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This
project was by request. As I live in the
’burbs and have to walk to the curb to pick up
my bills, a mailbox mounted next to my front door
would be purely decorative. But a friend lucky
enough to have postal delivery right to his door
asked if I could come up with an appropriate design
for his Arts & Crafts-style bungalow
home.
After a little research I settled on a design reminiscent
of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Arguably
Scotland’s greatest 20th century architect and
designer, Mackintosh inspired much of the European
Arts & Crafts movement during the early 1900s.
A stylized flower motif is found on many of his
pieces.
 Mostly
Glue • The joinery for the box is
primarily glue and butt joints, utilizing the long
grain-to-long grain orientation of the sides, back
and front. The bottom, however sits in a
tongue-and-groove joint between the front and back
pieces to allow the wood to move.
 After
cutting the pieces according to the Schedule of
Materials, cut a 1/4" x 1/8" rabbet on the
underside of the two long edges of the bottom. This
will leave a 1/8" x 1/8" tongue on the front and
back of the bottom (photo one, left). Then cut the
dadoes on the inside bottom of the front and back
pieces by setting the rip fence for 1/2" and the
blade height to 3/16" (photo one,
right).
 Adding
the Angles • Now cut the sides of the
mailbox on an angle so you can attach the mailbox
to your house without cramming a tool inside the
box. The sides slope at a 25-degree angle with the
front edge measuring 9" tall and the back edge 11"
tall.
Now
cut the chamfer on the underside of the lid. The
front and two sides are chamfered at a 45-degree
angle on the table saw, leaving a 3/16" flat edge
to the top of the lid. The back edge of the lid is
cut at a 25-degree angle to mate with the box's
back.
 Detailing
the Back • To add another Mackintosh
feature, I cut a four-square pattern centered in
the top of the curved back.
First
mark the location of the four-square pattern as
shown on the diagram. Use a 3/8" drill bit to
remove most of the waste from the squares. Then use
a chisel and a triangular file to clean up the
cuts. To make the curve, draw a 6" radius along the
top edge of the back and cut to the mark on the
band saw.
After
sanding, you're ready to glue up the box. The front
is set back 1/4" on the sides, while the back is
flush to the back edge. The bottom is left loose in
the assembly.
Now
cut out the applied detail from 1/8" stock on the
scroll saw.
Finishing Touches
Before gluing the flower to the box, stain the box
a rustic-looking gray-brown by applying a black
aniline dye wash. The wash was made by diluting the
dye eight-to-one with denatured alcohol. I then
colored the flower and stem pieces with undiluted
aniline dye. Attach the flower pieces using
cyanoacrylate glue. To finish, use a coat of spar
urethane for outdoor protection.
The
final tasks are installing a small jewelry box
continuous hinge for the lid and the copper
magazine hooks. I made the hooks from a couple
pieces of 3/4" copper tubing. Flatten the piece
with a dead blow hammer, then use a ball-peen
hammer to add a dimpled, hand-hammered appearance.
I then "antiqued" the copper using a product called
Patina Green from a company called Modern Options
(415-252-5580). The product quickly adds a nice
green patina.
Now
screw the two hooks to the back, and the mailbox is
ready to hang. PW
--David
Thiel, PW staff
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 BOTTOM
JOINERY • The bottom fits into the front and
back pieces using a tongue and groove method. The
sides are not attached to the bottom, and in fact
the bottom is cut to allow a 1/16" gap on either
side. Should water happen to get into the mailbox,
these gaps will allow it to escape rather than pool
up in the bottom.
 TOP
CHAMFER • The top is chamfer cut on three
edges, and angle cut on the back edge. By moving my
rip fence to the left of the blade, my right-tilt
saw is able to make the cuts safely, allowing the
waste to fall away from the blade.
 FOUR-SQUARE
• After drilling the holes, use a 1/8" chisel
and a triangular file to clean up the hole. The top
left hole is shown after drilling, while the two
lower holes have been completed.
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