Composite sandwich panels with over-crushed edge regions

A method comprising:

• loading a first composite skin, a second composite skin, and a hollow cell core into a tool comprising opposing dies;
• closing the tool to form an interior shape of the tool between the opposing dies, the interior shape comprising a periphery region;
• and
• compressing the first composite skin, the second composite skin, and the hollow cell core using the opposing dies to form and consolidate a composite sandwich panel having a nominal thickness while applying an over-crush pressure to portions of the composite sandwich panel to form a first over-crush edge region comprising an edge and a transition region, the edge having a first thickness at least 40% less than the nominal thickness of the composite sandwich panel, the nominal thickness being the thickness of the composite sandwich panel away from the first over- crush edge region after consolidating the first composite skin, the second composite skin, and the hollow cell core, wherein the periphery region surrounds the first over-crush edge region when the composite sandwich panel is in the tool and provides a path for volatiles, released from the composite sandwich panel during compression, to escape the tool between the opposing dies.