ichudov Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 I always dreamed to have a mailbox post made of welded ship anchor chain. I finally was able to obtain a good length (like 15ft) of real ship anchor chain with huge links (6 or 8 inches, I forgot). Bought it for] scrap price. Here's a picture of the chain in a wooden box where I put it for now. There is nothing there for comparison, but this chain is huge and long, maybe 15 ft long. Anyway, what I was hoping to do is, take a steel plate for foundation, weld the chain to it in some cool shape, and weld a plate to mount a mailbox. I would bury the plate to prevent theft and such. Has anyone done anything of the sort. Someone has done something like that: But I wanted some more intricate shape and also my links are somewhat smaller. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 I would spark test it to get an idea of what you are working with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Some of those old anchor chains are made of wrought iron. If that is the case they could be worth on the order of 1 to 2 dollars a pound... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Wouldn't that attract chain letters? (It had to be said!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Don't forget that the USPS has very strict requirements for mailbox height...and technically requires that a new mailbox be "inspected" before they use it. Usually that inspection thing is so loose that it's not an issue unless you've done something very crazy. Problem 2 is the county or city right of way issue. Because it's on the right of way in most cases, the county/city sometimes likes to have a say about mailbox mounts. Some paces require break-away mounts so that a careening car doesn't flip over a mailbox that's mounted like a tank trap. There can be snowplow requirements also. In my county (very rural and small), the county engineer just wants an idea of what you are doing so that he doesn't have to yell at you for something stupid later. It's a breeze to go into the offices and chew the fat with him. Other places, not so much. He wanted a wood break-away near the base on mine (large cast steel gears) and that had me put the project on a back burner. Finally, mailbox baseball. If you are subject to that kind of vandalism or people using the box for target practice, design appropriately. Don't assume that because someone else got away with it 10+ years ago, you will too. YMMV greatly depending on the region and whether their governance is oppressive or lax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Slag may correct me but it’s a liability issue if the post doesn't break away. Many man thinking he was going to teach the local miscrants who like to take ball bats to mailboxes have ended up paying the little brats medical bills and pain and suffering. If the box is on your property it’s not an issue, but if it’s on the public right of way it is. Their are difrent ways to address the break away issue, such as springs, pivoting mounts, weak/shallow cement (or county will use scrap pipe on our back roads with the pipe only about 6” in cement) a peice of thin chain link pipe, peice of wood post etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Build a gantry out of from your property and suspend the mailbox on the chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 Guys, I made and have a swingaway mailbox as of right now. It swings if it is hit. It is held by friction so that it would not swing due to wind, etc. However, it has been hit many times. One car even left its mirror on my property! Anyway, since about 4 years ago I procured a inert mortar bomb and put it conspicuously on the mailbox, and, perhaps by coincidence, it is no longer hit. I agree that mailboxes should give way if hit and I plan to continue that by reusing the swingaway part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Mr. Ichudove, Your defanged mortar bomb is a brilliant idea. Sheer brilliance. SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Greetings, I made mine from a scrap casting and I added a pulley from my line shaft shop . It’s been there for years with no problem. Use your imagination and come up with something cool. I would form a large circle than tie the ends in the center in a square knot. Welding all the links of course. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 I like how your mailbox post is so inconspicuously balanced and does not exert a tipping moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old South Creations Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 On 5/23/2019 at 9:36 PM, Jim Coke said: Greetings, I made mine from a scrap casting Jim love this design! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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