06-12-2015, 11:57 AM
I don't know what the postal delivery person did the other day but I came home to find my mailbox door was damaged. By the looks of it, they got a little close with their Jeep and maybe caught a mirror or something on it. The mailbox door is pretty thin sheet metal so it wouldn't take much.
I made a template of the opening to start with, then the side profile including the riveted hinge arrangement.
After cutting the main portion and the side profile pieces out of some 14 gauge P&O I clamped them to an aluminum block on the welding bench.
More clamps because I wanted to perform an autogenious weld (without filler) so I could blend the area easier.
Welds completed.
Small TIG tacks around the radius. I try to keep them as small as possible so when welding I can merely go right over them and not have a large bump where the tack was.
Welding completed and the edge was radius and blended.
Next was the lathe to create a couple of small spacers to act as a hinge.
I drilled out the door to .375" for the spacer to slip into.
I then machined an aluminum rod to the inside dimension of the underside of the mailbox (6.200") and drilled tapped each side to accept a 1/4-20 threaded screw.
Mocked up with hinge, spacer and screw in place.
I then bead blasted the cover/door, primed it with a metal etching primer (rattle can) and painted it with some Rustoleum extreme weather Gloss White paint. Actual "extreme weather" is yet to be determined.
Completed and installed along with the brushed stainless steel knob.
After the paint dried and I installed it I had the wife give it her approval. Another job she approves of.:thumbup:
Mike.
I made a template of the opening to start with, then the side profile including the riveted hinge arrangement.
After cutting the main portion and the side profile pieces out of some 14 gauge P&O I clamped them to an aluminum block on the welding bench.
More clamps because I wanted to perform an autogenious weld (without filler) so I could blend the area easier.
Welds completed.
Small TIG tacks around the radius. I try to keep them as small as possible so when welding I can merely go right over them and not have a large bump where the tack was.
Welding completed and the edge was radius and blended.
Next was the lathe to create a couple of small spacers to act as a hinge.
I drilled out the door to .375" for the spacer to slip into.
I then machined an aluminum rod to the inside dimension of the underside of the mailbox (6.200") and drilled tapped each side to accept a 1/4-20 threaded screw.
Mocked up with hinge, spacer and screw in place.
I then bead blasted the cover/door, primed it with a metal etching primer (rattle can) and painted it with some Rustoleum extreme weather Gloss White paint. Actual "extreme weather" is yet to be determined.
Completed and installed along with the brushed stainless steel knob.
After the paint dried and I installed it I had the wife give it her approval. Another job she approves of.:thumbup:
Mike.