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28th February 2013, 08:40 PM #1
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Which timber post for sculptural letter box?
Hi there,
we are looking to make a bit of an arty letter box statement....
What we have in mind are a few timber posts of different length standing upright (partially in ground of course) and maybe a couple laying down, on top and flat with the ground.
We found out that our local saw mills can supply 150x150 ironbark and yellow box posts. These seem to be pretty hardy timbers but then there is the question if it will be too hard to work, right? We need to cut them to size as well as make some cuts to attach the actual letterbox. Probably also need to get screws or nails in as we imagine some sort of metal 'features' on there too.
Also, if we get the timber from the saw mill - is it actually too fresh to use? We looked at recycled posts but as much as we love the look, it's so much more expensive than the saw mill posts.
Would welcome any advice!
Many thanks!
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3rd March 2013, 11:41 AM #2
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Which timber post for sculptural letter box?
150mm timber is pretty big. As it is green, you can expect it to crack and twist if not dried out properly (which would take years to do). If you are ok with a more rustic look that green timber will bring, then it should be fine for what you are after.
Also keep in mind that it is hard to cut timber of that dimension, unless you happen to have big tools or plan to do it all with hand tools. I've got a pergola made with 130x130 timber and it is chunky. You must have a big spot for your letterbox (and a big letterbox)!
Another possibility would be to choose smaller timber and glue it together to get the size you are after. 120x40 or similar. Then, if you cut and glue right, you could probably avoid having to cut out a gap for your letterbox or for the joints between the timbers.
You could also look at using recycled sleepers, though they bring their own problems in terms of what was used to treat them (eg creosote) and imbedded dirt, rocks, nails, etc that will destroy saw blades.
TravSome days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen
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