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Building a support platform for a
mailbox can be a creative, practical project. This
simple, but sturdy mailbox post and platform will provide years of service. You can build
it
for a small investment and with a few materials laying around your workshop;
I used a railroad tie, one 2 x 6 left over from a building project, plus
a small piece of a 2 x 10.
Material List:
(1) Store-bought metal mailbox, 8"
wide x 21" long.
(1) Seven foot Railroad tie or
treated 6x6 for the
post.
(1) Piece of treated 2 x 10, 19 1/2"
long for the box base.
(1) Piece of treated 2 x 6, four
feet long for the angled support.
(1) Piece of 1/2" Plywood, 4" x 4"
for inside the box screw block.
(1) Piece of 1x4, eight feet long
for the temporary support boards.
(1/4 pound each of galvanized
woodscrews) 1", 2 1/2", and 3 1/2".
One gallon of tar, one tube of
exterior caulk, large bucket of gravel, and one bag of
Quickcrete.
Step 1, Set the Post -
Contact your local post office and obtain regulations to
determine the mailbox placement; ensure there are no buried
cables or gas lines. Dig a hole 36" deep; wide enough
to accept your post. One foot from the bottom, widen
the hole by an additional six inches for the bottom 12" of
the hole. Add 6" of gravel into the hole.
Select the Railroad tie or a treated
6 x 6 x 7' treated post; using a brush, apply tar to the
bottom 30" of the post. Using a level, set the post
plumb into place. Using some 1 x 4's as two sets of
braces, secure the post into position, as shown above.
Select the bag of Quickcrete;
following the directions, pour the cement into the hole and
allow it to set overnight.
The next day, fill in the hole with
the displaced soil and tamp it in solid.
Step 2, Cut and Assemble the Base - Select the
2 x 10; Rip it to 8" (or to the size of your mailbox);
crosscut it to 19 1/2" (adjust to your mailbox as
necessary).
Select the 2x6; crosscut two pieces
to 23" with the miter saw set at 45 degrees, as shown above.
Using 2 1/2" screws, sister the two pieces together, as
shown above.
Assemble the top board to the angled
support brace as shown above, using four 2 1/2" screws;
center the 2x6's on the 2x8" piece; ensure the left edges
are aligned as these edges will contact the post.
Step 3, Attach the Mailbox to the
Base - Select the
mailbox and set it into position on the assembled base piece;
with 1" screws, secure it to the 2 x 8" x 19 1/2" board as
shown in the first picture above.
Step 4, Produce the Nailing Block - Select
a 1/2" piece of wood; cut it to a 4" x 4" square; position
the square to the exterior end of the mailbox and with a
1/8" bit, drill four holes through the wood square and the
metal end of the box. Move the wood square to the
interior of the box so the holes line up, and start four 2
1/2" screws, as shown above.
Step 5, Attach the Mailbox
Assembly to the Post - According to the postal
directions, measure up from the ground to the base of the
box, 42", make a mark, center the box assembly in place, and
screw in the four screws on the interior of the box;
pre-drill two holes at the bottom of the angled support and
attach it to the post with 3 1/2" screws, as shown above.
Use an exterior caulk to fill all the screw holes,
seams, the top of the post, and all cracks in the post.
Prime
and paint/stain to suit. You are ready to receive
snail mail. | 
