Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Earlier this year, my wife proposed the excellent idea of replacing our sadly leaning stick of a mailbox post with something a little more grand, hewn in stone, studded with ammonites of our own discovery. I had intended to take on this project earlier in the year, before the Texas sun would hit me twixt the shoulder blades like a sledge hammer, but a schedule overrun in my kitchen and laundry room remodeling gave me a late start. Anyway, this project took me longer than anticipated since this was my first time dabbling in stonemasonry. The process took me about 6 weeks in my spare time, starting with research of mailbox height from road level and setback from the curb using the USPS website. Next, I made a design in 3D CAD and had a drawing approved by the Postmaster. Following that, I called 811 and had utility companies mark presence of lines in my yard. I dug a 2 x 4 foot rectangular hole about a foot deep, filled half of it with gravel for drainage, then poured a 6 inch concrete slab, reinforced with rebar. The superstructure is composed of cinder blocks with voids infilled with cement. My boy and I opted for a honkin' big mailbox capable of holding a USPS Flat Rate Large box. "Go big or go home", as they say. My neighbors expressed reservations about the stark gray "flak tower" standing in my yard, but their concerns were allayed when I faced the entire structure with flagstone that more or less matches our house, down to the "mortarless limestone" construction, which essentially means mortar on the back of the stone, with no grout filling the gaps. As a cool side note, it turns out that the flagstone has many fossil fish vertebrae and scales throughout. I'm not sure of the age or provenance of the stone, so I guess that adds a measure of mystique. What I do know is the provenance of the ammonites, and the buddies I was with when I found them on various trips. A couple of these guys are Forum members, so this thing now stands monument to both my wife's design vision, and also to various friendships. There are ammonites on all 4 sides, 10 in all, including Mortoniceras equidistans from the Fort Worth Fm, Eopachydiscus marcianus from the Duck Creek Fm, and Morts from the Duck Creek. One Eo even has a small Macraster washitae tucked into the aperture. Anyway, I drilled several drain holes into the base of both side planters, so now we can fill them with gravel and potting soil for my wife's choice of xeriscapic flora. We'd better get some good mail going forward! 4 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 P.S. I had expert supervision throughout the entire process. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 And again Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 This. is. Awesome! I like the style and implementation of the design. Well done, sir. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 wow! Beautiful! I have to ask, since I work as a CAD Tech....what 3D program did you use? Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 It was a bit of a problem when Longhorn decided to swat at my trowel while spreading fast setting mortar, but we made it through. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 3 minutes ago, Walt said: wow! Beautiful! I have to ask, since I work as a CAD Tech....what 3D program did you use? We use Pro-E Creo 4.0 at work, so it was a quick and easy lunch hour task. 2 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Nice! All the neighbors envy I imagine “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Just now, Uncle Siphuncle said: We use Pro-E Creo 4.0 at work, so it was a quick and easy lunch hour task. Autodesk Inventor here... Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 A Texas-sized monument to paleo prowess! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 6 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said: Nice! All the neighbors envy I imagine Coincidentally, 4 of us on the street redid mailboxes at the same time. I definitely got the prize for most overpersonalized! 2 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 2 minutes ago, Auspex said: A Texas-sized monument to paleo prowess! For the next Texas Twister that rips through, I think I'll chain myself to this thing. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf89 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 thats amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Looks kinda small for a TEXAS mail box. Really looks very good! Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Awesome. I agree; it is too small. It won't even fit an average-sized Texas ammonite in a box. For your next project consider lining your driveway with giant Texas-sized Idiohamites ammonites; sort of like the candy canes that line paths in the Candyland game. My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I've got my pry bar ready...what time did you say your household goes to sleep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Just now, caldigger said: I've got my pry bar ready...what time did you say your household goes to sleep? That's Texas. Watch out for the shotgunosaurus..... Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 24 minutes ago, caldigger said: I've got my pry bar ready...what time did you say your household goes to sleep? Beware of lurking saber tooth kitties.... Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 25 minutes ago, Walt said: That's Texas. Watch out for the shotgunosaurus..... Haha more like Pumposaurus weatherbyi and AR15iceras 30roundensis aff. green tip 1 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 58 minutes ago, Uncle Siphuncle said: Beware of lurking saber tooth kitties.... I'm a cat person, all cats adore me. I'll have Longhorn eating out of my hands in no time. (Having a handy can of Tuna doesn't hurt either.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 36 minutes ago, caldigger said: I'm a cat person, all cats adore me. I'll have Longhorn eating out of my hands in no time. (Having a handy can of Tuna doesn't hurt either.) His kryptonite comes in the form of fossils of the Pecan Gap formation, where we rescued him while out collecting one day. I like most outdoor pets, the more independent, the better, hence cats at the moment. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Uncle Siphuncle said: His kryptonite comes in the form of fossils of the Pecan Gap formation, where we rescued him while out collecting one day. I like most outdoor pets, the more independent, the better, hence cats at the moment. I hear Tasmanian Devils are kinda fun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Both interesting and cool. Congratulations Dan on the completion of another fine and impressive project and thanks for sharing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Excellent work, Dan. I like that your supervisor wears a harness. Do you guys take him for walks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.51c371f10936bbc883322324e44cc518.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now