RWA3006
Cave Dweller 
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613 
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 23, 2020 18:53:29 GMT -5
Many decades ago my father in law collected petrified wood that was handsome on the outside but not on the inside when cut.
He gave me some just before passing 20 years ago and I soon built this mailbox from it.
We sold the house and moved away nine years ago and I happened to go by yesterday. I was sad to see the place was sorely neglected and the mailbox door torn off.
My masonry work was still in good shape so I took a few photos.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 23, 2020 18:54:26 GMT -5
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 23, 2020 18:57:26 GMT -5
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 23, 2020 19:02:45 GMT -5
I embedded one of those extra large steel boxes into the masonry and built the core out of solid concrete so it would be almost indestructible. I also gave it a massive concrete foundation to provide stability. I calculated it to be well over 3100 pounds.
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EricD
Cave Dweller
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Aug 23, 2020 19:06:15 GMT -5
I like the way you built that. I'd like to see someone hit that with a car, baseball bat, or try to shoot the box with a shotgun.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 23, 2020 19:14:12 GMT -5
I like the way you built that. I'd like to see someone hit that with a car, baseball bat, or try to shoot the box with a shotgun. I purposely built it to annihilate any car that might hit it and to ruin any snow plow that might test it. Lots of steel in that concrete. |
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Post by knave on Aug 23, 2020 19:20:01 GMT -5
Here they allow no more than a 4” treated post or 2” steel pipe
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EricD
Cave Dweller
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Aug 23, 2020 19:43:52 GMT -5
I like the way you built that. I'd like to see someone hit that with a car, baseball bat, or try to shoot the box with a shotgun. I purposely built it to annihilate any car that might hit it and to ruin any snow plow that might test it. Lots of steel in that concrete. Love it.
Edit: Where is this? You mentioned SNOW
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 23, 2020 20:05:20 GMT -5
About 15 minutes North of Salt Lake City, Utah.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 23, 2020 20:13:26 GMT -5
A couple years ago the city rebuilt the road, replaced all pipes underneath and rebuilt the curbs in the whole neighborhood. I'm pals with the city project manager and he said that mailbox was the only one that was not removed and replaced. I told him he should have called me because I'd have told him where to access the steel ears I put on the sides of the foundation so the whole thing could be lifted by an excavator.
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Post by fernwood on Aug 24, 2020 7:52:57 GMT -5
Love this. Wish I could have a mailbox made from fossils/rocks. .
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Post by MsAli on Aug 24, 2020 11:59:14 GMT -5
This is awesome!
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Post by drocknut on Aug 24, 2020 12:26:36 GMT -5
Very cool, glad it is still standing.
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Post by jasoninsd on Aug 24, 2020 18:50:33 GMT -5
Thanks for sending the pics of this! Sorry it doesn't appear to mean as much to the new owners of the property...although having been built like a tank, it wouldn't take a ton of work to fix it!
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quartzilla
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,240
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Post by quartzilla on Aug 24, 2020 22:39:56 GMT -5
It deserves to be there forever. Really cool mailbox for sure.
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Post by Toad on Aug 26, 2020 3:53:27 GMT -5
Awesome!How many hours to put that together?
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,613
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 26, 2020 12:39:05 GMT -5
Awesome!How many hours to put that together? I think it was about four afternoons after work, so probably about 24 hours. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 27, 2020 9:21:58 GMT -5
Awesome job, looks nice!
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kyoti
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2020
Posts: 542
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Post by kyoti on Aug 30, 2020 7:08:31 GMT -5
That's a really cool mailbox! I like that the pieces are branch and log sized. I only find small pieces here. Were they agatized/ chert or other material?
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Post by Mel on Sept 4, 2020 19:05:38 GMT -5
I embedded one of those extra large steel boxes into the masonry and built the core out of solid concrete so it would be almost indestructible. I also gave it a massive concrete foundation to provide stability. I calculated it to be well over 3100 pounds. So......when can you come build mine? I'm free next Saturday, but Sunday's pretty full. (Seriously, it looks amazing. I'm sorry the house is so neglected, that's always sad to see.) |
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