Show me your built mailboxes!

[nikerret]

My mailbox was recently run over. I am thinking it would be fun to build a new one. Yes, I will get the plans approved by my local postmaster, before I build it. I’ve got a few things going through my head, but haven’t decided what to go for, yet.

What have you built?


Here is a link to my laundry hamper, which I built a few years ago:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=388537

 

[mike93lx]

Mine is a 4x4, stuck in the dirt about 2 feet with a basic plastic box on top. It is at the perfect height that my car mirror slides right underneath and our carrier commented that it was at a much more comfortable height for her than most mailboxes.

Even just stuck in the dirt, it is nice and solid. We do sometimes have mailboxes get taken out by plows, so I had no desire to go pretty and definitely didn't want anything too solid

 

[nikerret]

I’m the only one who plows my street. If a plow hits it, I’m having a very bad day!

 

[Copymutt]

Not mine, but very cool. Located NW of Brunswick, ME.

 

[jsaw]

I built this and used it a few years. We then got a mnew Mail delivery person tho seemed to have problems fitting packages into the mail box. He left a not stating that if we had a postmaster general approved mail box, that He would not have that problem.
After having to go to the Post office to pick up packages a few times, I replaced the wooden mail boxwith an approved metal one.

 

[vavet]

Pretty sure there are rules from both your state's DOT and the postmaster regarding the strength of the mailbox post. Our neighborhood has standardized mailboxes/posts. Before turning over the streets to VDOT, someone from the developer came around and drilled two large holes (1.5 inch? into a 4" post). Someone speculated that this was required for VDOT so the mailboxes would break away more easily if impacted by a car. Not sure how true that is.

 

[LXCam]

After having two of them lost to drive by home run hits. I bought one of those 1/8” plate units that look like your normal box. I mounted it to a stick of 2” x 1/4”wall tubing sunk into 24” of 12” diameter concrete goodness. Not long after the ol girl had a slight dent in her side but nothing has ever happened since

 

[zmotorsports]

Here is the mailbox I built at my last home. Our new home has cluster boxes so nothing in front of the house as they are at the entrance to our subdivision, in front of my neighbor's house.

Mine was hit by a teenage neighbor girl and after the insurance paid us out I built a nicer one from brick that matched the house. My first attempt at doing brick work on my own and it turned out pretty nice.

 

[bggrnchvy]

Left over beam drop from the shop build, W10x24 I think, some rebar from the foundation pour and some bolts from a project I've long since forgotten. Welding it was easier than bending and tie'ing this little cage even if you're not supposed to. I am sure it will be fine.

I did go back and trim off the exposed sonotube and pack the bottom with non-shrink when it was all dry.

 

[oldmxracer]

Modified a standard mailbox.

 

[IMCA38]

When we moved out in the country many years ago, we inherited a box that was mounted on a milk can filled with concrete. It worked great and was even tipped over by the snow plow a couple times. No big deal, just stand it back up.
Last summer, it met it’s demise at the hands of a drunk driver. I was really surprised that the pipe folded up the way it did.
I did like the idea of using a milk can, so I built another one, but with a few “improvements”. Mostly, I Used 4X4 square tube for the pole and filled that with concrete as well.
This one should last as long as I need it!

 

[aka Larry]

Here's mine.

I built it the 5" square post with 1" square tubing and 3/8" round stock. Capped it with a solar powered LED post light. The acrylic address sign is also solar powered and illuminates at night.

 

[vavet]

I lived in a duplex in a nneighborhood many years ago near Nashville. My landlord lived on the other side of the cul-de-sac from me. I came home one day to find my mailbox demolished. I called him to figure out who was responsible, how to fix, what he expected if it was my responsibility, etc.

He immediately started apologizing and told me about his plans to replace it. The rest of the story is that his own father backed into when he was leaving their driveway, but he kinda started in the middle of the story.
I wasn't mad or upset about it. I just wasn't sure if I, as the renter, was responsible for the cost or if it was on the property owner.

 

[nutjob]

6x6 rough cut pine with copper cap on exposed end grain.



Matching light post



Kevin

 

[pioneer1]

Left over beam drop from the shop build, W10x24 I think, some rebar from the foundation pour and some bolts from a project I've long since forgotten. Welding it was easier than bending and tie'ing this little cage even if you're not supposed to. I am sure it will be fine.

I did go back and trim off the exposed sonotube and pack the bottom with non-shrink when it was all dry.

WOW!! That is Sturdy.. Did you have people hitting yours?

 

[quickfarms]

Pretty sure there are rules from both your state's DOT and the postmaster regarding the strength of the mailbox post. Our neighborhood has standardized mailboxes/posts. Before turning over the streets to VDOT, someone from the developer came around and drilled two large holes (1.5 inch? into a 4" post). Someone speculated that this was required for VDOT so the mailboxes would break away more easily if impacted by a car. Not sure how true that is.

Speed limit on your streets must be over 55

This is an interstate highway standard and it is inappropriate to apply it to a residential mailbox.

Did they drill the power poles too?

If the mailboxes are behind the curb or pole line than there is no statute that anyone has ever shown me

The post office does have standards for the actual mailbox, but they are seldom enforced

 

[evintho]

Not mine. Guy was tired of kids destroying his mailboxes with baseball bats so he sunk a steel post 4' into concrete and built this cage. It'd take a howitzer to kill this one!

 

[bggrnchvy]

WOW!! That is Sturdy.. Did you have people hitting yours?

