Bevel vs. Chamfer: What’s the Difference?

• Bevel

  A bevelled edge (UK) or beveled edge (US) refers to an edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of the piece. The words bevel and chamfer overlap in usage; in general usage they are often interchanged, while in technical usage they may sometimes be differentiated as shown in the image at right. A bevel is typically used to soften the edge of a piece for the sake of safety, wear resistance, or aesthetics; or to facilitate mating with another piece.

• Chamfer

  A chamfer is a transitional edge between two faces of an object. A form of bevel, it is created at 45° angle to two adjoining right-angled faces. A lark’s tongue is a chamfer which ends short of a piece in a gradual upward curve, leaving the balance as a right angle. Chamfers may be formed in either inside or outside adjoining faces of an object or room. They are also used to “ease” otherwise sharp edges, both for safety and to prevent damage to them.

  By comparison, a fillet is the rounding-off of an interior corner, and a “round” (or “radius”) the rounding of an outside one.”Chamfer” is commonly employed in mechanical and manufacturing engineering, and in poured-in-place concrete formwork. They are used in furniture such as counters and table tops to ease their edges; when rounded instead they are bullnosed. Special tools such as chamfer mills and chamfer planes are used.

  Chamfers are necessary in parabolic glass mirror manufacture and desirable in certain printed circuit boards.

• Bevel (noun)

  An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer.

  “to give a bevel to the edge of a table or a stone slab”

• Bevel (noun)

  An instrument consisting of two rules or arms, jointed together at one end, and opening to any angle, for adjusting the surfaces of work to the same or a given inclination; a bevel square.

• Bevel (verb)

  To give a canted edge to a surface; to chamfer.

• Bevel (adjective)

  Having the slant of a bevel; slanting.

  “a bevel angle”

• Bevel (adjective)

  Morally distorted; not upright.

• Chamfer (noun)

  an obtuse-angled relief or cut at an edge added for a finished appearance and to break sharp edges

• Chamfer (verb)

  to cut off the edge or corner of something; to bevel

• Chamfer (verb)

  to cut a groove in something; to flute

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