The Quest for a Darth Vader Mailbox
List of ingredients:
- Darth Vader Mask: http://amzn.com/B000ZQ667A - $26.00
- Small black stainless steel standard, from Lowe's - $35.00
The Procedure
My old mailbox had seen better days. It was too small to fit most magazines, and had literally burst at the seams in a few places. When the decision came that it was time for a new mailbox, I decided that I wanted to try something a bit different. Darth Vader was the first idea that came to mind, after seeing these US Postal Service official R2D2 mailboxes.
I began searching Google for pre-made "Darth Vader Mailbox", but there was nothing. I did a quick search on Amazon for Darth Vader and found a wide selection of masks. They were reasonably priced, so I ordered one of the less expensive models.
After the mask arrived, I headed over the Lowe's to find a standard USPS approved mailbox. I assembled all of the major pieces on the dining room construction table.
The plan was to mount the mailbox vertically, with Darth's head taking the place of the mailbox door. So I first removed the door and the 'mail waiting' flag.
Next, un-velcro'd the front and rear parts of the mask in order to figure out exactly how to mount the mask on the mailbox. After a bit of fiddling, and a few pieces of double-sided velcro positioned behind Darth's cheeks and temples, I was able to get the front portion of the mask to rest nicely atop the mailbox.
I then cut a portion of Darth's skull out in order to allow for the insertion/removal of mail. I used a pair of plastic zip ties and some plastic epoxy to attach the front and rear portions of the mask.
Finally, I drilled a trio of holes through the bottom of the mailbox just inside the opening. I used these holes to screw the mailbox in the vertical position to the wooden post just outside the front door.
For more photos, click here. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jason@buberel.org.
