Special Delivery

I mentioned a month or so ago about starting a mailbox and post project for the farm. I got permission from the phone company and local land owner to take down a couple of old telephone poles and use them for my project.

My brother in law and I went and got the first one, but I quickly discovered that the old cross arms on the poles were too far gone as were the poles themselves. The only really salvageable pieces were the metal lightning arrrestor support than goes on the very top of the pole, and the metal cross arm supports.

You may wonder why I want a phone pole for a mailbox post? In my past life, I started my career climbing phone poles as an Installer/Repairman, and I've not seen another phone pole mailbox support, so I figured I'd be pretty unique.

So now you can see how the project turned out. As soon as I find some, I'll be adding glass insulators and and their support pins to complete the look. As is often the case with something old made new, newer parts had to be used to accomplish the finished look. The "phone pole" is made up of an old building post, an old REA cross arm cut to length, and an old 3x5 fence post. The only thing that makes the pole authentic is the metal pieces on it, but only you and I know it. So if you happen to drive by and see it, forget it's make up and think of the old time phone man that had to climb something that looked like it. It brings back fond memories for me.