A chamfer is a small cut at 45 degrees used to remove the 90 degree edge on materials. It can be made with a hand plane, table saw, chamfer cutters, or router. Lark’s tongue bevel and rounds are variations of chamfers.
From metalworking to woodworking, various industries use a cut to remove the 90 degree edge on the material. These small cuts, typically at 45 degrees, are called a chamfer. Another often used term is chamfer. There are numerous uses for a chamfer and various methods of making it.
For woodworking, a hand plane can make the trim cut at 45 degrees; however, it is probably the most challenging method. By sliding the plane along the edge, the blade shaves a small amount of wood with each pass. The difficulty lies in keeping the plane level and stable for the entire length of the cut, and it is generally not recommended for long passages.
A chamfer can also be made with a table saw. The saw blade can be set at an angle and adjusted for depth and width of cut using the rip fence. While this method sometimes requires a bit of setup, it usually allows for more consistent cuts than using a hand plane.
Some tools are specifically designed for this type of cut. Chamfer cutters can reliably create these cuts without much prep work. A router installed in a special table with an enclosure usually gives the most desirable and cleanest results. The router is mounted upside down under the table with the router bit protruding through a hole in the tabletop. The material is then run parallel along the fence over the cutter to make the cut.
Chamfering tools can also be used in milling. For vertical cuts, such as reaming a chamfered hole, special chamfer bits are used. Wood, metal, and plastic are some of the materials that can be drilled this way. The bit is fitted and used similar to a traditional drill bit, but creates a beveled edge at the top of the hole.
Another variant of this type of cut is the lark’s tongue bevel. This type removes the 90-degree edge of the material just like the traditional bevel; however, the ends of the cut terminate before the piece of material in a smooth upward curve. Woodworkers can use this type of cut to decorate handcrafted furniture pieces.
The opposite of a chamfer is called a round. It can also commonly be called a bull. The material is removed creating a half circle effect on the 90 degree edge of the material. Rounds are usually used to produce a smoother edge on the material as it leaves no hard lines after cutting.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
