I had wanted to make a mailbox for a long time, but never got around to it. I've seen most of the offerings on the internet, and realized that they are nearly all stamped by machine. There were very few artists making individual mailboxes. If a manufacturer has twenty similar shapes, some with a horse and some with a scene, but all the same shape and size, you can be sure they are not handmade.

So, one day, after cleaning the entire shop, I walked out to the front of my house and measured up my own common mailbox, and began to design a copper box in a similiar shape and style. I usually clean up lightly after each project, and in the course of cleaning, find a clue or otherwise get a hint of inspiration for a new piece. I began the first mailbox with a fully tidy shop, yet without having found any inspiration in the mess.

There were problems to overcome when attempting to build a copper mailbox by hand. How will I make the curved front door that has to swing open, hold itself shut, and prevent water from entering even after many uses? How will I design a mounting method that can be adapted to suit whatever mount a client will want? I personally do not like the handle on most common mailboxes... which clips itself to stay shut, and is part of the door handle.

After many attempts, I finally had a working door model, I soldered up the door and handle. The "door" completed my mailbox construction, as I had left the hardest part for last.

After polishing the mailbox and taking some photos of it, I offered a friend the opportunity to display the box in her hardware store. There were numerous inquires, and the response was certainly all positive.

When copper is freshly polished, all new fingerprints will show up clearly in a day or so, and can easy be seen on the surface. It seemed that the new mailbox had been handled by everyone who saw it at the hardware store. It was covered with fingerprints!

That is something that I discovered years ago when I was showing pieces at the local fairs and shows. When someone that likes copper sees my booth, they come over directly, and attempt to touch every piece I have. I do a lot of polishing.

NOTE To view the ORIGINAL CUSTOM COPPER MAILBOX (that I describe in the article), Click Here.

"Yes, I still make that type of rural copper mailbox."
If interested, simply give a call!