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Thread: Home made mailbox
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28th June 2011, 02:53 PM #1Senior Member
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Home made mailbox
Hey guys,
I've made a timber frame for our mailbox and added the metal mailbox in the middle. I have the mailbox sitting on a flat piece of redwood timber but the problem I have is in securing the top of the mailbox. I have screwed 2 L brackets on the timber frame but am having trouble securing the brackets to the top of the mailbox. Sorry don't have any photos so I hope you can get the (vague) picture. My thought was to drill into the top of the mailbiox and use a nut & bolt to secure it but I can't drill a hole in the thin tin. I tried punching a hole in the top but have only dented the top of the mailbox.
I'm thinking of a couple of options but am open to any ideas.
1. Find another way to drill a hole in the top of the mailbox & utilise the nut/bolt option.
2. Can I solder the metal bracket to the top of the mailbox ?
or can I burn a hole or soften the metal with the soldering iron to punch the bolt through the tin mailbox top ?
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions !!
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28th June 2011 02:53 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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28th June 2011, 02:57 PM #2GOLD MEMBER
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Get two piece of scrap wood, drill the hole size you want in one, clamp that piece where you want the hole, the other piece underneath it, drill through.
If I am understanding what you are trying to do
Stuart
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28th June 2011, 03:13 PM #3Senior Member
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The problem I have is the mailbox is in the front yard (and post-creted into the ground) ! The mailbox is of a shape that I can't clamp anything to it either. Basically it's a wall type mailbox with the slot at the top. I have considered wedging some scrap timber inside the box & trying to drill through the top but fitting the timber snug enough inside the mailbox is proving a problem.
Any other ideas ?
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28th June 2011, 04:19 PM #4son of a blacksmith
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not entirely with you, do a basic drawing on paint and attach it.
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28th June 2011, 04:59 PM #5GOLD MEMBER
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Can you sharpen twist drills.
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28th June 2011, 08:41 PM #6SENIOR MEMBER
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29th June 2011, 09:41 AM #7Senior Member
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29th June 2011, 10:03 AM #8GOLD MEMBER
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If you could sharpen your own by hand you could of sharpened it to cut thin steel,eg your letter box.
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29th June 2011, 11:03 AM #9Senior Member
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29th June 2011, 11:25 AM #10SENIOR MEMBER
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Its a bit of an art sharpening twist drills. Not something that can really be explained here....its something that needs to be demonstrated and explained and then practiced.
You can buy machines to do it but I can't vouch for how effective they are.They might be worth a shot....
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29th June 2011, 11:39 AM #11GOLD MEMBER
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If the appearance of the internal of the letter box is of concern you could try the drills they use for removing spot welds from car panels etc,another allternative could be to drill a smaller hole and the use a step drill or even a holesaw of the correct size.
Some of these allternatives will require cutting into the timber under you letter box a bit.
With drilling thin section you need the outer edges of the drill you are using to start to cut before the tip of the drill passes through,other wise you will get severe chatter and not a round hole,the sheetmetal drill virtually has the point and the outer edges of the drill all touching/cutting at the same time,after drilling with this you virtually end up with a slug similar to the slug from using a hole saw.
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30th June 2011, 05:12 PM #12Senior Member
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30th June 2011, 05:16 PM #13GOLD MEMBER
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What size hole do you want to put in it?
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1st July 2011, 10:34 AM #14Senior Member
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1st July 2011, 10:42 AM #15GOLD MEMBER
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Are these holes going into the Top or Bottom of the Box?
Can you explain why you were having trouble trying to drill the box.
For holes of the size you mentioned it should be quite easy to drill even with the material being thin.
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