Stanley 358 miter box in rough shape

[Eric Mann]

Good Morning!

As my first post, I wanted to get some advice on this miter box that I just picked up. I was bitten by the old tool bug a couple of months ago and haven't been able to stop finding old tools for next to nothing. This cost me $10 from a local guy who had it handed down to him by his great grandfather.

http://imgur.com/a/VRNqL

It has a broken post that was attempted to be repaired at some point in its life. The welds and the original cast do not line up at all. I have an expert welder who restores old hondas back to factory and is a god when it comes to welding. I am afraid this may even be too far gone to repair in a way that makes this box useable. It is also rusty to the point that the guide will not move. I have a secret that will remove all but the worst rust in minutes and will start soaking the parts as soon as I can.

My question is, do you think it can be repaired to do fine miter work once again, or should I turn it into an ornament and find another box?

Cheers for the help!

-E

[Mike Holbrook]

My guess is "only your welder will know for sure". I guess you are doing/going to do an Evapo-Rust or Naval Jelly soak to remove the rust. Until you see how much pitting you have and find out if the parts move & adjust after the rust treatment you have other potential issues. The question I think I would ask myself before embarking on those journeys is what are the chances of the welder being able to get the second post attached at a precise enough position to make the box accurate? If you have started/done the "soak" then you should have an idea if the de-rusted parts still work and allow precise work. For me the whole idea of a mitre box is it can make very precise cuts. If I had concerns that the restore might not provide an accurate box I would continue my search for something that would provide the accuracy I was looking for.

I "shopped" and bid on miter boxes until I got a very good deal on a Miller Falls 73C in great shape that I knew I could restore to it's former glory. I use my 73C regularly but the box and saw are quite large, too large to serve as a workbench accessory. I use it to crosscut larger boards. I decided I wanted an improved bench hook so I shopped Stanley 150s until I found a great deal on one of these smaller miter boxes that work well with smaller saws. I have the 150 installed on a plywood bench hook that I can use at the bench. So far I am not fond of the 150 though, it tends to adjust a little "loosey goosey" and I do not like to have my saw blades rubbing/resting against fairly rough metal plates. I am trying to install plastic inserts on the pieces the saw rides between, but so far it isn't working to my satisfaction. Although this "bench hook" is smaller than the 73C it is still large and unwieldy for a bench hook. I am thinking about building an actual bench hook, something like those made by Evenfall Woodworks.

[Eric Mann]

My guess is "only your welder will know for sure". I guess you are doing/going to do an Evapo-Rust or Naval Jelly soak to remove the rust. If you have started/done the "soak" then you should have an idea if the de-rusted parts still work and allow precise work. For me the whole idea of a mitre box is it can make very precise cuts. If I had concerns that the restore might not provide an accurate box I would continue my search for something that would provide the accuracy I was looking for.

I absolutely agree. We will see what he says. We have worked together and he can make some pretty incredible stuff with very tight tolerances. If it can't be perfect, there's no point in using it.

I can't give my secret away yet but I will definitely show the results! Like I said, it only takes a few minutes for my method to remove rust, although the rust on this is pretty bad.

Thanks for the advice!

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Eric and welcome to the Creek. Your profile does not include a location. You may live close to another member who might be able to help you with your miter box.


I can't give my secret away yet but I will definitely show the results!

I have a bunch of miter box parts that I would gladly trade for a secret or two. :D

One of my miter boxes was purchased because it was only $3. Two others were given to me.

My suggestion would be to save the parts, sharpen the saw and look for a complete miter box in decent, restorable condition.

jtk

[Eric Mann]

I am in Austin, TX. I will update that now.

[Nick Stokes]

If you ever come up to DFW, I have an awesome Millers Falls Acme Langdon that is just sittin unused in my shop.

[Eric Mann]

I am up there on business every couple months...Don't tempt me!

[Eric Mann]

I am pretty happy how the cleaning came out for the first pieces. The cool thing about my method is that it leaves a nice patina on it even after clean. It also doesn't take out all of the imperfections that have been obtained from use. Some people might not like it but it works for me. I will post pictures soon!

This guy is going to need a lot more tlc to get back to proper working condition. I wish I didn't have so many tools to restore!

[Jim Koepke]

I wish I didn't have so many tools to restore!

Should I PM you my address? :D

Honestly, my passion for restoring tools has waned a little. Though just a few days ago there was a pile of rusty stuff to look through. There were about a half dozen pieces for which a buck was offered and accepted. It was kind of fun cleaning off the rust and bringing them back to life.

Included were; a small carving tool, an old turn screw with the blade narrowed and bent, an LSS Co countersink, a 3/4" leather punch and a brass, adjustable water hose nozzle.

jtk

[Robert Norman]

I have a couple of extra thumbscrews for the hold downs and doodads and a working but ugly same model. Let me know if you need better pics of what/where things go. If your guy is good enough to repair that upright, fabbing up the accessories should be easy.

[Eric Mann]

Awesome! I am still tearing it down and didn't have much time to clean it this weekend but did get one piece finished.

Sorry for the delay in pictures!

http://imgur.com/a/u6Sgd

The first picture is one piece that was not cleaned, and below, a piece that was cleaned. The post that was broken has a pic before and after. I thought there was no way those screws that were stripped would ever come out but after the cleaning, the came out without hesitation. I couldn't believe it!

Ok, so this is probably not a secret, but I don't believe many people use this method for cleaning rusty metal. I first learned how to do this when trying to come up with a faster way to clean carburetors than using carb dip.

You need three things:

cheap pots (goodwill sells most of their pots for $3 or less)
Lemon juice
water (to dilute the lemon juice a bit further)
Fire

I put the bottom of the post in a mix of lemon juice and water, got the mixture boiling, and let it boil for 10 minutes. What you see in the second picture is what you get when it comes out. Rinse it in water and let it sit in the sun/dry it with a heat gun or blow dryer.

It doesn't look new or shiny, and it give a sort of oxidation look that you get when letting metal sit in vinegar, but I THINK it looks cool.

WARNING: This will take off paint, japanning, and anything else that is coating the metal. I use this method because it is very quick and painless.

It also smells bad, but the smell goes away shortly after it is done boiling. Hopefully you have a place outdoors you can cook the stuff.

The only downside I have found to this method is not having a pan large enough to hold saw blades etc. I hope others give this method a shot and let me know what you think!

I will post some pics of pieces I have collected over the past few months. They all need some TLC...

Cheers!

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for the new technique Eric!
Fred