A Bevel Cut is a cut along the edge of a board at an angle other than 90 degrees. By tilting the blade of the table saw it allows us to customize the edge of a board and create a custom piece of lumber for you. Most bevel cuts are made at 45 degrees, but bevels can be made at all different angles.

Here we see how the beveled corners creates a clean and professional looking piece. Additionally, in the above example, the beveled corners allows the contoured feature of the material to continue seamlessly around the perimeter of the frame.

Here is an example of a butt jointed frame. Butt joints are strong, but as shown by the frame above, they’re not the most aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, butt jointing moulding doesn’t create the same finished look as a mitred frame..

Consider using bevel cuts in your larger projects, such as cabinets, tables, or storage units.

In this example, we used both beveled joints and butt joints.

Once the doors are removed, you can see the butt joints that were used to make up the main enclosure of the cabinet.

On this particular build, we used edge tape on the front facing side of the cabinet to create a finished edge.

Since the cabinet was built to fit against a wall with a heating pipe, it was necessary to build around the obstruction. The bevel cut allowed us to build around the pipe, and still create a finished edge.

If you take a closer look, you can see how the use of the bevel cut allowed us to make room for the pipe, while keeping the interior of the cabinet clean, continuing the same finished look from the exterior.

Before you use beveled cuts in a project, make sure to measure twice and cut once. Take note of the orientation of the pieces in your project to ensure easy assembly; remember, there is an inside and and outside to a beveled piece.

Although bevel cuts will require extra planning, they add a professional, finished look to otherwise ordinary looking projects. Before starting your next build, consider using bevel cuts for a polished final product.