H.B. Rouse Panameric Hand Miterer

I stumbled across the subject tool and for the life of me, I can’t figure the correct way to use. I have an old miter where you just slide the lead in and it works like a regular paper guillotine.

This tool, I assume is to cut the type high decorative lead “on edge” to form the 45-degree (or other angle) to allow the mitering at the corners. So do you set the angle and nibble away at the lead until the corner is cut? That seems the only way I can figure. Oh great printers, enlighten a novice.

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You have basically answered your own question, Yes,! hand operated mitre machine, with the side guage set as in your 0272 shot, it will produce a perfect 90 degree edge for butting up one piece of product to another with leads and rules, normally up to 12 Pt, (Pica) thickness but will mitre (slowly) up to 18. Pt. or even 2 Em product. Or will mitre virtually any acute angle down to the min. limit.

The calibrated side guage will give accurate lengths (up to the limit of the scale in 12 Pt. increments) again on leads and rules, but the side lay/guage will slide right of, to mitre much longer lengths if required. .

The bed is probably marked and calibrated to set and produce, mitre,s from 90 degrees down to probably 20 degrees, excelent for section rules from 6 Pt. or 12 Pt. full face rule, or between items on individual pages, etc, … .
= <————-> !! (crude facsimilie apologies,) and many more decorative items.??

With a little practice and a little acquired skill and with the use of the Machine, Mitered boxes, around certificates etc, get very exciting, especially when 2 colours come into play

You will probably find that the lever that drives the blade down has factored in side play, NOT a fault but usually means that in operation, the lever on its down stroke, has to be held to the left to bring the blade into precise contact with the *Blade Guides* and trim the product in gentle increments.

The blade usually with 2 *adjuster* screws to give exact/ precise ZERO clearance, with the fixed counter blade in the Bed/Base.!
= ZERO clearance, nothing more nothing less.??
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If the blade is considered to be a little *DULL* but NOT requiring a regrind it was and still is quite normal to remove it and *Hone* it back to a decent edge, with just the acquisition and use of a normal Chisel or Plane Iron, honing device, Local Hardware supplier, E bay, local Cabinet maker etc.
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Practice by all means, but try to be economical with product, unless you have adequate supplies (on tap)???

One example of the above economy syndrome was (WE learned the hard way) practicing and frittering away too much product, making or trying to make, 6 Em. x 4 Em. boxes for prepaid/reply cards.!!!

Good Luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv69kB_e9KY

Skip to 4:18 in this video and you’ll see the proprietor of Firefly press using one of these to do some creative typesetting.

(watch the rest of the video too if you haven’t seen it, it’s pretty great!)

“Mick on Monotype”, thank you for the detailed comments. Others like “HavenPress” have directed me to the video that gave a brief look at someone actually using the tool. This forum is a great resource and again thanks for enlightenment.