Nothing like a V8.....Mailbox...

admin

Hey guys,I wanted to post this for the youngsters & newbies who are wanting too learn some layout & fabrication, & maybe a project for a welding class.Background: My brother(twin) builds Chevy race engines for 1/4mi & dirt track & his engines have won (5) championships. For the last 2 seasons, he has given a built 355ci/375hp as a 1st prize & he sponsors (2)drivers/cars. He was telling me that this season the prize donations were almost nil because of the economy. His generosity kinda hit me & a couple weeks ago in the shop, I had an idea that popped into my mind for a prize donation. This one is the prototype & I'm going to give it to him & make another to give as a prize for the next season. This one took some time with layout & dimensional parameters, although will make the next one much easier & faster. I found a good drawing & went with 1/8"=1". I had some 1/8" plate leftover & decided to make him a fairly strong one, albeit anything can get destroyed with determination. I'm going to paint it with pre-'70's color(Or/Bk) & set it up so all the aluminum assemblies are removable if it needs painted again. The flag will be bright red. I haven't painted it because of the cold & have to determine mounting parameters for what he wants to do. It weighs about 35# right now & the prize unit will be a bit lighter gauge. The pics show fabrication & layout in sequence & are kinda self-explanatory.Ok....THERE ARE (43) PICS SO I NEED 9 POSTS TO FINISH.....PLEASE GIVE ME 10MIN OR SO TO GET THEM ALL ON..........THANKS.Denny Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 2: 7 more to go.... Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 3: 6 more posts to go... Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 4: 5 more posts to go... Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 5: 4 more posts to go... Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 6: 3 more posts to go... Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 7: 2 more posts to go... Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 8: 1 more post to go... Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Group 9....last one. I will answer any queries you may have regarding any of the procedures I used. Thanks...Denny Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Damn!  That's a lot of work for a mailbox!  Nice job!Where's the fan belt?America Needs AMERICA'S Oil!!!"Global warming is the greatest scam in history ...There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril."--John Coleman, Founder of The Weather Channel
Reply:Damn! Nice.
Reply:That one has baseball bat/ pipe bomb writen all over it, becareful!.
Reply:Saw one when at my sister's house in Lake Havasu.Big Block Chevy with a WhippleCharger on top & a cogged belt with a regulation mail box stuffed in the middle of it.  I like this one better though.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Yorkiepap, you made that look easy. Nice one! Pipe bomb? That has federal time written all over it. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:hey pap, beautiful!!I love it.
Reply:Thanks for posting Denny.   I like it!
Reply:dont even tell me you made those grooves free hand with a 4 1/2" grinder.  If you did, I probably dont even deserve to keep one in my garage.
Reply:Nice.I saw a gas grill made kind of the same way.
Reply:Hey guys,Thank you....I appreciate the kudos. My main purpose posting these kinds of projects are to help the youngsters learn & apply easy techniques to manipulate metal. I don't have elaborate equipment nor the space for large projects. I did use larger power equip., table saw, plasma cutter, etc., to fab this although it can be done with basic hand power equip.. Yes, oxy moron, those are freehand cuts with a 4 1/2" grinder w/ Sait disc. It's just learning the technique to gently guide the disc in a straight forward motion to apply the first cut & the following depth cut will follow the initial track. Not hard if you don't make it hard. I use this technique for steel only as I have a table saw w/non-ferrous alum. C-5 tungsten blade for all the alum. I bend. Attached is a pic of the blade & special grind I had done. I don't have a brake or the room for one, so I use this method. The surprising factor is that a much sharper outside corner is attained & really enhances the look. Attached are a couple pics of the blade & aesthetics of some of the alum. projects with this method.Denny Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:i want one now but dam, my complex has one giant mail box. BLAH that is wicked.syncrowave 180 sd
Reply:Wow!! Very nice workmanshipAll is needs now is sound effects like engine revving every time the mail is deliveredCo-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:I love all your projects.Great job.Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:Hey guys,Here's the finished mailbox..... finally warmed up enough to paint. Looks much better now.Denny Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:gonna run dual points or a HEI with a msd ignition????
Reply:We beginners thank you for taking the great amount of time and trouble to present the project in this manner.  I think this truly is inspirational and educational.Thanks man!(Retired) Professional firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...Oh yeah:  Go Big Red!   (You know: one of the 12 members of the Big 10 cuz we left the 10 members of the Big 12...)^^-- x2 on that sentiment, strube ....I like seeing a project laid out like this, from start to finish.  Very time-consuming, true, but it helps us beginners (as strube put it) to set our goals even higher.  And man, I know several people back home (including my dad) who would sure love a custom-built V-8 mailbox .....
