Restored Stanley Mitre box
Not quite finished but here are some images of the Stanley Mitre box I have been working on .
I think it is a model 244 ,but I am not sure as it has no label like the later models of that era .
The patent dates are 1904 as cast on the quadrant.
Later models will take different size saws as there are two lots of holes in the saw keeper .
This one is adjustable for a shorter saw ,by moving the front post to a second tapered hole just in front of the cutting board.
I stripped it down completely and used electrolysis to remove the rust from the frame and some of the larger parts .The smaller parts were done in citric acid .
All the treated screws were cleaned on a wire brush ,heads polished and blackened .
The frame and all the parts that needed Japanning were given two coats of the mixture and left to dry between coats .Then after a week they were baked in an oven at 220C for an hour, left to cool and harden.
I then repainted some of the parts silver using an aluminium silver paint ,and dry brushed silver over the raised letters and numbers on the quadrant to highlight them and make them more readable.
A new top support bar was made from 1"x 1/8" brass strip ,cut down by hand and filed to 1/2" wide to fit into the clamping caps .
Two replacement retaining screws were machined up on my lathe ,the caps were drilled and tapped 12 x 24 UNC.
Stanley was a bugger for not utilising standard threads , and it's near impossible to work out what the threads are unless you have an original screw to measure.
I was reasonably lucky with this mitre box as most of the small parts that are usually lost were with it , just one screw that secures the legs and the two screws retaining the top support bar were missing .The trip device that clamps on to the saw back was even there.
I also suspect that a length stop is missing ,but can find no reference to that part in any of the old repro Stanley brochures.
I still have to work on the saw ,(clean up and sharpen) and get the piece of timber sized for the cutting board.
I have done some test cuts with the mitre box after leveling and setting it up and it is very accurate.
Pic: 1 front of box ,
Pic : 2 topcap that holds the support bar (new brass bar as well)
Pic : 3 the new retaining screws
Pic: 4 the whole thing ,board just placed in for photo's
Pic : 5 as it was before I decided to give it some TLC.
Kev.