How to build a Mid-century Inspired Mailbox

We Made a Modern DIY Mailbox!

6/24/2020

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This is one of those projects that was overdue, way overdue! I live in a neighborhood where most all the mailboxes are brick or stucco, and then there was my falling down, cedar trimmed box. Yikes, I'm really surprised my Homeowners Associated never sent me notice to replace it!

Since we have no bricklaying skills to build a brick mailbox, we set off to find a style we liked and could build with our skillset. On our weekly COVID-19 lockdown Sunday drives through the neighborhood, we spotted the perfect candidate. We took lots of pictures, but resisted the urge to actually get out of the car to take measurements.

My before mailbox, it was just sad!

The inspiration mailbox

Materials:

(2) 4 in. x 4 in. x 10 ft. #2 Pressure-Treated Timber (Home Depot)
(6) 1 in. x 4 in. x 8 ft. Ground Contact Pressure-Treated Board (Home Depot)
Sika 33 fl. oz. Fence Post Mix (Home Depot)
Gibraltar Mailboxes Elite Medium Black Galvanized Steel Post-Mount Mailbox (Home Depot)
Veranda 4 in. x 4 in. 7 Lumens Black Plastic Solar Post Cap(Home Depot)
Behr Outdoor Paint

Tools:

5 gal. Paint Stick (3-Pack) (Home Depot)
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Gen II 18-Gauge Brad Nailer (Home Depot)
Makita 15 Amp 10 in. Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser (Home Depot)
Makita 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Sub-Compact Brushless Cordless Reciprocating Saw (Home Depot)
Flexible Drill Bit Extension (Amazon)
Auger Bit (Home Depot)
Titebond III 16 oz. Ultimate Wood Glue (Home Depot)

Cut List

4x4 posts (3-1/2in x 3-1/2in actual)

(1) 41-1/8” (plus 10” to 12” more to put into ground)
(1) 50-1/2” (plus 10” to 12” more to put into ground)

1x4 boards (3/4in x 3-1/2in actual)

(21) 19in (20 for two sides, one for base support of mailbox)
(2) 22-1/2in
(4) 4-3/4in

Mailbox dimensions

Height 8-3/4in
Width 6-1/2in
Length 18-7/8in

We are using pressure treated posts and boards to construct our mid-century modern style mailbox.

Here are the supplies that will eventually be my new modern mailbox: pressure treated lumber, a solar post light, and simple, no frills box.

Cutting the mailbox slats on the miter saw.

There was a lot of math going on to determine the width and height of the box. It really would have been easier if we could have measured our inspiration box. Basically, the size is based on the length and height of the box itself and the number of slats that are in the inspiration photo. We set up a fence on the miter saw to cut all the slats since we needed so many. This speeds up the cutting as we only had to measure once.

Constructing the mailbox with wood glue and brad nails.

While Steph was home editing a video or something, I painted all the slats and posts. We debated on stain verses paint but decided on paint since we already had enough on hand. "You know, use what you have!" Here we are assembling the top of the mailbox where the box will sit. We are using outdoor wood glue and brad nails for the construction.

You can buy in a package of three large paint sticks for ninety-eight cents at the Home Depot.

Here ware using a Milwaukee brad nailer to attach the slats. Those are large 5-gallon paint sticks that we are using as spacers between the slats. They worked perfectly. You can buy in a package of three for 98 cents.

Once all the slats were attached it was time to attach the top box support. Again, we used the paint sticks for spacing.

Adding support pieces for the box to sit on.

These scrap pieces of wood were nailed into place to provide a place to screw the box into the top support.

Using a ridgid drill with an auger bit to break up the hard clay.

Now on to digging the holes for the mailbox. The dirt here in north Florida has a lot of clay in it so it is really hard. Plus, it had not rained in weeks so digging the holes was challenge. Ironically, it rained the day after which would have been nice for digging but it made for a muddy mess on our newly installed mailbox! Anyway, we used a variety of tools to break up and remove the dirt.

Sika fence post mix prepped and ready to apply.

When placing a mailbox, be sure to follow all United States Postal regulations. There are distance and height requirements. Here Steph is prepping the fence hole fill while I keep the mailbox level. This stuff has a VERY short work time, so plan ahead. The material is very liquid but sets up quickly.

Oops, Steph put a little too much Sika fence post mix in the first hole.

Oops, Steph put a little too much in the first hole. No worries, it was fairly easy to clean up once it cured.

Screwing the box onto the top of the support with a Makita subcompact drill.

Securing the box to the post was a little tricky but with a flexible shaft and right angle drill chuck, Steph got the job done.

Applying the vinyl numbers we cut on a Cricut Maker.

We actually had purchased numbers but decided to save a bit of money and make them out of outdoor vinyl. Plus, we had decided we wanted them on the box instead of on the slats. Here Steph is demonstrating how to apply the numbers. They are cut on a Cricut Maker, a transfer sheet is applied and then burnished onto the side of the mailbox.

Finish look at the Cricut cut vinyl numbers in a mid century modern font.

The number we applied to the actual mailbox were cut from grey vinyl to coordinate with the paint color. I love this modern, clean font. (This is just an example of what we did on the final mailbox.)

With hardly any effort, the old mailbox gave up without a fight!

BEFORE

With edging and much from Steph's neighbor and a little monkey grass from her yard, we did a bit of landscaping at the base of the mailbox.

With edging and mulch from Steph's neighbor and a little monkey grass from her yard, we did a bit of landscaping at the base of the mailbox.

Finished mid century or maybe farmhouse inspired mailbox.

This just makes me SMILE!

You know what else made me smile! A few days after we put the old mailbox on the curb for trash pickup, I noticed the box had been moved. Upon closer inspection, I noticed all the hardware had been stripped off. Evidently, someone needed the flag, and door closing hardware! I'm glad someone was able to use the parts.

Please note: This is not a sponsored post.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don't claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

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