Woodworking How-To Joinery Miters Shooting board You can trim a miter quickly and accurately with nothing more than a sharp hand plane and a simple jig. By WOOD Magazine Staff WOOD Magazine Staff Launched in 1984, WOOD® magazine is the world's most trusted woodworking resource — a distinction we've earned by guaranteeing our readers' success in their woodworking shops. It is the mission of our staff to inspire and inform woodworkers at every stage of their journey by providing reliable and accurate project plans, woodworking techniques, and product reviews. WOOD magazine's Editorial Process Published on June 20, 2016 You can trim a miter quickly and accurately with nothing more than a sharp hand plane and a simple jig, like the one shown in the drawing below. We built the jig out of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), making sure that all of the cut edges were perpendicular to the faces. Clamp the jig in your vise, and then place the work piece against the appropriate guide, allowing the mitered end to protrude just slightly beyond the plane guide. Set your plane for a light cut, place it on its side as shown in the photo, and make a pass across the miter. As with any method for trimming miters, this one calls for frequent testing of the results. Depending on how much material you need to remove, test the fit after one or several passes. ProsInexpensive.Easy to control the amount of material removed. ConsTime-consuming.Jig requires precise construction for accurate mitering results. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit