What did I buy?

[Michael Russo]

Hi all!

I've been wanting to mess around with a miter box for a while. This little guy showed up on the local CraigsList so I jumped at it. I understand the Stanley numbering system for the boxes, but I don't get the "A" at the end. I've been told this would be a '60 vintage box, but I still can't find anything that tells me what the "A" was all about.

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p712/villaggioww/null_zpsdbe5a1b8.jpg

http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p712/villaggioww/null_zpsd14a6734.jpg

[Mel Fulks]

Absolete ? I bought one of those years ago from a lady who was not asking much but seemed concerned that it get a good home .When I promised her that I would "use it only for good and never for evil " she let go of it .Never used it for anything.

[Mel Fulks]

Just noticed you are new .WELCOME! It is a good mitre box .

[Jim Neeley]

Michael,

I want to start out by announcing I'm not an antique Stanley guru but I have some observations.

A quick Google of Stanley 246A came up with a plain 246 being advertised in a 1909 Stanley catalog, so they've been around for a good long time. In the older hand tool world it was common to add an alpha suffix when they would make "small" changes to a popular long-running model to carry the good will its predecessor had forward in time; I know that's the case with some of my Millers Falls 19-teens vintage braces and am guessing it might be the case here. I'm pretty sure a real Stanley guru will pop in soon to clarify or dispute this but I wanted to pop on to welcome you to the group!

Jim in Alaska

[Jim Koepke]

Michael,

Welcome to the Creek. Your profile doesn't indicate location, where do you call home?

Stanley used letter indication for different things at different times. Planes with an A in their designation often meant it was made of aluminum. Though when the #248 got an A tacked on it meant it was supplied with extra blades.

John Walter's book doesn't list the 246A, but does list the 246. It may be something as simple as some parts changes so people ordering parts could get the correct items.

Found the instructions at:

http://www.tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/index.htm


jtk

[Michael Russo]

Thanks for the info so far everyone one! I've found the 246 listed in old Stanley catalogs, but can't seem to find a catalog from the 60's that gives any details. A fellow on another site showed me a page from a catalog with this saw and it's features, but nothing jumps out at me for why the "A" was added except, the stop and the scale.

It looks like the 246's had scales that were cast, the 246A has a scale that is printed on sheet metal and attached to the box. The stop, used to be a set of complicated rods that most boxes seem to be missing now, where as the 246A has a bent piece of flat stock that is unscrewed from the back and screwed back in to the front.

That's all I can find for differences. Either way, I'm happy with this box. It'll do what I need from it and that's all I can ask!

Mike

Oh, and Jim....I'm in South Florida....Naples to be exact. (The black hole of hand tools, so I was lucky to ever see a box like this!)

[Jim Matthews]

I love my miter box.

I mount mine with a couple screws, right into the benchtop when I'm cutting multiple miters.
I find the addition of a clamp and "pinch block" over the workpiece to keep it firmly against the fence greatly improves my accuracy.

Because the pinch block is held, not the workpiece, I can adjust the position with light taps from a mallet.

A little oil on the moving parts is called for, given your proximity to salt water.

[Mike Holbrook]

I'm with Jim, love my MillersFalls 74C miter box. I think that some of the hand tool manufacturers used a letter designation to indicate a sort of revision ID to a vintage tool number. My guess is the A just means there are a few mods made to the vintage 246. It took me 3 Stanley 1530 AX and one 1530 hand drill to net one operational 1530 and one 1530 AX, most of the parts being compatible. Fortunately my MF 74C miter box has all of the parts and they all work after cleaning and oiling.

[Jacob Nothstine]

I have a Stanley 358 Miter box and I use it all the time. My electric miter box has stop making saw dust and started collection dust. Make sure you have a sharp miter saw, I sent mine out to be sharpen and it made a big diff rents.