I'm curious about how to achieve a 45° chamfer on a round table without using a router. Most of the time I assume furniture is made with power tools, but I'm looking for ways to tackle this using hand tools. I was taught both methods but am still building my hand tool collection and might not know all the specialty tools available. What techniques would you recommend?
3 Answers
Another approach is to use a large chisel, drawknife, or jack plane for removing the bulk of the material. Just ensure you're cutting from edge to end on each section to avoid going against the grain. Finish it up with a file, spokeshave, or smoother to give it that polished look.
You can try scribing lines first with a combination square or a marking gauge. Then, stick to a couple passes with a spokeshave or a block plane. If your bevel is more pronounced, start by taking off extra material with a drawknife, then refine it with a small plane like a No. 3 or 4 to hit those lines. You'd be surprised how precise hand tools can be for details like this!
That sounds like a solid plan! Just curious, would the changing grain direction affect the drawknife's performance?
Honestly, I just go freehand with a hand plane. It's not perfect every time, but it usually looks fine unless you're really scrutinizing it. I usually use a No. 4 hand plane tilted slightly to avoid tear out, even on end grain. I've seen Paul Sellers demonstrate this technique, and it works well!
Totally agree! I started with a No. 4 as well, and it made a big difference in speed and finish.
Yeah, and if you really want to get fancy, you can set up a guide to maintain that 45° angle while you work, but honestly, eyeballing it works just fine for chamfers.