How to make the best crosscut is a common concern in the woodshop. Miter saws are great for breaking down lumber, but they’re notoriously inaccurate when it comes to final cuts. The table saw itself is reliably accurate, but it’s limited by the miter gauge or sled you make the cut with.
Allow me instead to present a different option: the miter box. For most of woodworking history, miter boxes were the de facto crosscutting tool. Like most things in woodworking though, when power tools hit the scene they went to the wayside. However, miter boxes still hold an important place in many shops.
PRECISION CROSSCUTTING.
A miter box is often the most efficient way to cut many joints. Establishing precise lap joints or cutting the miters for a frame might take several test cuts and adjustments at the table saw. In that same time, you can set up a miter box for a cleaner cut with just as much accuracy. Additionally, many small or irregular pieces are simply safer to cut this way.
SMALL FOOTPRINT.
Another thing to appreciate about miter boxes is their small footprint. The smallest one I own (the orange one above and on the next page) is almost pocket-sized, and even the largest models (like the Stanley No. 346) are still lighter than a miter saw. This makes them an excellent choice for jobs like trimwork, where it’s best to do the cutting right where you’re working.
 Stanley No. 346 Miter Box |
This also makes them great for smaller shops. If your shop is in the basement, where it can be a hassle to move things in and out, or if you use a section of your garage, where space is at a premium, then a miter box comes at a fraction of the footprint of a table saw — not to mention a fraction of the noise and dust.
KINDS OF MITER BOXES
There are a variety of miter boxes to choose from, as you can see on this page and the last. The small, orange miter box came with a gent’s saw I purchased, and is made of extruded aluminum. By contrast, the Stanley on the previous page has a cast iron base with steel uprights and guide cylinders, offering an impressive capacity and making it easy to keep your cuts square to the table. You can also see several shop-made options at right.
 Precision Miter Box with Sliding Stop |
 Miter Box with Rotating Guides |
 Extruded Aluminum Miter Box |
 Pull Saw Miter Box Refit for Push Saws |
| Miter boxes come in all manner of shapes and sizes. The right one for your shop will be the one you’re most comfortable using. |
A TWO-POINT GUIDE.
All these miter boxes have a few things in common. First, they all offer a way to secure them to your workstation, whether that’s a bench hook or just space for clamps. Second, each has a two-point guide (often integrated with the fence). These points are what keep your saw at the proper angle. The further the two points are from each other, the more accurate your cuts with it will be, as they’ll have more bearing against the blade to keep your saw straight.
Some miter boxes have fixed angles with kerfs in the fences for the saw to slide through, usually at 90° and 45° (or 60° in some cases). Ideally, the kerf should be just tight enough to fit the plate of the saw you’re using. This will help keep your cuts plumb.
For making crosscuts, miters, and even cutting joinery, the fixed kind of miter box is sufficient. However, when doing a task such as cutting the baseboard trim for a house (in which few cuts are going to be perfect 45° miters), I prefer a miter box like the Stanley.
SELECTING A SAW.
 Blue Spruce Dovetail Saw |
 Cell 26" Stanley Miter Saw |
| The size of your saw will depend on the size of your box, but longer saws make for faster sawing. |
The saw you choose will make a big difference in your work. Of course, a sharp saw is where everything starts. From there, you’ll want to pick the right style and size of saw. Most miter boxes are designed to be used with a push saw. On these, the fence will be located on the opposite side of the workpiece from you.
Conversely, a miter box for a pull saw has that orientation flipped around. The box at the bottom of this page was re-fit for a push saw by simply flipping the bench hook to the other side. Some miter boxes feature a fence on both sides of the workpiece, allowing you to push or pull.
Size matters as well. A saw needs to be able to reach the bed of the box, but it shouldn’t be much bigger — the more of the blade that registers against the fence, the easier it will be to keep the cut square. A longer saw is ideal, as long, even strokes make for quick and clean cuts.
