To make sure that the ends were all cut to the same angle, we made a carpenter's "miter box." Two sideboards were nailed to a baseboard, making a trough large enough for the scantling to be set in it. Then we sawed through the sides of the trough at an angle of 45 degrees. When we wanted to cut the end of the scantling at an angle it was placed in the trough, and with the saw set in the saw cuts, as a guide, we were sure that they would all be cut at the same angle.

Fig. 303. Carpenter's Miter Box.