Thread: How to finish mitre joints?

I usually leave the edges reasonably crisp, but lightly sand them with a block to remove the sharp edge.

I've seen some pretty nice boxes that have been rounded with a router/roundover bit, too.

3/4 on a first go....well done...you lucky sod

Depending on how you plan to finish the box...if it's going to be a shellac/poly (wipe/spray) or some similar product...I'd suggest giving the hard 90deg corners just an itty bitty sanding (either a straight chamfer or gentle <1mm roundover - no need to rout unless it's a design thing) so that the finish can adhere to it properly. Hard edges and a solid finishes don't mix well most of the time.

As for oils and hard edges...I'm not entirely sure, but haven't had trouble with them as they simply soak in...but a nice smooth box with no sharp edges is always much nicer to handle than something that's somewhat 'pointy'. You're looking for something that's nice to handle as well as look at.

Lessee what the other folk have to say...

As others have said, just a very light sand to take off any sharpness or roughness. I always reckon that rounded over corners look like you're trying to hide a fault, and there's always the possibility of tearing a bit out at the top or bottom.