Gabion Mailbox 1

It's pronounced GABE-yun.  Two months ago I posted a blog with pix of our demolished mailbox and a couple gabion mailboxes, as well.  In that post I said that I was going to build one myself.  The time has come.  I've got all the pieces, less a few nuts and bolts to attach the numbers and flag.  Here's pix of the assembled gabion basket with a piece of cardboard indicating where I'll cut a hole to insert the mailbox.  It's a square column, 4' high, 2' wide and deep.

The basket pieces are held together with heavy duty spiral-shaped wires call helicals.  It's a clever design, allowing a basket to be assembled in just a few minutes, no tools required, slick and quick.

Above: Two 2' square basket pieces, with helical between them.

Below: the helical is partially wound into the 2 pieces. 

The assembled basket is loosey goosey when empty,

but will tighten up nicely when I add a half ton of river rock.

The 5" steel numbers will be mounted on this steel plate, with spacers between the numbers and the plate to get the floating look.  The plate will be attached to the basket, below the mailbox.

In my 7/15 post I said it would cost $400 to replace the stucco mailbox in-kind.  I was a little low: actual replacement cost would be $550.  The gabion, new mailbox and numbers will total about $250, materials only.

The good news is the US Postal Service will pay the full in-kind replacement cost - or so they say. Our mail carrier fessed up the first day she delivered our mail when we returned to LHC.  She did it, reported it to their claims people, told me to call them to arrange payment.  The claim form is supposed to arrive tomorrow: fill it out, add supporting documents and pictures, send it back in, wait for check to arrive.

to be continued.