An oily tip for using a miter box

Miter cuts add a certain finesse and structural integrity to woodworking projects from drawers to mounted cupboards and shelving. Carpenters use various freestanding and table mounted tools to achieve these elegant 45 degree angle corner cuts.

However if a drop or table mounted saw are not in your toolkit or repertoire a handy peace of equipment is a miter box as pictured below. This guides a hand held manual saw in making these tricky cuts.

Problem is the cuts in the box are often narrow and sawing can be awkward and create a very annoying squeaking sound.

The good news is that the solution is in your kitchen. Cooking oil. Just oil up the saw and box a bit and all will proceed smoothly. Or call a handyman and sit back and relax.