: I'm curious regarding your scarfing technique on the ply.... I'd
: probably try and make a jig for my band saw for this but I like
: the idea of hand planing the scarf.

: Do you draw a line on the ply at the thick end of the scarf (about
: 12 to 1 ratio) and then by "eye", plane until you're
: down to the sharp end and at the same time, you've reached the
: line at the thick end?

: Thanks,
: Bill

Hi bill

Scarfing thin ply is easy. For quarter inch for instance, you would draw lines one and a half inches from the ends of the boards. The trick is then to place them one on top of another, stagger them so that they form one and a half inch steps, clamp them down with the bottom board supported with the end almost at the end of the bench, and knock the corners off until you have a slope without any steps. The eye comes into play, but really the slope forms itself automatically.

The more you do in one go the more accurate you will be. In the picture I am doing eight in one go.

You will find that your pencil lines are just about gone and the sharp ends are nicely feathered if you are doing it right.

If your plane is sharp it goes quick and accurate. Also the laminations in the ply enable you to easily see what is going on as you plane. Much easier than you might think.

I don't think it could be done with a standard band saw unless the planks are very narrow and not too long.

If in doubt, stack up a few scraps and do a test run first.

Happy scarfing

Et