Any easy ideas for a temporary mailbox post?

Deere Dude · Oct 29, 2019

ovrszd said:
For several years a neighbot had his box sitting on a 30gal barrel. Not fastened to,,, setting on.... mailman had to hold the box with one hand, open it with the other...

Not quite that bad, but I had a est. 18" diameter x 36" tall sleeve with a 4x6 PT post set in and filled with concrete. Box on top. Plows etc stay away from it. I got warned it could do to much damage to a car by the Post Office. It was just sitting on the ground.

That worked out good for me so I set it back 5 feet and had a PT 2x8 arm from the top of the post extended to where the mail man needed the box. Everybody was happy. Nobody messed with it in 30 years, even snow plows, and it was heavy enough it could sit on top of the ground unanchored. After weeds grow up around base it does look like it is sunk into the ground. When I moved I just picked it up took it along.

CobyRupert · Oct 29, 2019

LS mt125 owner said:
Simple redneck fix would be a fence t-post and duct tape....yes I have actually seen this...
Good idea using the zip ties..

Yep, or "fit" the broken post pieces back together best you can, and use a "splint", or some small rod, bar, dowel, etc.. of some kind placed up and down along the side of the post, spanning the break, and use a couple big hose clamps (or zip ties?) to fasten it all back together.

I've done this without the additional splint pieces when the post was snapped off jagged enough (where break line has enough vertical component) that the hose clamp(s) could squeeze both pieces back together.

forgeblast · Oct 29, 2019

sixdogs said:
My mailbox post finally snapped off and I'm at a loss for a temporary fix. Any easy ideas? The "through rain, snow" or whatever thing apparently doesn't apply to a box and post laying in the ditch.

Either a combine hit it, which is most likely, or one of our local honor students figured out how to snap off a 4x4 PT post planted 5' in the ground. I can't dig another hole right away because I can't locate a borrowable auger and can't hand dig a hole in summer-baked clay. Not sure if I could drive a T post in.

Any ideas?

tractor supply has horizontal and vertical plates that can be attached to a tpost. They have screw holes so you could bolt the mail box to it.

sixdogs · Oct 29, 2019

forgeblast said:
tractor supply has horizontal and vertical plates that can be attached to a tpost. They have screw holes so you could bolt the mail box to it.

Thank you. I'll look.

forgeblast · Oct 30, 2019

For my mail box, and its been hit by plows, and water trucks, and some kids knocked it off and stomped the plastic one (saw the foot print). I put a hinge on to the wooden post we have, and then put an L of square tubing from an old weight bench. I then use wire to hold it in place, if it gets hit it swings out of the way and I just reattach the wire (its old electric fence wire I had laying around). I can hear it get hit at night sometimes when the water trucks are flying down our road. Its so much easier to reset the wire then to walk down a creek bank to pick up your soaked mailbox.