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I would like to mount a mailbox on the side of a column at my entryway. Every mount I have seen points the mailbox opening straight outward, away from the column center. However I would like my mailbox to be parallel to the column center.

Here is some ascii art to illustrate.

  • Symbol for the column: []
  • Symbol for the mailbox, with front/back at the ends: |

Standard mount, looking down from the top:

[]
|

What I’m looking for, also looking down from the top:

[]|

Has anyone tried this before? Is there a set of hardware I can buy to achieve this?

EDIT

The column is plywood, with a slight taper reducing the width from ground toward ceiling.

The mailbox is a standard aluminum rounded-top mailbox.

EDIT 2

Pictures:

Current mailbox next to post New location to move mailbox Mailbox mounting details

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    Will depend on the mailbox and column. I have a plain steel box mounted on top of a wood post. It would not be that hard to drill a few holes in the side and mount the way you want.
    – crip659
    Commented Sep 17, 2023 at 14:32
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    Some photos of your mailbox and your column would sure help your cause.
    – Huesmann
    Commented Sep 17, 2023 at 18:12
  • @Huesmann thanks for suggestion; added pictures above
    – EdwardTeach
    Commented Sep 24, 2023 at 15:22
  • Why not just screw it through the side, directly to the plywood side of the column? You'll need a stubby screwdriver, but easily doable.
    – Huesmann
    Commented Sep 25, 2023 at 12:16

2 Answers 2

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A couple of L brackets screwed to the plywood column and to a bit of wood fitted to the bottom of the mailbox will do this easily and without compromising the weather-tightness of the box.

Most "standard" round-top mailboxes have a recess on the bottom to take a mounting board, and holes to fasten into the mounting board. So you just mount the mounting board as a shelf, spaced far enough off the face of the column to permit the mailbox to fit, and any rain that gets between them to drain freely.

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    Seems like the L bracket is pretty close. I could only find 90-degree brackets. Are there other types of brackets for other angles? I'm guessing my angle is 85 or 80 degrees - see picture above. Maybe I could just bend one to the angle I want.
    – EdwardTeach
    Commented Sep 24, 2023 at 15:27
  • I ended up moving the whole mailbox, to the right side, and leaving it mounted on the existing posts. Had I gone with the side mounting, I would have used this approach, so I will mark this answer as accepted.
    – EdwardTeach
    Commented Nov 1, 2023 at 15:22
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Drill 2 holes in the side of the mailbox slightly slanted ( / ).

Screw through the inside of the mailbox into the column.

Use Fender washers and wood screws. I like Teks screws (Even though they are rated as metal screws.) I find they are great for this type of application and very easy to screw.

If needed use a fender washer or 2 between the mailbox and column on the upper screw, to adjust for the taper.

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  • Thanks, I added details to post.
    – EdwardTeach
    Commented Sep 17, 2023 at 14:44

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