How to Do Chamfered Corners on a Deck

Select the angle of chamfer you want to add to the edges of your deck and adjust the settings on your router accordingly. Purchase bits according to the type of material you are working with and follow the manufacturer's instructions on the machine to set the depth of the chamfer (different tools have different instructions).

Refer to the bit instructions as to how many rpms the bit is rated for and set your router accordingly. Turn on the router and run it across the edge of a piece of wood to test the settings. If the bit is chewing through the wood rather than cutting through it, you need to increase the speed.

Chamfer the edges of your deck. Position the router against the edge of the wood. Hold the router in place with your off hand and use your other hand to pull the trigger and provide additional support. Slide the router along the wood edge with both hands and walk with the machine as you work. Move the router across the edge of the wood at a steady pace.

Sand the chamfered edge down with a palm sander for the best results. Use a medium-grade sandpaper, as a rough grade paper will eat away more of the wood and mar your chamfer. Test a small, out-of-the-way area to see how much pressure and passes you need to make over the wood to sand it and then sand the rest of the corners.