Azek and a Lion Trimmer?

[Larry Edgerton]

I am doing a lot of historical restoration using Azek as a medium, and I HATE the stuff! That being said, I can see that I will be using it a lot more in the future as quality wood is becoming cost prohibitative, especially as my work will be featured in the upcoming Azek brochures. So ......

There are some situations where a miter saw does not work well. Azek tends to heat up easily, and when it does it melts to the saw blade. This is a problem on miters as it tries to grab traction and pull itself into the blade. Small molding [panel molds, etc.]are especially a problem as the material is very flexable, and as soon as it starts its melting and grabbing they start to bend to the back of the blade and change the miter.

I have been looking for a Lion trimmer for some years, but recently the thought crossed my mind that one may be the ticket for small Azek moldings. It would not create enough heat for the melting to begin, so I may be able to get better miters.

If any of you that have one have tried to trim Azek, please let me know how it worked, and if anyone would be willing to try a piece and can not find one I will send a piece to you for a test.

Also if anyone has one around that they would be willing to sell I would be interested.

Thank you
Larry Edgerton
Crooked Tree Joinery

[Caspar Hauser]

Rough cut by hand or chop saw first and then slice incrementally with the trimmer just as normal, it works just fine. I might back the moulding up with a length of scrap wood or make a cradle to stiffen it, especially if the work piece is floppy. I've also had success 'shooting' mitres clean with a knocked together board and a sharp plane, it moves along pretty briskly once you get your eye in. The slighter the moulding the greater the likelihood of some fairly entertaining shattering, so the warmer the day and the thinner the fastener the better.

If the moulding is being driven backwards on the chop saw, I find a plywood/scrap cradle helpful. You might also try a handsaw, a japanese style one works well, with a guide to cut the mitres.

I don't have the Lion, though I had one in a previous life, I have or at least had (it got 'borrowed') a knock off, it worked well. I'll be be buying another.

What I'm curious about is a pair of those scissor-like adjustable angle moulding shears. Has any one tried them on either wood or azek? The other week I spent a day putting azek panels on the upper storey of a house, part of the trim was azek 1/4 round, something like those shears could have saved me a fair amount of time climbing up and down.

CH