My Diamond Plate/Steam Pipe Mailbox

The Mailbox From Hell!

After having my mailbox hit several times with ball bats and run over by cars a couple of times I decided to do something about it.

I started with a 3'x4' slab of 5/8" diamond-plate steel for the base. I did this for two reasons. First, The mailbox needed to be in the middle of the drainage ditch so I decided to build a bridge that would straddle the ditch. This took care of another problem with a mailbox in a ditch. No one likes to stand in the ditch waiting for a safe time to cross the road (our box is on the other side of the road).

By bolting the steam pipe to the bridge I solved both problems. The steam pipe is very thick walled. The curved post alone weighs about 80 pounds. The diamond-plate base weighs well over 150 pounds. The 60 pound box itself is made from 1/2" diamond-plate for all the sides and part of an old oxygen tank for the rounded top. I smoothed it all over with auto body "Bondo" to give it that super smooth finish of a cheap aluminum box (the deception!).
This photo shows the box in place. You can see how a pimple-faced high school punk with a ball bat wouldn't notice he's about to break his wrists. Especially at night. You can also see how well the bridge approach worked to provide a support base and a place to safely stand.

The Best Made Plans
of Mice and Men...

I have to admit I didn't count on huge trucks. On Christmas morning 2003, a truck took out the "Mailbox from Hell". My mailbox had been hit twice before by cars and I did have a trash can filling up with car parts. The first car left a right-hand mirror and rubber bumper. The second car left most of it's window glass, a mirror, and all kinds of rubber trim.

But this truck was more than the mailbox could handle. I wish I could express how thick and strong this bent platform is. There is no way I can straighten it back out. The black post is still attached and punched deep into the soil. The good news is that the little plastic red flag was ok! I brought the backhoe down to get all the pieces and took them back to the shop. As designed, the box itself came off and was ok. The pole was just a little torqued but still good. The base however was a lost cause.