Reply:Very nice!Work HARDER, not smarter! ------------------------ Miller Bobcat 250Millermatic 251Lincoln Precision TIG 185Hypertherm PM 600Hobart 135 HandlerOxweld 400 FlameMaster
Reply:What, no two position ball-detent for the flag?    Interesting project Denny.  I like the perf metal inside shelf the kep the mail out of any drippage that gets the mailbox.  Is it just the picture, or is the flag really painted the same orange color as the 'block'?  Because I -thought- that the flag had to be red and not orange.Also, neat project and all, but IIRC a mailbox has to be 'approved' by the Postal service.  Check with the local Postmaster and see about getting the official 'blessing'.(to cut down on the wasp-nest factor, I would plug or otherwise close off those open headers)  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Yes I appreciate it, I learned a few new things Thank you.AWESOME project btw incredible what you can do with a few toolsAge:17Machine: Lincoln AC 225v Arc WelderMotive: TO learn everything i can about weldin
Reply:man, nice work.  That is gorgeous.
Reply:Hey guys,Thank you. I'm glad to see some of the newbies/youngsters find interest learning the many ways to manipulate metal.In addition to the perf metal inside the box, the rear of the oil pan has (2) 1/4" holes to allow any water that may get in drain & allow some venting to keep dry.Yes, the flag is painted a bright red as required. I think the flourescent lighting in the shop distorts the color a bit. Around here, the only requirement is the height & distance from the road. Personally, I really don't think the Post Office should dictate a person's taste in anything decorative as long as the flag is red & the location parameters are met. In my area in SW PA, there are many different kinds of mailboxes, so apparantly, the P.O. doesn't make an issue with configuration around here.DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Actually, I'm surprised you didn't do some kind of Ed Roth-esque gearshift for the flag .... perhaps on the next one, eh?
Reply:Wow Very nice!  That rocks!Here is what I have so Far:Miller:Shop Master 300 A A/C D/CS 22a Wire FeederRFC-14 Tig PedalHF-251D High Freq. UnitProfax 250 A Mig GunVictor RegulatorsHarris:63-2 torch Cutting Attachment 49-3making home built tig cooler
Reply:Very nice work. I would put caps on the  down pipes to keep the bees out this summer."The most important thing about the job is getting the job done"
Reply:This project made my day. I think it turned out great very nice job!
Reply:Very cool. And great progression of pictures.
Reply:Looks great.. I would chain it down because shiny things dont last too long on the side of the road around these parts.Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
Reply:That has to be the coolest mailbox. Nice craftsmanship as well. Great job. Did you have to get the postmaster to approve it before you put it out front?Good judgement comes from experience.Experience comes from bad judgement.
Reply:If you don't know what to do with it, I suppose I could take it!!!Very nice!!!
Reply:Looks great, I like how you made all the angles, good idea on the notching.
Reply:Real nice job!! What else have you got planned to make??It's not that things are impossible that we doubt our ability...It's coz we doubt our ability that things are impossible!!
Reply:Hey guys,Glad to see many of you found interest & learned a few techniques from we 'ol timers. I really had a lot of fun making the first one & even at 66, I learned a few things. Here's the first pair done. The one on the left was the prototype I gave to my brother, & the one on the right is the one I am donating to the local 1/4mi dragstrip as a prize. I have (3) on order presently locally & (2) more going to FLA.To SpyGuy: I thought I'd just keep the P.O. happy with a regular red flag.....no use in "piddlin' in their Wheaties".To weldingnoob101: I have the layout ready for a neat charcoal grill that will be setup to go into a receiver hitch for those who like to cook out, especially at the track or a football game as I have noticed. Think I'm gonna do it all in polished alum D/plate. Have a few more ideas rolling around......Denny Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Great project.  Nice craftsmanship. Did you get some kind of an approval from the postmaster for use?Below from USPS web site:Have you checked your mailbox lately to see if it still meets the U.S. Postal Service’s requirements? Are you aware that mailboxes must meet certain criteria before mail can be delivered? Now is an ideal time to check on the status of your mailbox.Just any old mailbox—or facsimile of one—is not acceptable! Although you may think it is “cute” or a product of your creativity, it still must meet the requirements! Here are the major requirements:Mailboxes must be approved, traditional, contemporary, or locked full/limited service curbside mailboxes. A customer may use a custom-built curbside mailbox if the postmaster gives prior approval and the mailbox conforms generally to the same requirements as approved manufactured curbside mailboxes relative to the flag, size, strength, and quality of construction. The mailbox must display the house number on the side of single mailboxes or on the door of grouped mailboxes. Mailboxes should be installed at a height of 41-45 inches from the road surface to the bottom of the mailbox or point of mail entry. Mailboxes are set back 6-8 inches from the front face of the curb or road edge to the mailbox door. Customers must place mailboxes on motorized city, rural, and contract delivery service routes so a carrier can safely and conveniently serve them without leaving his or her vehicle.
Reply:Man thats cool. I learnt some things just reading this post.Thanks.
Reply:DennyI was so impressed I called the wife in to take a look (she hates that) she said "those are cute". So if big mama is happy every one is happyDave ReberWadsworth Ohio