Mailbox options

[chowhound]

Do I have any?

A couple years ago I invested in a nice aluminum mailbox to the tune of 80 bucks. Real solid. I then bought a scroll saw and some 2" roughcut and manufactured a dog of sorts out of the mailbox. All's well until last night. Someone tried to steal it and when they couldn't they smashed the wooden dog's head and snapped the 4x4 post off at the ground, leaving nothing to grab hold of to pull it and the concrete out of the ground.

My problem lies in part because the mailbox isn't really close to anybody's house. I live across from a vineyard and it has to be positioned in line with a telephone pole so the tractors don't hit it. And I checked with the postal service and even though my business is on my property, they will not pull into my driveway to deliver my mail unless they have a package to big. I don't really follow that and it pisses me off. I don't want to stick a crappy box out there and I don't want to invest in another nice one. And of course I don't want to give the a-holes the satisfaction of another target, nor do I want to knuckle under and not do anything.... it's a funny situation.

Any ideas or help?

RIP lil doggie

 

[zionview]

I don't know what to tell you, I've been through the same thing more than once. I've seen mailboxes made from 1/2 inch plate that were stolen, brick cased mailboxes that were run over, custom-made art deco metal ones that were smashed. It's been a problem in our area as long as I can remember. My wife suggested a 2-sided brick area for our trash cans at the end of the lane where we are going to build, and vandalism is the first thing that came to mind.

 

[Erik]

mills fleet farm sells a mailbox "post" made out of pipe and designed so that it swivels when hit by snow plow or ball bat - you might try that.

another option is the steel "stake" sold at lowe's, etc - that you hammer into the ground and then bolt a 4x4 into so it's at least fairly easy to replace the post.

third, talk to your post office about an atypical mailbox made out of sch40 or heavier PVC (I'd go 6" or maybe even a scrap of green sewer pipe) then you'd have the makings of a wiener dog mailbox...

 

[chowhound]

I wish I still worked in a sheetmetal shop. I'd love to build one out of plate and I could make it look like a typical box. I'm leaning on looking for something more on the lines of solid. Very solid.... not something that moves. It had to have taken a lot of force to snap that post and it looks like something metal was swung at the box, maybe a sledge hammer. There's a dent and grind-type mark in it where they hit it. I want something that will hurt whoever tries to mess with it again.

 

[Erik]

Lowe's sells a mailbox made out of 12 ga that's rolled to look like a standard box.
otherwise, I'd talk to a machine shop about getting a mailbox "cover" made out of 3/16" or 1/4" hot rolled mild steel.
for the post, I'd consider using a heavy coil spring so it has some "snap-back" the next time it gets hit.