Scarfing chine logs, rails, etc.

Do you use the same scarfing method for chine logs, rails, and every other piece that needs to be 16' long as you do for the side and bottom? Still the old 12:1?

 

What is the best way of performing a clean scarf on CVG doug fir since you dont have the lines like you have on the ply wood to use as a guide?

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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on February 15, 2011 at 4:59pm
I think I used 8:1 for my gunwale stock.  I don't have my notes here at home.  This is an image of the scarf jig I used to cut the scarf using a table saw.  the base is plywood cut with the angle required.  The fences which are glued to the base must be square.  Countersink the screws and double check to make sure they clear the blade.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Kittell on February 15, 2011 at 8:23pm

Is that piece screwed to the fence part of the board you are cutting? If it is inst there a lot of waste with this method?

 

Permalink Reply by Eric Loudenslager on February 15, 2011 at 6:24pm

I use 10:1 on dimensional wood used for gunnels.  I cut a rough scarf on a table saw and clean it up with a jack plane.  My jig is a piece of plywood about 18" square with a 1.5" x 1.5" plywood screwed and glued to the board at the 10:1 angle.  I have a piece of dimensional stock screwed to the bottom to ride in the miter slot on the table saw.  I use the jig on the left side of the blade.  When I constructed the jig I made the distance from the right edge of the jig to the miter slot guide greater than the distance to the blade.  The first pass through the blade put the edge right against the blade.  I clamp 1.5" or less thickness stock to the angled guide and then run the stock through the blade, but not up to the clamp!  Sometimes the end is not perfectly square, but is easily cleaned up with a jack plane.

 

Tomorrow I may have a chance to take a picture of the jig.

Permalink Reply by Ben Kittell on February 15, 2011 at 8:20pm

OK. So after making a jig for the table saw to cut at an 8:1, and LOTS of hummming I went for it... and something went wrong and it bent the plate surrounding the blade. Talk about scarry. Im not sure what when wrong but its now been a few long nights in a row with little sleep so my brain is not fully clicking. Im heading to bed after I try to bend back the plate. Hopefully when I wake up I will be able to better understand how to do this. More pics and an explination of the process for a 4th grader would be a wonderfull help.

 

So many mistakes, so little $.

Permalink Reply by lhedrick on February 16, 2011 at 8:15am

The screws are what hold it in place so the table saw doesn't throw it across the shop.  So, yes, there is about 2 inches of waste doing this.  But, you end up with some nice hardwood wedges which have all kinds of uses around the shop.

 

Be carefull with the table saw.  With any jig the piece and jig must be solid so things can't move.  You must hold the jig solidly down on the table.  You can't allow it to lift up.  The stock is long so don't try to make the cut with out support on the in feed side.  A table, roller stand etc.  Wonder what happened with your setup?  One table saw note.  If the plate is not a zero clearance type,  Meaning there is space on each side of the blade so it can be tilted, small cut off stock can fall in the slot.  

 

Jeff posted that he used a circular saw.  I have done that also with a jig not free hand and it worked out.  But, he mentioned doing it free hand.  I have no skill of any kind so I can't freehand anything.  Hand held circular saws, cutting with the blade at full depth can be just as scarry.  

 

Remember, table saws kick back stock, circular saws kick the saw back at you.  Sliding miter saws and radial arm saws jump forward when cutting warped stock which will pinch the blade.  Never wedge the blade guard permanently open on a hand held circular saw.  I only mention it because I share shop space with someone who does it every day.  He scares the hell out of me.  If you are not sure about a jig or a certain cut get someone with more tool background to help you out a bit.  They will have lots of tricks.  I see new ones all the time.  

 

I scarf plywood with a hand plane because I have never found a saw jig I liked.  If you twist a saw a bit with 3 inchs of blade in the stock the back section of the blade will want to kick the saw out of the cut and a dull blade is much worse.

 

Be careful with all this, you will need you fingers to tie up those #20 flies.

 

Go slow and you will get there.

 

Permalink Reply by Kevin C. on February 15, 2011 at 8:23pm

another version that works very well for us.The jig has an attached rail underneath that slides in the groove on the table saw deck.the piece to be cut extends 1/4" past the jig and the clamp is positioned back far enough not to interfere with the blade.We just cut 12 scarfs in 20 min. with this setup...note the pat. pend.!   

Permalink Reply by Ben Kittell on February 15, 2011 at 8:41pm
Kevin, that jig makes just helped me out so much. Mine was close but I just had a few things reversed. Thanks for the help!
Permalink Reply by Kevin C. on February 15, 2011 at 8:48pm

make sure you take the cut nice and slow and watch out the scrap piece doesnt get jambed into that damaged blade plate...

Permalink Reply by Jeff Peak on February 16, 2011 at 6:30am
I just eyeballed it and used a circular saw...no jigs, no tablesaws, just a pencildrawn line...the thickened glue will fill any voids anyway.  I've got about a eight inch joint in my oak gunwales...
Permalink Reply by Eric Loudenslager on February 16, 2011 at 4:49pm
Here are three pictures of the scarfing jig I use to prep gunnel stock.  This version is 10:1, but 8:1 or 12:1 would be easily accomplished.
Permalink Reply by Eric Loudenslager on February 18, 2011 at 12:09pm
First attempt to attach pics failed.  Hope the second try is successful.
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