: My method is ludicrously simple:

: 1) clamp a piece of wood, wider than the scarf, to the right of the
: blade and cut at 90 deg. Keep the cutoff
: 2) fit the piece to be scarfed against the clamped "right
: hand" guide
: 3) clamp the cutoff on the left side of the table, snug but not
: tight against the piece to be scarfed
: 4) set the chopper to the scarf angle
: 5) put a spring clamp on the piece to be scarfed before you cut to
: stop it getting sucked in by the blade
: 6) when cutting watch the cut depth to avoid slicing into the
: clamp: plastic clamps are safest for this

: This is a great method for cedar strips, stringers and gunnels.
: Throw the guide pieces away when finished! This ensures that the
: guide compensates for slight errors in saw setup that may have
: crept since the last time ...

I no longer use the miter saw for scarf cuts.

I have acquired a small bench-mounted disc sander and now I use it for scarfing small strips. I just set the table at 90 deg, clamp a guide at a 6:1 angle on the table and I'm set. Since there is no need for clamping the workpiece it is fast with no kickback and a perfect cut every time. Best used with a dust extractor though . . .