: Hey Rehd,

: The joint takes out the middle ply almost perfectly, so it does not eaken the
: outer plys significantly. The main reason for this joint is not its
: superior strength, it is its looks. Scarf joints in plywood, show as do
: butt joints. Scarf joints tend to have either a feathery edge or a
: distinct lip. Butt joints sometimes leave discoloration from the epoxy and
: sometimes the glass tape is visible after finishing. The spline joints
: work great. They leave a nice crisp uniform line. The are also very easy
: if you have the appropriate tools. They are also much more self aligning
: than either scarf or butt joints. Don't get me wrong, scarf and butt
: joints work fine for stitch-&-glue kayaks, but spline joints are far more
: elegant.

: Mihke

Gee Mihke... With a name like that, how could I possibly take you wrong. I'm just thinking it Soooooo much bother for so little reward. ??? Guess I've been out of the shop and working for the ole P.O. too long. You are certainly correct in that it would ease alignment issues. What are you using to make the cuts, since standing it up on a table saw is pretty much out of the question. Rather than using a spline joint, why not just do a mortise/tenon joint and eliminate the biscuit/spline.

Rehd