Miter joints are as common as doorways in a house. Applications almost limitless however accurate mitering depends almost entirely on eliminating the possibility of human error during cutting procedures. It can be said that the smallest error will cause problems no doubt.

For example, two 45 degree cuts are generally required to join pieces to make a 90 degree turn. If the cuts are off just a smidgen of a fraction, the parts may still join together nicely but the corner they form will not be ninety degrees. If you carry the example a bit further, say for a picture frame requiring eight cuts, you can easily visualize the possible frustrations at assembly time. Accuracy is this critical. One way to achieve this with minimum fuss and muss is to work with a miter box,

Miter boxes help eliminate the cutting error and cutting errors during fabrication. Essentially you have three basic categories of miter boxes from which to make your selection: the wood or plastic miter box, the mechanical miter box and the power miter box.

Firstly mechanical miter offer excellent cutting ability for your money. Mechanical miter boxes can be simple or elaborate depending of course on how much money you wish to pay. You can obtain a basic tool such as a Stanley indexing miter box at most big box hardware stores. Or you can splurge and get a high end cutting mechanism.

All miter boxes have a base that supports a work-support bed, a fence as well as a top frame that holds and guides a backsaw for accurate sawing. All versions allow for swinging the saw to adjust for various cut-angles. Stops are generally included so that after the tool has been correctly set up, it can be adjusted quickly and conveniently for what are the most common and popular angles such as 90 degrees and 45 degree cuts.

As a general rule and standard the saw blade must be firm in its guides but free to slide easily. The saw used in the miter box is referred and called the “backsaw”. The typical backsaw used in the home workshop has 11 to 13 points per inch. No doubt about it. A sharp tool will cut quicker and minimize wood splintering. It’s a good idea to apply a thin coating of paste wax to the blade and then rub it to a polish. This finish should be applied frequently. Professionals recommend not using oil for this purpose since it will seep into the wood when cutting and cause staining.

Begin the sawing operation by lowering the saw gently onto the surface of the work. Start the cut with a backstroke since an initial stroke might cause the small, sharp teeth to dig in and cause splintering. It isn’t necessary to apply pressure right down to the blade. The blade’s weight and smooth deliberate back and forth motion will do the job with optimum results. Saw only to the point where the wood is severed. There is little point in forming deep grooves in the bed and you might cut into metal components. If the miter box does not have a replacement bed or insert, simply add a