No, the 4x4 post it was sitting on when we bought the house just rotted and needed to be replaced. I am not one to do it twice

 

[mysery]

"Built" mailboxes

[/IMG]
Not mine

 

[Wrench97]

Pretty sure there are rules from both your state's DOT and the postmaster regarding the strength of the mailbox post. Our neighborhood has standardized mailboxes/posts. Before turning over the streets to VDOT, someone from the developer came around and drilled two large holes (1.5 inch? into a 4" post). Someone speculated that this was required for VDOT so the mailboxes would break away more easily if impacted by a car. Not sure how true that is.

Did they drill holes in the telephone poles too?

 

[motorcycle79]

Here is the one I made. Had trouble with solar and batteries so it’s now on 120v with lights added down the driveway. Hope the pic works I’m not good with posting pictures.

 

[Thirdyfivepickup]

any good, durable paint that does not require a spray gun? I was thinking about rolling on some Rustoleum but not sure how it will withstand the elements... particularly sun fade.

 

[Wrench97]

any good, durable paint that does not require a spray gun? I was thinking about rolling on some Rustoleum but not sure how it will withstand the elements... particularly sun fade.

Bed liner can be applied with a roller, brush or sprayed.

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...CJC_1KmS9xarjkdgkmRoCbB4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[mike93lx]

any good, durable paint that does not require a spray gun? I was thinking about rolling on some Rustoleum but not sure how it will withstand the elements... particularly sun fade.

Rustoleum professional is holding up pretty well on my utility trailer that lives outside

 

[motorcycle79]

any good, durable paint that does not require a spray gun? I was thinking about rolling on some Rustoleum but not sure how it will withstand the elements... particularly sun fade.

I know my local paint store will put auto paint in a aerosol can and clear as well. I have auto paint and clear on mine gun sprayed tho.

 

[Tarnished]

Built this one last year to replace a pine box that didn't last. This one is red cedar and should hold up a lot better.
Insert lets you reach those bills all the way in the back.

 

[hilld]

Here is mine.

 

[Dave Carney]

I built this about 20 years ago. It was my first significant welding project. Photo's are from last fall when I had it down for it's first repaint.

1/8" steel plate over 1/8" square tubing roll cage. Stainless steel piano hinges. Aluminum front door to meet postal max pull force requirements

Weighs in at about 135 pounds.

Recently upgraded the door closure to a new dual catch system (triple magnetic plus industrial velcro) so that no matter how violent the mailman gets when closing the door, it catches the first time, every time.

 

[born lucky]

here is mind. mid modern inspired

 

[c39er]

Made out of old 40's Chrysler axle housings and heavy shaker screen...bomb and baseball bat proof.

 

[royce]

Made out of old 40's Chrysler axle housings and heavy shaker screen...bomb and baseball bat proof.

Super design
Well done

 

[493mike]

Someone put a cherry bomb/m-80 in one of my old boxes once. It blew out the back, without opening the door?
Mike

 

[jptbay]

Mine got wiped out last week by some drunk/texting/asleep person in the middle of the day Saturday. Had survived every snowplow until this. Originally had a Gilbraltar Jumbo Rural box attached. Pretty light sheet metal unit.

I built the mount a couple years ago. Double swing-away return to center made from schedule 40 1.5" pipe.

Trashed box. Arm detaches at the swivel. Box was in the ditch about 40 feet up the highway.



The tire tracks from the vehicle were right beside the post. WAY of the road...
I was very please to see the arm return to center, as designed, after the crazy hit it got.



Mount survived just fine. The box bolts to 2 pipe hanger brackets that slide over the pipe. I have one hanger bracket welded to a split shaft collar so I can fix the angle of the box to the pipe.

Went hunting for a new mailbox on the quick. Something more robust and found this fantastic unit built right here in Ontario. 100% plastic welded high density polyethylene (HDPE). Supposed to be baseball bat proof, good to -40 degrees, and UV stable. Very pleased with it's construction. All stainless hardware with a 1/4" rod hinge. The door hinge has a spring so the door says up when opened, and the door is very well sealed. Hope its a winner.

https://plasticweldingrepairs.ca/product-category/dura_line_rural_mail_boxes/

Managed to save my old number sign and fit it to the new box. Went with a blue box and the colors matched up really well.



Hope this version holds up for a while!

 

[zippy97]

Here is the one I made. Had trouble with solar and batteries so it’s now on 120v with lights added down the driveway. Hope the pic works I’m not good with posting pictures.

That's a really cool one. Great work

 

[Modern Garage]

Just to finished this one. I've been working on it off and on for about two months and I'm happy with how it turned out.
Joe

 

[phred]

Here one I built for a client in Atlanta. 8x8 tube on a piece of w8x24 I had laying around. They just wanted a box made of steel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[charliebob]

Patina! Mail lady complained about getting rust on her fingers, so I had to paint the door.

 

[Graham08]

Here's mine. The box itself is 16 gauge steel, and the post mount is different sizes of tube and flat stock. I used the Hossfeld to do the scrolls in the flat bar. I need to take it down and do a nice repaint on it.

 

[Chukster]

A gob-ful of years ago (1970s until ?) in Norwood NY there was a local man who put a mailbox in the bell of his old tuba. Set up a little seated figure inside, a switch on the door, so whenever the door was opened tuba tunes came out the speaker mounted behind it.

Here's some links:

https://www.facebook.com/thetaunycenter/photos/a.181238687278/10156004983882279

The Folk Art of Fred Morgan

 

[sick467]

Your standard crankshaft/Singer sewing machine/fencepost/hub cap/old bed frame/large sprocket - Mailbox