If there is incised decoration it should be cut before the molding is cut, so that while being incised, the piece will lie flat without tipping.
These simple pieces, as well as others, are often embellished by _chamfering_.

A chamfer is a surface produced by cutting away an arris.

It differs from a bevel in that a bevel inclines all the way to the next arris, while a chamfer makes a new arris, Fig.271.A thru chamfer extends the whole length or width of a piece, while a stop chamfer extends only part way.

For the laying out of a chamfer see p.
115.
[Illustration: Fig.271.Difference Between Chamfer and Bevel.] Thru chamfering is best done with a plane, Fig.272.For this purpose the piece may be held in the bench-vise and the plane tipped to the proper angle, or the piece may be held in a handscrew which in turn is held in the vise as in Fig.

175, p.102.The chamfers with the grain should be planed before those across the grain.
[Illustration: Fig.272.Thru Chamfering.] In chamfering a four-square stick into an eight-square, the piece may be gripped in the vise diagonally, Fig.