The Stanley No. 70 Box Scraper is a specialty vintage woodworking hand tool produced from 1877 to 1958. A “Sweetheart” era model specifically features the highly collectible “SW” heart logo stamped on its iron, dating its production between roughly 1920 and 1935.Â
Purpose and History
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- Original Function: It was designed to scrape old stencil markings, labels, and logos off wooden shipping crates and boxes so they could be reused.Â
- Alternative Uses: Woodworkers historically used it as a floorboard plane or floor scraper.
- The Name Misnomer: Despite being called a “scraper,” it actually functions more like a low-angle plane on a stick. The iron is bedded at slightly less than 45 degrees and takes actual shavings rather than standard burr-scraped dust.
Key Design Features
- Swivel Head (Floating Head): The cast iron head is attached to a hinged pivot on the handle shank. This allows the user to operate the tool on both the push and pull stroke by flipping the head orientation.Â
- Cambered Sole and Iron: The bottom of the cast iron sole is slightly curved (cambered) both front-to-back and side-to-side. The cutting iron is ground with a matching curve to prevent the sharp corners from gouging uneven crate surfaces.Â
- Two-Handed Handle: It features a long, turned hardwood handle (typically beech, maple, or ash) designed for an ergonomic two-handed grip.Â
- Blade Dimensions: The standard tool is roughly 13 inches long and utilizes a 2-inch wide adjustable steel iron held in place by a large thumb screw
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