Stanley 55 Cutter Box Labels to Print

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I am wanting to build boxes for the irons for my Stanley 55, as the box for the plane is metal and the irons are all in a slot in the side. I will probably build a new box for the plane anyway. I wanted labels that can be printed off for the 4 boxes.

My Son-in-law, member Ben Reish, is pretty computer handy, and he copied photos from the net, and spent a great deal of time converting to vector images, editing, changing fonts, and using drawing software, to make the labels that can be printed off.

These labels used to be available on the net, and in discussing the images, I thought it would be handy for other members to print off the labels if making replacement boxes. For that reason Ben is helping me put these here for general use.

Ben advises that these are not exact replicas, as the font is not correct in spots, and fixed a typo that appears to have been on one of the original labels because he was working on an actual photo of an original Stanley label. However, I know that these decals changed some over the years, and so they are more than adequate for my needs. I think they are excellent and very close to the exact originals.

The labels will print out at a little over 7" wide and 2 1/4" tall. Ben will write comments on labels in a post below.

Regards,
Ben and Stew

[Rafael Herrera]

Would you consider having a version with the original typo?

[Stew Denton]

We talked about it and decided to make the correction. To make a dead correct image there would have to be changes to the fonts, and over the course of time Stanley made changes to the labels themselves. They may have made the correction to the label also, but we had only the one image to work from. Stanley changed colors over the years, etc.

The time required to make perfect reproductions would have been prohibitive given our circumstances. Our goal was to make generically useful labels. The box it will go on will not be perfect either, in our case.

These were made for me to use on my one plane, and we decided to share the images so others would be able to use them if they desire because we could not find any available on the net.

Regards,

Ben and Stew

[Jim Koepke]

Would you consider having a version with the original typo?

These may be originals:

https://chgansdesign.files.wordpress...oxes-print.pdf

They do have a typo on box #1.

This explains how they were done > https://chgans.design.blog/2020/01/2...er-box-labels/

This would be for a #55 from before 1922 when a #18-1/2 (13/16") blade was included in the set.

What would really be difficult is if one were fortunate enough to need the labels for boxes 5 through 8.

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Rafael,

My apology, I did not read the intent on your note above. Instead I was thinking you wanted the whole set to be an original match, rather than for Ben to go back in and change the typo back to the original, and make all of the labels to exactly match the originals.

Stew

[Stew Denton]

Jim,

These look like they were from the same basic photos that Ben used. I think he did something similar to what the links above did in your post.

Ben explained what he did, although my limited computer knowledge limited what I understood, and he used one basic label photo, and then cleaned it up. He then took black and white images of the labels from a different location and cut and pasted things together, was able to make corrections in and clean up some of the letters and images, and then made it into a type of file that he could size to the needed size without deterioration in the print quality. This because the original image was only about 25 percent of the size of the final image he ended up with.

I asked if the original could be just cut, enlarged, pasted, and printed, but he explained that the limited "pixels?" of the original would result in a fuzzy image, so he made it into a type of file that could be enlarged but with no deterioration in print quality.

Regards,

Stew

[John Erickson]

Guys,
Do you have the main box image label and the optional boxes labels for the 55. Really appreciate the post since my cutter boxes labels are not in great condition.

[Phil Mueller]

I’d say Stanley did better in the control quality of their tools than in proof reading. There is the obvious error on label 1, but it’s funny how some quantities are capitalized, some not and a few unnecessary commas throughout. Almost like each label had someone different approve them.

I’m sure they were aware, but knowing Stanley would use up all parts from previous types I suspect he wasn’t going to waste printed labels, even if they had errors. It would be interesting to see if it was corrected on future labels.

[Stew Denton]

Phil,

Good point on the labels, Ben also mentioned the unnecessary commas, small differences in the labels, etc.

Stew

[Stew Denton]

John,

My box is one of the metal ones from the mid 20s, I believe. The labels are very faded, but can be seen. Ben and I took photos of it. Ben is going to try to load the photos sometime after they get back home, but it is a several hour drive. I am not sure if he will get it done today.

Stew

[Ben Reish]

Stew's box:
55StorBox1.jpg
55StorBox2.jpg
55StorBox3.jpg
The first picture is the box with a ruler for scale. The second image is the right hand end of the box with the 55 logo and Stanley Tool ... New Britain, Conn. .. label. The third picture is on top of the box. It is the script style "Stanley Tools" logo but is very difficult to read in its condition.
Ben

[steven c newman]

223474760431(2).jpg
And..maybe..
L_d1114.jpg

labels on my replacement box..
IMAG0005.JPG
Supposed to be Green with white script letters, mine printed out blue...
labels.jpg
OEM box on top, mine down below..
end labels.JPG
May have printed out a bit too large...

[Stew Denton]

Hi Steven,

Sorry about the size. The #45 decals I printed off may also be pretty big for some types of 45 boxes, and that looks to be the case with your box, but of course I don't know yet on other types of 45 boxes. I am planning to make my replacement box with the slide open lid like at least some of the Stanley originals had. However, I know Stanley made many types of boxes such as the hinged lid type you have and the slide over cardboard "box within a box" type like my 45 has.

Ben sized them after my 55 box, and the dimensions on the #45/55 labels I printed off today are a dead match to the one on my 55 box. However, because my 45 box is the pressed cardboard one Stanley made, and since my 45 was made about 1914 and was owned by a carpenter who used it frequently, the box is in fairy poor shape. In fact I used yellow duck tape to cover the lower half of the box, to prevent it from falling apart. That said, the previous owner had covered the top half with masking tape, and I redid that with new masking tape. Thus, the labels on my 45 box were not available to look at. I just now measured the height on my old factory pressed cardboard box, and it is a little over 6" high, so the decals should fit the planned box for my 45 about right.

I don't know if you have access to one of those printers that you can use to enlarge/shrink a copy, if so you might be able to shrink the #45 decal so it will work. Hope you find a solution. If you do find a good solution please post a photo. If you do find a solution please give the final dimensions of the #45 label that works.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Stew Denton]

Ben,

Thanks for posting the pictures of the 55 box with the labels. The photos clearly show how bad the existing labels are.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Stew Denton]

John,

Keep in mind that the labels Ben worked from were from a fairly early model of the 55. My 55 has 3 more cutters, I think, than the labels show, but I am planning to use the labels "as is." I may put the extra cutters at the end of the box where it will be clear that they are ones not listed on the box. Stanley added a few more cutters as the years went by. Their final version may have more then the 55 cutters (I think) that my 55 has.

That said, the labels I printed off today came out beautifully.

Again, thanks for the great job Ben.

Thanks and regards,

Stew