Postal Boxes & Stands

[Paddy]

Dear All,

Has anybody made an interesting post for the mail box?.

Couldn't find any interesting blacksmith made designs on the internet and wondered why not.

Tomorrow and maybe a day or two, I'm planning to make one. With maybe a weathervane type attachment, we'll see. Something groovy.

I went on the US postal website for the regulation heights and it says pretty much the post can be anything you like, as long as its a certain height above the road and nothing out infront when the door's closed.

Theres plenty of novelty boxes out there it seems, Some look OK, Some are crazy, thats good to see.

It's screaming out for some blackmsith ingenuity, and some concrete ofcourse so nobody walks off with it!!.

I'd be keen to see what people think. An ideal project.

Cheers,

Paddy
paddysforge.com

[Philip Borde]

Paddy,
Also look into the local regulations at the highway dept. There is laws on the strength of the post, it varies from state to state. I got tired of replacing my mail box, so I sunk a 12" pipe, filled it with concrete, welded another section of 12" horizontal on top for the box... a couple of nights later "somebody lost an aluminum baseball bat not too far from my mail box" their hands are probably still stinging. Ok back to the regs, the highway dept said it was a hazard to motorists if they happened to wreck into it, and I could be held liable for their injuries, so I removed it.

[Neal L]

Nothing too fancy but this is one I made

[Glenn]

the highway dept said it was a hazard to motorists if they happened to wreck into it,

The "fashion" I have seen more and more, is a masonry pillar that enclosed the "regulation" mail box. I would bet there are a dozen or more locally, made from brick or stone. They may have used thin (and cheap) mortar to meet the impact and destroy regulation of the highway dept. (grin).

One fellow welded 3 or 4 coil springs together, anchored at the ground and at the bottom of the box, for the stand. The thing was as limber as could be, always bouncing back to the upright position..

[pkrankow]

My neighbor just built a cinder block skinned with river stone. The car would loose. It has an additional setback than his old box had. I think it is off the right of way corridor.

Phil

[yesteryearforge]

Mine is 6 X 6 schedule 40 sq tubing 4 ft in the ground in concrete and a 4 x 4 schedule 40 paper box welded to it with the actual mail box identical to a standard regulation mail box except that its made from 3/8 plate.
The door is 1/2 inch thick aluminum and the flag is 1/4 inch aluminum.
Ive been using it for 32 years so far with no complications.
Its no more dangerous than hitting a good size tree with your car

Mike Tanner

[jimbob]

make the box to look like a large forging hammer and the upright from a railroad tie....or in the shape of and anvil

[Paddy]

Good Morning,

Well, made the mail box stand. Learnt how awkward 109" of 5/8" square is to forge in a 12'x15' shed!.

Going by this example I'd make another one a bit differently. I chalked out my plan and the size of stock made it very awkward to get it to the table to match it up, so the scroll was a bit free-hand. Eejit moment!. Should've been fire welding, yes. My poor excuse - Most bits of metal I get to work alot are about 10" to 16" so this was entirely new learning curve. The obvious problems not being considered first.

I got the gas torch out and fiddled and ended up with this. Next time, I'd start with a shorter piece of stock for getting a much better scroll, then make 2 separate upright curves with maybe flat stock forged to a leaf spike, some multiple rivets to the scroll. Or use some pipes filled with sand and go for a lighter weight bulkier item.



It may get me demolishing it well before the scrawny little college kid gets to it with a baseball bat. The wife has decided she likes it though.

Paddy Falvey
paddysforge.com

[pkrankow]

If it gets used for batting practice, get some 1/4 inch plate and weld up a new one. Looks like an interesting flower!
Phil

[Jeff Seelye]

That is a sweet original idea!

[Paddy]

Some more photos of the flowers.

The flowers don't look too bright from that angle I certainly agree. The calla has a tip turned over at the top, and when I painted it, I thought, yep that wasn't too clever. The gerbera flower is necked at that angle, as they do in real life, but they always look plastic and yep, it is on the list of improvements also.... The leaf curve was very basic. The 2 leaves at the bottom need expanding skyward by a factor of two and half probably.

Where's my baseball bat?.

I'm making another one for the in-laws as an advert.

The other negative "anomolie" in the market, apart from ;- baseball bats, postal regs, mass produced crap, ;- are the rules and regulations of housing committees. I have a brother in law who wants a hand forged stand, but is not allowed. He has a mundane wooden thing that costs $115 every 2 yrs or so, for the lawn maintanance to come around and paint.

Cheers,

Paddy
paddsyforge.com