Mailbox Project

[BlackSnake]

It’s no secret that I like working with my hands, building, fixing, restoring, etc…you name it. Well, commencing with my retirement in January 2021, I launched into a fair number of wood working projects around the house now that going to my job at 6AM was no longer a hindrance…

As soon as I finished one project, I launched right into the next one. I restored a park bench, made a raised herb garden, made a rolling cart for a green egg, made an owl box and several bird houses, replaced a section of fence, made a couple of small teak porch tables shaped like Texas…you get the idea. By May, the comfortable weather was nearing an end, so I figured I could squeeze in one more project before the heat and humidity set in. I decided to customize my mailbox to look like a representation of my house. It was an idea I’d been considering for some time.

I probably should have given greater thought to the type of materials that would be most suitable for longevity…oh well, lessons learned…

Here are some photos of the project, the finished product, and four years of weathered aftermath…

[BlackSnake]

Ok, so nearly four years later, poor choice of materials and exposure to the elements have turned my source of pride into this…

In retrospect, laminate wood panel for the base and the roof was clearly not a good idea, no matter that I treated it with multiple coats of wood preservative stain and exterior paint, and sealed the edges with sealant. The laminate eventually absorbed moisture, which then rotted everything in contact with it.

[BlackSnake]

Anyway, now that the work on the GT is mostly complete (never really done), and roadworthy again, I figured it’s time to once again address the mailbox. This time around, materials are the priority. When I visited my brother in NY back in July, I grabbed a sizable piece of left over siding that he had his shed resided with. It’s similar to Hardie Board but thicker, about 3/8” thick, and being a masonry like product, it should be impervious to the elements. Solid base material!

For the walls, I’m using red cedar, which should hold up much better than the poplar I used initially. I’ll treat the cedar with wood preservative stain and exterior paint as I did previously, which should protect the cedar nicely. For the roof I’m going to use 1/4” Hardie Board and again I’ll cover it with real asphalt shingles. This combo should hold up nicely!

The new one will be a bit smaller dimensionally, so it’s an all new design. It took about a month to make the first one, working on it most days. I don’t expect the new one will take any less time, but time is what I have. So far it’s off to a good start.

[Tom Wells]

So this is what a mailbox built by a bored aircraft engine technician looks like!

Nice!

[BlackSnake]

Who says I’m bored…

[mooreken]

Great project...I had built a quicky bird feeder for my wife...I also didn't give any thought to the materials, it ended up looking a lot like your mail box....

Enjoy the project. Most of my jobs involved metal and "Bondo". If it ended up too short, I welded more on, bondo not enough, I added more. With wood it is another complete discipline. I do enjoy the work.
Ken

[BlackSnake]

Thx Ken!

[spl310]

Very nicely done!

[BlackSnake]

Thx Sidney!

[BlackSnake]

I’ve been making some progress, cut and fitted the roof panels (Hardie Board), front porch overhang structure…lots yet to do.