Ignoramus5876 wrote:

Our old mailbox was hit by cars, snowplows etc, too many times. It is
falling apart. (no foul play involved, just a lot of idiot drivers and
snowplow operators)

I made a swinging arm for a mailbox, so that when the mailbox is hit,
it swings away and then back.

So, now is the time for installing a new mailbox post. I bought a 30"
post support that is made to be beaten into the ground with a
sledgehammer. It is like an arrow with four fins.

I am now having second thoughts and am not sure if this is a good long
term solution. One of the reasons is that there is going to be quite a
bit of tipping moment due to a little longer swinging arm. (my guess
about 40-60 extra foot pounds of moment of force).

I want this mailbox to stay vertical and not "tip".

I live in Northern Illinois, so we have frequent freeze/unfreeze
cycles of soil.

So... What's a good way of mounting a mailbox post? Maybe I should set
that mailbox post support at least partially into concrete? (ie, digh
a shallow hole, beat it into the hole level with ground, and fill the
hole with concrete?

i

Google search for "mailbox post" on this newsgroup and you'll find that
it's all been discussed here before.

My personal favorite post on the subject of posts was the one where the
grader operator blew the mount bolts off the blade of his machine when
the "poster" got tired of redoing his post and planted a really solid
concrete mount into the ground. It seems there was some discussion about
how close to the road such an installation can be put in, so it may be
worth checking on that.

There have been some discussions about indestructable mailboxes as
well, like taking the small size tin mailbox, placing it inside the
large size tin mailbox, and filling the space between with concrete as a
solution to the "mailbox baseball" players.

I would look to put in a solid mount, well back from the road, with a
swingable extension holding the box itself.

If you are at all concerned about liability issues from it being hit,
plant a really good solid base into the ground and mount the post onto
the base at ground level with fairly light duty bolts so it can shear
off, but be reinstalled easilly.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

"Trevor Jones" wrote: (clip) If you are at all concerned about liability
issues from it being hit, plant a really good solid base into the ground and
mount the post onto the base at ground level with fairly light duty bolts so
it can shear off, but be reinstalled easilly.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How about incorporating a coil spring (like from a car front suspension) at
the foot of the post, so instead of bending or breaking, the post springs
back?

Leo Lichtman wrote:

"Trevor Jones" wrote: (clip) If you are at all concerned about liability
issues from it being hit, plant a really good solid base into the ground and
mount the post onto the base at ground level with fairly light duty bolts so
it can shear off, but be reinstalled easilly.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How about incorporating a coil spring (like from a car front suspension) at
the foot of the post, so instead of bending or breaking, the post springs
back?

Imagine that being hit by a car and tell me if you think it will ever
stand up straight again.

I think it better to break clean than to hang on and get mangled.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

Ignoramus5876 wrote:

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 11:49:15 -0700, Trevor Jones wrote:
Ignoramus5876 wrote:

Our old mailbox was hit by cars, snowplows etc, too many times. It is
falling apart. (no foul play involved, just a lot of idiot drivers and
snowplow operators)

I made a swinging arm for a mailbox, so that when the mailbox is hit,
it swings away and then back.

So, now is the time for installing a new mailbox post. I bought a 30"
post support that is made to be beaten into the ground with a
sledgehammer. It is like an arrow with four fins.

I am now having second thoughts and am not sure if this is a good long
term solution. One of the reasons is that there is going to be quite a
bit of tipping moment due to a little longer swinging arm. (my guess
about 40-60 extra foot pounds of moment of force).

I want this mailbox to stay vertical and not "tip".

I live in Northern Illinois, so we have frequent freeze/unfreeze
cycles of soil.

So... What's a good way of mounting a mailbox post? Maybe I should set
that mailbox post support at least partially into concrete? (ie, digh
a shallow hole, beat it into the hole level with ground, and fill the
hole with concrete?

i

Google search for "mailbox post" on this newsgroup and you'll find that
it's all been discussed here before.

My personal favorite post on the subject of posts was the one where the
grader operator blew the mount bolts off the blade of his machine when
the "poster" got tired of redoing his post and planted a really solid
concrete mount into the ground. It seems there was some discussion about
how close to the road such an installation can be put in, so it may be
worth checking on that.

There have been some discussions about indestructable mailboxes as
well, like taking the small size tin mailbox, placing it inside the
large size tin mailbox, and filling the space between with concrete as a
solution to the "mailbox baseball" players.

I would look to put in a solid mount, well back from the road, with a
swingable extension holding the box itself.

This is precisely what I am doing, a swingable mailbox.

I want to know how to prevent it from tipping over the years.

i

Deep hole. Concrete. Below frost line. Or a largish (4 inch, 6 inch
dia.)chunk of steel pipe set in at least as deep. Rent or borrow a gas
post auger with an extension. Don't bother trying to dig one of these in
by hand unless you are really cheap or feel the need to exercise.

I had a swingset in my yard at the last place I lived. About 50 feet up
to the crossbar at the top, 4 inch diameter drill stem for the frame.
The mounts in the yard were augered holes about 8 feet deep, 12 or 14
inches diameter, and none too smooth sided. I pulled one, the rest are
the new owners problem. I can say with authority that they were solid,
and frostproof. Those were north of Edmonton Alberta, Canada. I doubt
that you will face winter temperatures in the same range.

Got big rocks in your area? How do you feel about them as landscaping?

A couple boulders on either side of the entry, a nice set of cast
bronze numbers and a nameplate, and mount the box to one of them. Just a
thought.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

In article , Trevor Jones says...

My personal favorite post on the subject of posts was the one where the
grader operator blew the mount bolts off the blade of his machine when
the "poster" got tired of redoing his post and planted a really solid
concrete mount into the ground. It seems there was some discussion about
how close to the road such an installation can be put in, so it may be
worth checking on that.

I *think* that was Mike Graham.

Jim


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