Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Plywood is strong, stable, and easy to work with—but its thin outer veneers are its Achilles’ heel. The sharp edges split, chip, and catch because of their razor-thin layers. Even when fitting plywood into precisely cut dados—as we covered in Bitesize 315—those fragile corners can take a beating.
A simple fix? Chamfering the edges. A block plane is a classic way to do this, rounding over the corners to protect them. But the trick is getting a consistent edge every time.
There are a few ways to do it. The easiest is using a chamfer bit in a trim router—just choke up on the bit so that only a slight amount is removed. This keeps the edge clean and precise without taking off too much material.
That works for blunting the edge, but for a shallower taper, a hand plane sled is a better option.
Make one by cutting a corner off a piece of stock—this should be the width of your block plane. Then, tilt a disk sander table and grind the opposite edge. This is where you’ll need to experiment with the angle to get the perfect fit.
With the hand plane sitting in the inside angle, it only takes a few swipes to clean up your edges.
Check out my other channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Les N.
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
Plywood is strong, stable, and easy to work with—but its thin outer veneers are its Achilles’ heel. The sharp edges split, chip, and catch because of their razor-thin layers. Even when fitting plywood into precisely cut dados—as we covered in Bitesize 315—those fragile corners can take a beating.
A simple fix? Chamfering the edges. A block plane is a classic way to do this, rounding over the corners to protect them. But the trick is getting a consistent edge every time.
There are a few ways to do it. The easiest is using a chamfer bit in a trim router—just choke up on the bit so that only a slight amount is removed. This keeps the edge clean and precise without taking off too much material.
That works for blunting the edge, but for a shallower taper, a hand plane sled is a better option.
Make one by cutting a corner off a piece of stock—this should be the width of your block plane. Then, tilt a disk sander table and grind the opposite edge. This is where you’ll need to experiment with the angle to get the perfect fit.
With the hand plane sitting in the inside angle, it only takes a few swipes to clean up your edges.
Check out my other channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Les N.
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
