Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
(OP)
Hello all, had our thin steel one flattened by the Country Golfers one too many times...
What would you think of filling the annular space within the mailbox's inner and outer walls with low-expansion foam? My thought is that regardless of temperature the combination of foam plus mailbox layers would form an excellent shock-absorbing "sandwich" that would greatly mitigate the possibility of damage to the box without exposing one to the possibility of being sued by some prankster sustaining injury while engaged in a patently illegal activity...
What would you think of filling the annular space within the mailbox's inner and outer walls with low-expansion foam? My thought is that regardless of temperature the combination of foam plus mailbox layers would form an excellent shock-absorbing "sandwich" that would greatly mitigate the possibility of damage to the box without exposing one to the possibility of being sued by some prankster sustaining injury while engaged in a patently illegal activity...
CR
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]





RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Is this vandalism, or inaccurate golfing? I was not aware that golfers were prone to vandalism.
I would think a vandal resistant mailbox would simply motivate the vandal to keep smashing at it, unless he is using his own expensive golf club. How would the prankster get hurt, repetitive strain injury? Perhaps you are anticipating my next idea of having steel spikes shoot out any time something bashes it.
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JHG
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
I think the foam would crush, and then not work a second time.
Can you fill the space with rubber?
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Obtain pickup truck.
On Friday night/Saturday morning, after the bars close, insert six inebriated youth and one or more baseball bats.
Drive vehicle along as many country roads as possible, bashing mailboxes one after the other in an effort to obtain the best box demolition for the requisite energy input. Continue until energy depleted or, if additional beer has been included with the inebriated youth, until that is depleted.
The next day, listen to homeowners grumbling and cussing at having to bash the mailbox back into shape [ if possible ] and re-mount, or replace same and start asking around about how to armor a mailbox against future vandalism.
One enterprising individual gets creative with a plastic mailbox and fills the space between the inner and outer walls with concrete.
Next round of Country Golf, an individual sustains physical injury while attempting to destroy what appears to be an innocuous plastic mailbox, sues the homeowner, and wins [don't get me started on overly litigious societies].
I find the probable end result of the above sequence of events to be not to my liking, hence the question.
CR
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Just crappy lawyer on homeowner's part. Is this in Florida? Can you apply "stand your ground" to a mailbox? Might be fun.
TTFN (ta ta for now)
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RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Of course its not really a practical solution, but would be fun to watch the first time they hit it.
EDMS Australia
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
THAT should be fun to watch.
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
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RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
But on a more practical, dry sand.
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers Entire Forum list http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Non judo. Attach string to a spray can of paint.
Very non judo - do you remember those targets they used to have for practicing jousting?
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
"Booby trap": excellent analogy, and precisely what I don't want to create, hence no concrete or grout.
Swinging mailbox: definite possibility, but very likely to tread on Canada Post's installation guidelines, depending on how it's done...and in my case doesn't comport well with box design - see link to the green MailMaster box at https://www.wayfair.ca/Step2-MailMaster-Mailbox-wi...
Dye packs; would have to be non-freezing for the Ontario, Canada climate...nice idea, though; non-injurious consequence but exceeding tough to explain...
Rubber: not a bad idea at all...but it would have to be pelletized or something so it could be poured through a 1" hole...also wouldn't want it to go ice-hockey-puck hard in cold temperatures...or would that make it behave like a dead-blow hammer? Hmmm...I'll have to think on this one...
Dry sand might also work by making the box a dead-blow target...or would that be blow-deadening?
Velcro: now THAT is intriguing!
CR
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Another neighbor a little further away got sick of the snow plow knocking their mailbox off and used a small culvert filled with concrete as the post. It ditched the snow plow when the driver hit the post with the wing. Back then, the township used the road graders to plow so ditching it was no small feat.
I've never heard of a lawsuit for the vandals being hurt after going on a mailbox bashing run. But, as for that type of mailbox even the low expansion foam would distort it and you likely couldn't get it properly filled without using a bunch of holes.
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Similar to the Velcro, for years I just had some long nails going from the box bottom into oversize holes in the support cross arm. It resisted strong winds but anything more would just knock it off.
I've see several counter weighted tilting mailboxes on a hinged arm with a rope or chain that had to be pulled to get the mailbox down to level.
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RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
I Googled "heavy duty vandal resistant mailboxes" ... there are some tough mudder mail boxes already designed [USPS compliant] with this in-mind.
Appears that mounting on a strong/large steel post or rail [with hidden fasteners or welds] is also needed to ensure overall resistance to vandalism.
However if 'Cool-Hand-Luke' comes by, all bets are off...
Regards, Wil Taylor
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RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
another alternative, get a game camera and collect video.
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
CR
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
No mercy!
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
This has survived three winters' worth of rural Wisconsin snow plows.
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Circles could be parallel to each other, or inclined so they are welded at the intersection at the top. Flat plate on both side of the 4x4 cross beam are drilled to allow lag bolts to attach the plates and circles to the PO box support beam.
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
I think the spring design would be fun but might encourage people to wack it.
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
Putting one or more similar poles ahead of your mailbox would serve to dampen the swing of any oncoming club or bat. It would also likely yield an unpleasant experience for the (alleged) perpetrator.
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
You might need to booby trap the camera though.
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RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
The game cameras I had were completely useless as surveillance cameras.
Bill
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Jimmy Carter
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism
RE: Hardening a New Double-Walled Plastic Rural Mailbox Against Vandalism