I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
(OP)
My next 'restoration' project is a Stanley No. 150 'Miter-Box' manufactured in 1949 (at least that's the date on the owners manual). Now this is obviously a much smaller project but I think it will be as gratifying as the first since this was my father's miter-box. Now I don't know whether he acquired it new or not, but he had been using it as long as I can remember.
Here's a few 'before' shots:



Currently I'm using one of those newer plastic Miter-Boxes with the fixed 90º and 45º saw guide-slots.
I've got it all apart, including the parts held together with drive-pins. Only needed to use a bit of WD-40 Rust Release Penetrant to free-up the threaded parts. I've still got to de-grease and clean all the parts before I start to strip the paint. Not sure if it's worth going back to the sandblasting shop or not as there's are only three larger painted parts and three smaller ones. The plated ones (for the saw guide) just need some cleaning and polishing with a Scotch-Bright pad. I'll decide after they've soaked in the de-greaser for a couple of hours. Perhaps I'll use paint stripper and wire-brushes like I did with the head of the sewing machine. That turned out OK, so that's what I might do.
Anyway, I'll keep you all updated. BTW, if you go out on the web, a fair number of people have worked on restoring this particular Miter-Box as it has all the trappings of a classic tool from another era in America. And when this is done, I've a got a couple of old 'Rabbit Planes' from about that same era that I might clean-up and restore back to original condition.
Here's a few 'before' shots:



Currently I'm using one of those newer plastic Miter-Boxes with the fixed 90º and 45º saw guide-slots.
I've got it all apart, including the parts held together with drive-pins. Only needed to use a bit of WD-40 Rust Release Penetrant to free-up the threaded parts. I've still got to de-grease and clean all the parts before I start to strip the paint. Not sure if it's worth going back to the sandblasting shop or not as there's are only three larger painted parts and three smaller ones. The plated ones (for the saw guide) just need some cleaning and polishing with a Scotch-Bright pad. I'll decide after they've soaked in the de-greaser for a couple of hours. Perhaps I'll use paint stripper and wire-brushes like I did with the head of the sewing machine. That turned out OK, so that's what I might do.
Anyway, I'll keep you all updated. BTW, if you go out on the web, a fair number of people have worked on restoring this particular Miter-Box as it has all the trappings of a classic tool from another era in America. And when this is done, I've a got a couple of old 'Rabbit Planes' from about that same era that I might clean-up and restore back to original condition.
John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without





RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
Its a must see for any restoration enthusiast.
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
Here's some shots showing the finished project:
I followed a similar process that I did with my previous sewing machine project where I first stripped off the old paint, cleaned the metal parts and painted the iron pieces first with a couple of coats of primer, then a couple of coats of Dupli-Color black enamel and after repainting the lettering I applied two coats of Dupli-Color Clearcoat. The original wooden platform looked like it was Redwood but I decided to go with something a bit harder, in this case a nice clear piece of Maple. I gave it a couple of coats of light Maple stain and then a couple of coats of clear matte finish urethane.
And here's the miter-box in working mode (as noted previously, my 'back-saw' is not quite of the same era):
I have one last step to take and that's to mount the miter-box on a scrape of lumber that when I need to use it, I can just hold it in place with a couple of C-Clamps as I don't have enough workbench space to permanently mount it as it was intended to be used.
John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
Looks good.
Ted
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
RE: I'm starting my next, albeit much smaller, project: Restoring a 67 year old Stanley 'Miter-Box'...
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)