BUILD YOUR OWN MAILBOX

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COUNTRY SKILLS

BY JOHN VIVIAN

A FUN AND FUMBLE-FREE PROJECT FOR THE FRONT YARD.

Perhaps you've never thought about build ing your own mailbox. Or, if you have, you've imagined a frustrating process that would take up too much of your time. Well, if you do decide to build one (or ask someone who has), you'll find that while there's quite a bit of a planning to do, it's not so difficult after all—and you'll have the benefit of admiring your work every time you pick up the mail.

When our country lane was raised a foot and paved, the roadside RFD mailbox proved too low for the motor-carrier to reach, especially with New England snow plowed up around it. We decided to replace both the rusty metal box and rickety wooden support post, and faced decisions that all country people make.

Choosing Your Box

The first step is choosing the actual box, and you'd be surprised at all the options open to you. However, there are some rules of thumb which can make deciding easier. First, decide on the material. The sturdiest boxes available to you are domed, galva nized, sheet-metal boxes, but be warned—they will begin to rust after about five years if they're not repainted. Plastic boxes, on the other hand, will break easily but won't rust. So it basically comes down to an honest assessment of your character—if you're not real lazy, then go for the sheet-metal.

As for box size, you will need to determine what kind of mail you receive most often. A small-size box is fine for a low-volume of first-class mail and a few magazines now and then. A mid-size box is a better choice if you receive a lot of periodicals or small parcels; and the giant-size is best suited for those who shop regularly by mail. If there's any doubt, opt for the larger size-mail carriers hate having to cram your mail in the box (as much as you hate receiving it that way). Often they'll leave a "Box at P.O." note if a package is too big, and believe me, it's a real nuisance to have to drive down to the Post Office every time a shipment of new checks comes in or L.L. Bean has refurbished your gum boots.

Customized mailboxes are fine, so long as they're within the limits of postal regulations and local sensibilities. Flowers planted around the post base, or a flower box attached behind the mailbox, will delight almost everyone. So will images of flowers and animals, or old-time stencils—anything that is country-natural. Those colorful plastic sheaths with sailboats, deer, or ducks on fiberglass-domed boxes can proclaim your favorite outdoor sport. A model of your house or barn can make a good mailbox if it is built sturdily. And you can make a mailbox of an old nail keg or bee hive, as long as it's weather-tight, has an easily-opened door, and will support an easily-rotated flag.