My mailbox is a nice, brand new thing that I bought last year. Sexy, heavy steel, magnet closure, nice and big for packages... and it sits on a rusty pipe buried in a hole with concrete. A houseguest finally did it in last week when trying to turn into my driveway skidding on some ice. It's not down, but it's at about a 30 degree angle and trying to bend it back just makes crackly rust sounds.
I always wanted to make a light box for the top with LED flame/flicker bulbs inside it with my address plasma cut from some steel. That I can handle.
I'm looking for creative ideas for the post. I thought about a crankshaft buried in concrete, but unless I get one from a Detroit 14L diesel it probably won't be long enough. I also thought about making a concrete post with a sonotube and then mudding some stone on the outside, but that's not very outside the box.
Pinterest is failing me. Help me make Berkley St cool again.
imgon
HalfDork
2/4/22 5:29 p.m.
One guy around here has a wheel, a set of forks and handlebars from a motorcycle for his mailbox holder. Wheel is buried almost to hub, I can't remember if the mail box is where the head light is supposed to be or just between the handlebars. It looks pretty cool. another has huge chain welded together for his post, each link is ~3"-4" long, not sure how that is anchored. I think your "stone tower" might be interesting as well.
Welded chain or something made out of an old farm implement are the major go-to's around here.
Maybe you could solve two problems at once by finding a long, large diameter coil spring?
Noddaz
UberDork
2/4/22 6:09 p.m.
Ok, I have done enough damage here.
Until we meet again!
Tensegrity. Make it float.
Noddaz said:
This and the octopus are my favorites.
Folgers
New Reader
2/4/22 7:31 p.m.
Something phalic shaped....
Karacticus said:
Welded chain or something made out of an old farm implement are the major go-to's around here.
Maybe you could solve two problems at once by finding a long, large diameter coil spring?
Hey... coil spring would save it from impacts, snowplows throwing snow on it, and other hooligans
I think an oversized vertically oriented playable xylophone as the post is the answer.
I really like the wood slat ideas. I would probably take it one step more unique-er. Maybe compound curves or something.
I want something unique, but maybe not as unique as a Manatee or an outboard motor.
For the top of the mailbox I'm thinking a 4" x 8" x 16" steel box with the street number cut out. Line it with frosted polycarbonate, stuff three of those LED flame/flicker bulbs in it, and put a solar/battery on top with a photosensor. At night it would look like my house number is illuminated with a gas flame behind it.
this is on EBay, probably too short though.
I have to get a new mailbox because mine was run over recently. While I could make something, I already have waaaay too many projects so I'm buying one from this place. Might give you ideas. https://beautifulmailbox.com/custom-mailboxes/
