(pronounced FIHL-leht or FIH-lay)

Besides the obvious culinary meaning, this is one of those words that has too many
architectural-related meanings for its own good. In fact, its quite confusing. Well try
to sort it out for you.
1. At its most simple, it refers to a thin narrow strip of material, usually a band of
molding that separates other sections of molding.
2. The term can also be used to simply describe the delicate adornment strips applied
to shafts and archways along the moldings, as well as the space between two flutings
in a shaft. Stay with us here
3. Lastly, it describes the curved, concave portion forming a junction of two surfaces
that would otherwise intersect at an angle. In welding, a fillet weld is radius joint
replacing sharp inside corners, and it reinforces the corner where two surfaces meet. A
fillet can be 2-dimensional as well; in AutoCAD, youll find a fillet function that allows
you to quickly insert a radius corner where two lines meet.


Graphical Construction Glossary >> Woodwork. >>
Mouldings >> Chamfer


Chamfer
A bevelled edge connecting two surfaces
Fillet
An angled strip separating two surfaces, or between the fluting
Quad
A quarter round bead.
Ovalo
A slightly recessed quarter round to a corner of a larger piece.
Quirk
The slight recessing of a mould like an ovalo







A collection of a few mouldings that are seen often. Quarter rounds are always
known as quads or quods and they have thank goodness been replaced by neater
ways of finishing an internal corner.
Ovalo is a standard term and cavetto is used when the quarter hollow shape
appears as part of a larger moulding. When standing alone it is mostly referred to it
as a scotia.
All of the previous is UK English trade terminology and the American English words
of course have developed separately though they refer to the same basic shapes.



Quirks are only small things but they would be impossible for joiners and joinery
and furniture manufacturers to do without. Imagine fitting a joint like shown on the
left. It leaves absolutely no margin for error. The quirk gives a visual guide and a
positive guide for tools.



This bundle of fillet mouldings are about to be placed in the corners of beam forms.
When the concrete has been poured and the formwork stripped the the exact
opposite of the fillet shape, a chamfer will be seen on the beam edges.
The term fillet can is applied to beads of mastic or silicone that is run along an
inside right angle corner. Another example is glazing windows with putty pointing
fillets.



Above is a decent sized chamfer to an edge. This method of terminating it back to
square is very common as it makes the joining of the board or in this case the
trimming of the board with quads very easy. To finish a fillet like this with a chisel is
sometimes known as a "Lark's Tongue". More often than not it is terminated in a
curve that is the diameter of the cutter head that makes the chamfer.