Chamfering
Timber that has been planed has a sharp edge where two faces meet. Chamfering is simply planing off that sharp edge and can be either through chamfering, or stopped chamfering.
A timber with a through chamfer is a timber than been chamfered for its full length.
In a timber with a stopped chamfer, the chamfer is stopped a prescribed distance from timber joinery (as shown in this photograph). It's our preferred chamfer, and we think it adds a nice shadow line and an elegant subtle detail to timber frames.
No one knows why timbers were first chamfered, but there are two schools of thought. One theory is that the knife edge of a timber became very dry and could catch fire more easily. Others believe that chamfering was decoration–a way to make a timber frame look more finished and less rustic. Either way, it's much nicer to rub your hand on a chamfered post than risk a splinter from the sharp edge of an unchamfered timber.
© Carolina Timberworks
Chamfered edge that Scott calls for