Classic Crosscuts
Today, vintage commercial miter boxes like the one on this page can probably be found in more garage sales and auctions than woodshops. Before the advent of power saws however, nearly every woodworker had one of these tools — and that’s for a good reason.
Miter boxes like this Stanley No. 346 function a little differently than most you’ll see today, commercial or shop-made. The saw slides into two cylinders that guide the cut. Each cylinder rides on two rails, and these can be adjusted up to 45° on either side.
 |
| Stop collars on the cylinder rails function as depth stops. The lines on the rails indicate the depth. |
To begin the cut, you trip the hammer on the closest cylinder, allowing it to slide down. As the handle lowers, the end of the saw trips the lever on the far cylinder, releasing it as well. When cutting, the cylinders follow the back of the saw while keeping the blade square to the table.
 |
| Once the workpiece is in place, trip the hammer on the closest cylinder to release it and lower the saw handle. |
 |
| Lowering the handle side of the blade trips the cam on the far cylinder, allowing it to lower as well. |
 |
| The two cylinders ride down with the back of the saw, keeping the cut aligned while freely following it down. |
The cutting capacity on one of these boxes is quite impressive. This makes them great for precise miters and joints on a variety of workpieces, or even moulding like you see above. Moulding and baseboard trim are particular standouts of this saw. While it does feature detents at common angles to ensure your cuts are spot-on, the miter box can be set and held at any angle up to 45° (or 30° on some larger models), which is great for the irregular kinds of miters you’ll need to cut when doing trim work on a home.
 |
| The quadrant indicates the number of sides a frame using these angles will have — four creates a square. |
In terms of performance, these boxes are unmatched. The cylinders make it easy to keep your cuts square, and the lengthy miter saws that accompany these boxes cut quickly. If you happen across a Stanley, Millers Falls, or other classic brand in working order (especially if the saw is included), you certainly won’t go wrong.
