrete, surrounded it with wood and put a nice shinny new large mailbox on it. I put a smaller box inside the larger one, filled the void with concrete. It did not take but one night to hear the thud....I heard from my kids at school that the kid that hit it, was not playing the piano anytime soon.....

Mine was left alone for years, just might have been something about leavin a little pisspot tiewrapped to the mailbox post 30 years back neckid, till the town cop could fetch him up one Haloween. The current generation of No Consequence kids just gotta get the hint that don't apply when you mess with some people, and I'm too **** old to run after em any more.
Before I shipped my stepson to jail, his buddys called my place little vietnam cause they knew they had to walk a straight line here, so I didn't have problems.
Back when I was a kid, we figured we were doin good if we managed to get out of the house to relocate an outhouse a few feet back, or put a 16 foot boat on top of the local gas station. The current crop of kids haven't got a clue, and learnin what the bear does in the woods is gonna be a real painful experience for them.

BKC, how did you get the Post Office to sign off on your homemade box?

[Scott S]

BKC, I would like to see your pics of the saw stand. Mine was just delivered yesterday, The legs that come with it could not hold up them selves, let alone the saw.....

[Scott S]

Franz, I had the same problem sans the fancy box. I set a 8" I-beam in concrete, surrounded it with wood and put a nice shinny new large mailbox on it. I put a smaller box inside the larger one, filled the void with concrete. It did not take but one night to hear the thud....I heard from my kids at school that the kid that hit it, was not playing the piano anytime soon.....

[echo8287]

Nice Mail Box

I love it when a plan comes together, M-80 and Cherry bomb proof too. David

[Double D]

BKC,
Excellent Work! Flames are my favorite love the detail!
Can not wait untill you paint it.

Double D

[DaveD]

I love that mailbox.

At my last house I made a post out of 1/4" wall 4x4 square tubing and added some nice metal scrolls to it to keep the wife happy. Then concreted that darn thing about feet into the ground. In the dark it looked like the wooden ones. Worst that ever happened was some goof tried to turn a big horse trailer around in my dirveway and it put a good long gash down the side of the trailer. Never saw/met the person but heard through the grapevine that he didn't think one of those 'typical' mail box posts would have done that to his trailer. It did turn the post about 15 degrees but I just went out and hooked a chain to it and my dually and pulled it back around.

I have since heard that the post office doesn't like mail box posts that don't break away. There are a few people around here that had beautiful large brick posts that the PO made them remove because they were 'immovable objects' and wouldn't break when hit. Probably nothing wrong with a seel plate box on the typical 4x4 post though.

[BKC]

I LOVE painting, especially flaming things,( more pics to follow) The inspiration for my box was the ones pictured below. I've made a few, and it seems that a few nights after I put them out they are stolen or smashed. So next spring, when the HD unit is all flamed and cleared, I'll put it out, secured and it SHOULD last a while. I hope the ballbats come first. I live in a very nice rural neighborhood........not what you would expect!

[BKC]

This is the inside, everything on this is pretty straight forward. I used a well casing, slit it down for the top, welded plate sides on it, so I could weld inside and out, then grind smooth. Cut out the back and front , welded back 1/2" into back, so I could get a nice bead on the back, and inside. Bottom was fit inside, 1/2" up, and welded on both inside and out. I made the hinge from a piece of 1/2" cold rolled, and some 1/2" id. pipe. Since it is a captured hinge, the grease fitting was a necessity. I made a stop for the door out of 1/4" pencil rod ran through a ring roller, then fitted and tacked inside. Plasma cut a flame flag. It is postmaster legal, except for the flag, which I may or may not be able to get away with. I made another from a piece of diamond plate, plan flag style.

[Franz]

A couple years back my dalin was in her stenciling hobby full force, and did up a mailbox. I mentioned to her that she was making the perfect target for the neighborhood athletes, but of course, she didn't listen.
In less than a day, her pretty flowered mailbox was batted out of the park. She was pissed at me, I never will figure that out.
I just pounded the box back out on the anvil and put it back on the post.
2 days later, I went out to get the mail and found the box and post about 50 feet up the road. The little darling had run it down with his supertruck this time. OK, we got us a war!
Since I had some 6" square guardrail in stock, I did a little measuring, and plasma cutting. The new mailbox went together in about an hour. I didn't feel like mounting the posthole digger on the tractor, so I dragged out a mounted 1000 20 tire, and welded up a breakaway mailbox post on top of the rim. ****, I'm very concerned about DOT regulations and all that vehicle crumple zone stuff they build into the new cars. I'm sure the post will break away, with a D-8.
I contemplated painting my new and improved mailbox, but since painting ain't one of my favorite things, I looked a little more carefully, and determined the skin of the dented stenciled mailbox would slip right over my new welded monster. The new mailbox even served as an anvil for the stenciled skin. I attached the skin with a few screws, and put the vacuum pump on the valve stem of the tire.
After filling the tire back up with water, I definitely determined nobody I know will be tipping this new Improved mailbox. The loader didn't have any trouble hauling it back to the road.
2 days later, my darling informed me there was a busted baseball bat laying a few feet from the mailbox. I sorta figure that scored round 1 for me.
Around 2:30 in the morning a few days later, I heard a loud crashing sound. Being the concerned citizen I am, I strolled out to the truck to recon the situation. When I got to the road, I found an S-10 pickup sitting at a strange angle on top of the tire and mailbox. Actually, the oilpan of the S-10 was on top of the tire, and leaking oil that was mixing nicely with the antifreeze from the radiator.
Again, being a concerned citizen, I dialed 911 on the celphone, and reported the "accident", and suggested they might also want to send the BIG RED TRUCK to flush pavement and recover spilled oil, along with a large wrecker.
About 10 minutes later, red light city surrounded my wounded mailbox. Officer Friendly was showing the driver of the S-10 some lovely chrome jewlry because Mr Pisspot was unable to touch finger to nose or walk heal to toe.
The fellows in the flame resistant suits were spreading kitty litter, and Mr Tow was gently lifting the S-10 off my wounded mailbox.
Mr Tow even set the S-10 back on the road, and put the mailbox back in position with his crane.
I politely asked Officer Friendly for a copy of the accident report, as I watched his backup load beer cans into an evidence bag.
Mr Pisspot's insurance company paid my dalin $75 for her stenciled mailbox that was severely wounded, Mr Pisspot went to a nice room where he could appreciate welded bars, and the S-10 went to the Impound yard. The insurance company paid the Fire Department a lot of $$$$$ for cleanup.
Mr Pisspot did NOT get paid for the damage to his S-10, seems there is a little clause in the policy about vehicles used in the comission of a felony, and assaulting a mailbox is a Federal Felony.
Oddly, the scratched mailbox hasn't had any more "accidents" or encounters with baseball bats. My mail lady loves me, she's hopeing to run over an unconceous pisspot with a baseball bat some day.

[Bob S2]

I LOVE IT! My Mom's neighborhood has had problems all year with kids(big ones) causing trouble in the neighborhood. All the mailboxes have been smashed repeatedly, and the cops are 'doing everything they can' but can't stop the trouble from occuring. I've repaired my moms mailbox 3 times this summer. I think it's time for mr. welder to step in! More pics are definitely needed - can you do one with a contrasting backround that shows the box better? That would help a lot. Also, have you encountered any problems with it not being a 'post office regulated and approved' box? That could potentially be a problem. More pics! Great job on it!!!!
--Bob