# Restoring a vintage miter box: Your expertise solicited!



## planepassion

Hey everyone,

I picked up a Goodell Manufacturing Company miter box for $7.00 bucks at a garage sale yesterday and am in the process of restoring it.



















I'll bet your collective woodworking conscious can help me work out a few things.

1. I've had no luck turning up an owner's manual for the "Goodell Steel Miter Box" product. Have any of you fared better? What I'm really looking for is a parts schematic to determine what, if anything, is missing and where everything goes.

2. The original paint is pretty much gone. For the parts that were painted black, was it a gloss-black? Flat-black? Matte-black? I'm ok with going with a Goodell-Pratt paint scheme or even a Millers Falls one.

3. I don't see traces of paint on the surface that the wood rests upon. To your knowledge, was this shelf painted and if so was it a red?

4. From my research, I think that the upper saw guides held bearings to smooth the sawing action. Here's a pic:










Any suggestions on how I determine the size of said bearing?

5. Finally, this came without a saw. How do I determine the right size of a miter saw for this miter box?

All comments and suggestions welcome.

Regards,
Brad from Denver


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Bearings top and bottom, those are typically missing, also unique work holder fit in each of those side wedge-shaped boot-ons. I've never seen one in person. Pics odf my G-P on the mitre Box post found here. Hope someone answers your questions!


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## donwilwol

The backstop is a little different than mine, but the rest is identical. http://lumberjocks.com/donwilwol/blog/25753

to answer the question that I can, download the manuals posted for mine and it will give saw sizes. No bearing on the saw guides. $7? That's exactly 1/10th what I paid.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Another site:

http://home.comcast.net/~hillscp/MiterBox.html

One of the pics Shows a holder if you look closely.


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## RIWOODBUTCHER

Brad, here are some photos of my Goodell miter box that I inheriited from my grandfather. There are no bearings in the saw guides. The saw is probably 70-75 years old. It is all original. Sorry if the photos look funny(somehow they are being cropped), this is my first post to this forum and, I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly. Could somebody please tell me how to preview a reply before posting it? Thanks


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

RI, that's a beautiful mitre box and saw. Especially the saw, it's fabulous!

There is a green "Preview" button above and to the right of the text entry box. RE: Cropping pictures, LJs likes things 600×600 or less, in my very unprofessional experience.

Thanks for posting, welcome to LJs!

PS - your stuff holders appear to be missing, too (slide in and out of the appendages at each end of the 'bed' of the box). A common mallady, I guess.


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## RIWOODBUTCHER

Thanks Smitty, I've tried resizing one of my photos on PhotoBucket to see if it is any better. My saw does have the original stop on the right side. This was typical of my grandfather's tools, which he took very good care of.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Oh, how cool! First time I've seen the right side and it's a rod stop! The link I posted above has the post model holder on the left side, like what comes on Stanleys, Langdons, MFs, etc. I heard somewhere they 'weren't interchangeable' from one side to the other on the G-Ps, it mades some sense now. Very fortunate, your granddad did a wonderful thing preserving that tool!

RE: Yes, I set import setting default on Photobucket as a solution. You figured it out much faster than I did.

Thanks for posting, and again, beautiful mitrebox!


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## RIWOODBUTCHER




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## DaddyZ

Brad - How about a family photo of your Planes for all to enjoy

I Spot a few in the First Pic.


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## RIWOODBUTCHER

I looked at your link and, I don't ever recall seeing an accessory like that on the saw. I have had the saw for about 20 years now and I am just giving it the same amount of care that he did!! I also have a Stanley No.55 plane that he owned that has NEVER BEEN USED. (It's still in the original wax paper packaging)


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

That is awesome, re: the #55 Multiplane. I'd love to have one to use; I've read more than once they're a bear to set up right and use effectively.


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## planepassion

Thanks Don and Smitty, those links help me start on the trail.

RIWOODBUTCHER
Thanks for posting those pics. The finish on mine was pretty beaten up so your pics will help me complete a paint job that's true to the original.

I have a couple of questions:

1. What is the depth of your miter saw as measured from the base of the spine? How long is your saw from nose to the back of the tote?

2. The right hand stop accessory, is it four-sided square? Diameter? How long is it? How long is the bent portion?

3. For the right-hand stop accessory locking mechanism, what are the chances you could upload some closeups of it? Dimensions?

The reason I ask is:

a) My miter box didn't come with a backsaw so I'll have to pick one up. I "think" that a 28" long with a 5" deep plate will work, but want to confirm.

b) My box doesn't have the stop accessory and I'll try and fashion one.

Your answers would be most welcomed in my happy home as well as the Lumberjocks community for when the next person picks up a Goodel Manufacturing Co. miter box


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## planepassion

Daddy Z,
As requested, here's a family photo.


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## planepassion

RIWOODBUTCHER,

"My saw does have the original stop on the right side. This was typical of my grandfather's tools, which he took very good care of."

Hmmmm. What are the chances your fastidious grandfather kept a copy of the original owner's manual?

I know the odds of that are about as good as my chances of going on a date with Angelina Jolee, but hey, why not ask the universe?

Regards,
Brad


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## lysdexic

Brad,
First I am not going to help you with the miter box. Just lurking. Next, I like the glass of wine. But I have to ask - Why no love for the Veritas plane. That looks like a BU jack. Not part of the family?


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## Bertha

Brad, those photos made my night. Gorgeous.


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## planepassion

Lysdexic,

There's nothing like a fine glass of merlot to get the Bailey's ready for a photo shoot.

The Stanley side of the family gets their pics taken every year. But that's not to say that I don't love their Veritas and Lie Nielsen cousins. Here's looking at you Bertha:


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## RIWOODBUTCHER

Brad, the back saw is 28" long X 5" wide. Here are the measurements for the various pieces for the right side stop.


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## planepassion

RI….wow. I'm stunned. When you make measurements, you don't fool around! Thank you brother. I think I will be able to fashion something based on that


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## isderf

Hey, does anyone know of a source for the top bearings that go into the top of the tool posts?
Or a way to make them?
I have an older version of this miter box, that doesn't have the bottom bearings holes, but the top holes have no bearings in them.

Thanks,
Isaac Howard


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## Surfside

Maybe you can find those original top bearings from www.vintagemachinery.org. A lot of great folks who spend much time in restoring vintage machines can be found there.


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## isderf

Unfortunately they consider it to be a handtool, and that is out of scope for their website…
hrm…thanks for the hint though.


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## planepassion

I tried picking up some bearings from Ace Hardware. They fit but wouldn't stay put. I think I saw in some pictures of this type of miter box where the bearings were present but also had some type of retaining ring. Any of you guys seen pics like that?


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## Surfside

Good luck with your quest.


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## planepassion

I was playing around with Google Patents and found this one for my GP miter box. The patent n


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## planepassion

For those who are going to have a machinist make accessories for the "v"-shaped accessory slides, here are the best dimensions that I could come up with.


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