Miter trimmer - used US made vs new Taiwanese

[Alex Zeller]

I'm looking at getting either a used Lion miter trimmer or a new Taiwanese clone. I'm looking for a way to fine tune inlay work. It looks like these trimmers would work well to shave off thin slivers when butting two pieces together at an angle. Most of the time it'll either be 45 and 22.5 degree cuts. I like that these are heavy but not too heavy. That way it can live out of the way on a shelf when not being used. I've never seen one so I have a couple of questions.

I haven't seen anything used around here I would have to buy it sight unseen. So my first question is "do they wear"? I expect the blades to need sharpening but does the blade work like a pair of scissors where it needs to be tight to the table? If so is there a way to adjust it if needed? Is there anything else to look out for? I haven't seen very many negative comments on the clones. They all look like they are made in the same factory so I'm not sure there's much difference where I buy it. I do keep getting Rockler 20% off coupons every few months so I'll probably get it from them along with the free shipping.

[Tom M King]

I used one for a long time, but like a shooting plane on a shooting board better. Sorry, no opinion on a Lion or Taiwanese. Mine was a Lion.

[Richard Coers]

The angle of the blade keeps the stock tight on the table. We don't use that thing like a table saw, so almost zero wear. Sharpening the blade is critical.

[Warren Lake]

bought a used morso, used blades in it wicked sharp plus a second set of blades.

[stephen thomas]

I used an actual Lion owned by a trim carpenter too many decades ago to really compare, except to say that an enduring impression was "if i get one of these, i want one without slop". That might have been poor set up, and certainly a large dose of user error at the time.

Further comments relate only to clone, which has probably been here for 25 years. Got it at a local flea market very inexpensively because it had a big chip in one blade. I have tool and cutter, and a couple surface grinders. Pretty sure it has only been ground again once. It does get honed "when necessary" but for me not using it every day, that can be years apart. Mine has mostly been used onhardwoods, mostly w.oak or harder.

They can wear in the tracks but as others noted, it should take a very long time. The swivel fences on mine are pulled toward the knives with a spring. So long as they are set against the knife & then clamped, there is no clearance problem. IOW, more or less self-compensating for wear.

(edited): Mine does have enough wear on the bottom, that the bottom edge of parts can have fringes or tear-out at times. So far not an issue. Since i seldom use it on parts taller than 2", it could be an option to clamp on a short oak or other hardwood bed, trim it in place, and work on top of that for any project where the bottom condition became an issue. Slight nuisance, maybe; but that would also spread the wear to use more of the blade before re-honing or grinding.

There are cam-adjustable stops that make changing from 90 to or from 45 easy once you set them up initially. Other than that, mine does not have a scale nor other aids. I use a bevel gage, machinist's protractor, or gaging block for other angles.

Mine gets used mostly for exactly your stated purpose. Making tesserae, especially when making, replicating, or repairing inlaid floors. For instance, in this border copied from an old one i restored in DC, you build out each direction from the corners. At the center point somewhere on the straight run between two corners, you have to start cheating the bricks and do a fade or expansion. The crossways bricks get narrower or wider, the longways bricks get longer or shorter, as necessary. (the small squares stay the same) But you sort of creep up on it. I certainly like a trimmer for many intalls or "problems" like that. There are similar fitting "options" in the band outside the brick road, too.
floor, our house, me filling in ebony.jpg

A miter trimmer is not very handy for outside miters, as has been discussed on SMC in the past. But it is really wizard for inside miters, such as fitting glass liners in multi-pane doors and windows, and for any sort of panel work in which the panels are fitted and closed with installed mouldings after the frames are built. Including somewhat complex built-up stuff.

[Kevin Jenness]

I have used two miter trimmers, neither one a Lion. One was a Chaiwan clone, the other was made by Union in New Jersey. They worked ok with a sharp blade on small inside miter work. The main limitation was that you had to take a minimum cut of .010" or so to keep the blade from sliding out of the cut. That may have been because there was play in the guide mechanism, and perhaps the genuine article (Lion) would be more precise. In any case I gave mine away and made a shooting board with a Veritas quadrant which I find easier to use in smaller increments and with larger stock.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...e?item=05P5485