Bevel Basics and Beyond

How a bevel helps you install trim

Woodworkers have used bevels for centuries, and with good reason. This simple hand tool transfers and duplicates angles with dead-on precision. In this article, we'll show you how to set the bevel for angles taken off workpieces, full-sized plans, and written instructions.

If all wall, tabletop, and cabinet corners measured exactly 90°, installing trim moldings would be a snap. You would simply set your saw for a 45° angle and start cutting. Of course, few corners meet this description. Fortunately, with a bevel you can duplicate any angle and transfer it to a sheet of paper. Then, with a few simple procedures you can cut matching mitered trim pieces. Here's how.

First, you need to "bisect" the angle, meaning that you divide the angle into two equal angles. To do this, loosen the bevel's wing nut, lay the body along one edge of the corner, and position the blade along the other edge of the corner as shown above. When the bevel hugs the edges, tighten the wing nut. (You can do the same on inside corners, too.)

Now, align the edge of a sheet of paper with the straightedge of a work surface, and transfer the bevel's angle to the paper as shown left. (You can mark the line using either side of the bevel's blade.)