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View Full Version : my best mailbox yet



Everett White
05-21-2007, 2:13 PM
Well at least in my opinion...

Sunday A.M. we had another mailbox that knocked our mailbox down and ended up in the woods across from the house. I was able to have it up and the scratches painted over within about 2-3 min and now it's waiting for the next careless unfortunate to do it again.

The box is made out of 3/8 steel and has a steel support with a "key" at the bottom of the post. The post is made up of 2 parts with the other end in concrete with the oppisite key. To keep them together I use plastic PVC slightly larger than the post. When a pumpkin or truck or the latest Bronco hits it the PVC cracks and gives way. The Concrete is not torn out of the ground and I simply lift the 60lb mailbox and post back on to its concrete support.

The police officer wanted to know if I wanted to press charges for property damages but the only thing i needed to replace was 20" of PVC.

I hope someone finds this useful, I sure have.

Make sure the pipe in the concrete has a bolt or something off to the side to keep the post from rotating in the concrete when it hardens.

sorry for the lousy drawing....:D

j

Leigh Costello
05-21-2007, 5:29 PM
We have a lot of mailbox whackers around here. I attached my mailbox to the metal post using a sleeve type device that I came up with. Now when the whackers hit the box, it swivels around and whacks them. I have thought about attaching a paint ball type device that would paint their car, but I can't figure out how to do that. Your plan seems quite effective also.

Joe Pelonio
05-21-2007, 5:42 PM
Thanks, I'll have to remember that one. We went through 4 mailboxes in 2 years, kids would blow them up with tennis ball bombs on New Year's Eve AND the 4th of July. Since then they've grown up and moved away so we've been OK the last 2 years but no doubt it will happen again.

Ben Grunow
05-21-2007, 8:30 PM
Few thoughts on this one.

Nice design and execution.

If your mailbox hurts someone you could be liable for the damages. Even if they are destroying your property. Its like a fence or those rocks people put on the side of the road to keep cars off. Most roads are 30' wide but the town owns a 50' right of way making the first 10' of your yard not your property despite the fact that you mow the grass and put your mailbox there. Be careful what you put there.

I think that there might be some of us that get angry (when our mailboxes are damaged) that should not base on the things they did when they were kids. I dont know who, but some of us.

No one has hit mine yet but I will just replace it in calm silence if and when it does.

Pat Germain
05-21-2007, 10:36 PM
A friend of mine had an idea for a mailbox with reactive armor for just these situations. (FYI, reactive armor consists of plates which explode when they're hit. They are designed to protect tanks and other armored vehicles.) I thought it was genius! Maybe I should file a patent. The fear such a mailbox-of-terror would instill on pranksters just might make up for the inevitable lawsuits. ;) "OMG, did you hear what happened to spyder and snake when they went mailbox batting last night?"

(I hope everyone realizes I'm just kidding here.)

Mario Lucchesi
05-22-2007, 8:24 AM
Try putting a cheap fake camera by it and a few signs that saw "Smile your on camera" that may help.

Ken Garlock
05-22-2007, 11:42 AM
I know exactly what you are experiencing, Everett. We live on a state maintained road, and I have had at least 4 damaged mailboxes in 5 years. Each time I call the state and they send a crew out the next day to install a new post. The same post material you see in a stop sign. That is the only thing the state will allow on 'their road.'

I would like to install a piece of railroad track as a post. IF some SOB wants to hit my mail box he should have some of the fun of repair also. Oh well, I can dream....

I like your post idea, Everett. One modification I would make is to put a loose chain down through the middle, attached to the cement base and the box bottom, to keep the box from taking flight. However, a 60# box is not going to fly too far.:)

Lee Schierer
05-22-2007, 12:36 PM
We used to lose a mail box 4-5 times per year. Mostly to the snowplow, but also to the kids who derive some sort of pleasure from damaging property. I made a post ofr ours that has a pivot on top. The mail box is mounted on a 2 x 4 that runs across the post out to teh mail box on one side and a concrete block on the back side for a counter weight. Two screen door springs hold it in position for mail purposes, but it can swing easily out of the way for the snow plow. When knocked out of position the springs pull it back into place. Bashers have some trouble getting a solid hit on it so a mail box usually survives several hits. We've had the same mail box for several years now.

LOML doesn't care for the current design as it isn't aesthetically pleasing, so another design is currently on the drawing board that will get made this year.

Name and address withheld in case anyone one here knows the bashers in my neighbor hood. :D

Everett White
05-23-2007, 12:26 PM
Thanks all!

I was concerned about liability but I think as long as it has a realease function so as not to intentionally damage thier vehicle I should be fine. As far as a lawsuit, I would think about a countersuit with something like a custom built mailbox given by a friend as a sentimental gift, or something like that. It has damaged the two vehicles that hit it though...

Thanks again all
j

PS I liked the reactive armor idea and wish I was a little more like the guy that would replace it quietly.

Chris Damm
05-24-2007, 6:36 AM
Our neighbor used a concrete filled pipe for hie mailbox pole. It was destroyed (you should see the truck that hit it). He is now being sued by the hitter. I don't think it's settled yet.

Art Mulder
05-24-2007, 7:26 AM
We used to lose a mail box 4-5 times per year. Mostly to the snowplow, but also to the kids who derive some sort of pleasure from damaging property. I made a post ofr ours that has a pivot on top. The mail box is mounted on a 2 x 4 that runs across the post out to teh mail box on one side and a concrete block on the back side for a counter weight. Two screen door springs hold it in position for mail purposes, but it can swing easily out of the way for the snow plow.

Lee... got a photo or drawing? I'm having a hard time picturing what you have, but it sounds intriguing.

What I see out in the country around here, where snowplows threaten, is mailboxes mounted on looooong horizontal poles out from a fence. I haven't stopped to check, but I assumed it was pivotable, or just hopefully the plow would pass under it.

As for the steel or concrete post ideas... I used to read about mailbox bashers and agree with the various ideas for strong/indestructible posts. But upon reflection, I think that if it is my wife and kids in the van that hit a patch of ice some winter day and slide into a mailbox, well....