Last week Christopher Schwarz posted about his Langdon mitre box, surely a precision gizmo, as he says, and one which is highly prized by Galoots far and wide. I thought I would post about my own miter box, a lowly Craftsman. Or is it so lowly?
This tool was given to me by a friend who had inherited it from an elderly neighbor. I guess it's vintage as 1960s or so, a time when Sears was still producing some good tools. This is one of them.
The box has several very nice features. The angle setting has notches at the critical angles which are engaged by a trigger release catch. Any angle is then secured by the red-handled and sure gripping adjuster.
The 25 inch back saw rides in two guides, each of which has a catch at the top (in which they are caught in this picture). When the catches are released, the saw is free to ride up and down. The guides can be adjusted to assure straight cuts for right handed or left handed apprentices. Back and forth motion is then guided by bearings top and bottom in each guide.
It appears to have mounts for hold down accessories, but these accessories did not accompany the box when I got it. I generally use small clamps if the work requires it.
The saw itself hasn't got the most comfortable or attractive handle in the world but its plate is of good quality, sharpens well, and cuts cleanly.
The box itself is also plenty wide, able to handle 5"+ wide stock if necessary. I use it quite frequently, for trim, picture frames, and any stock that needs to be cut to length with precision. While it may not have the cachet of a Langdon, it does the job extremely well, while also reminding me of the good friend who gifted it to me each time I use it.
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