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I know there's many ways to cut a scarf joint - I've done the backsaw, bandsaw, and have been using the tablesaw in various configurations including my current utilizing an Incra jig.

I decided to finally do something with my Sliding Miter saw - what a cool, useless tool (save for crosscutting wide blanks when milling, which I don't do often).

Just sharing (and taking a tip from David Farmer in embedding the vid):

You shouldn't take tips from David.

Hi Aaron,
Not to be a critic, but another way to do that is to clamp the blank at "near end" of the box (to keep the saw from pulling the blank into the throat of the saw) and align the end of the blank with the far edge of the blade. It won't cut into the jig and it will give a smaller piece of "off fall" (less waste).

Thanks for the video, Aaron! I like it and will likely do this as well. I'm in the same boat on the sliding mitre saw. I have an expensive Bosch saw that is almost never being used for more than a chop saw to square up the ends of boards.

Clay, I can't visualize what you are describing. Do you have a pic by chance?


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For some reason the vid isn't visible in my browser ,heh, heh.
Sorry David.

I guess I'm not the only one letting a sliding miter go to waste.

I'm not getting Clay either. There's no issue with the saw "pulling in", there's a stop on the jig.

Not getting the "shorter off cut" either. This is a scarf joint, so everything in the vid is used.

And no issue going into the jig - that's how I made it, simple, cheap.

Truth be told, I was wracking my brain trying to figure out an angled jig so I could cut it with the saw set straight. What a noob!

Ken, for you:
https://youtu.be/5sw18X5VeI0

Hi Brad and Aaron,
I will try to take a picture and post it of what I am talking about. A picture is worth a thousand words, or in my case maybe two thousand.
To me it appeared the cut off piece would be too short for the peghead part of the scarf, but if it will work for that then the way Aaron is cutting it would be a better use of material than what I am proposing. I don't do that many scarf joints anymore so this old man's memory may be faulty.

I see. I think Aaron builds ukes primarily so that might account for it. The peghead would be smaller for a Uke.


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This^^^^

If I needed a longer headstock, say for a Tiple, I'd just move the jig over to the right (facing the saw) so the cut is futher out (towards me) to accomodate the longer headstock. This is where guitars would play.

Even with the different cuts, the jig won't fall apart because of how its designed. Many different ways - I'm sure I could just make 1 cut in the jig, and adjust the location of the neck blank and clamp it to the jig.

Dang, now you guys got me thinking of more stuff on doing a "fence" based jig, on an angle . . . let me finish my new vacuum press first!

I got a newer computer with a new (to me) O.S. so I am stumbling around trying to figure out how to resize and post photos.

Clay,

I now get what you're saying. Your offcut is WAY too short to be useable, even for an ukulele headstock.

Looks like you'd have to do two cuts, on two different pieces of wood, with the offcuts being pure waste?
If so, this is where the sliding miter comes into play, with no waste.

The "jig" is just a chisel and tool holder I used to use that hasn't made it to the trash can yet. The chop saw is an old 10 inch ryobi someone generously gave me after my Makita was stolen. After de-rusting and replacing the switch with one from a broken beltsander it works pretty good. It will cut a scarf about 3 1/2 inches tall.
The edge of the blade is lined up with the end of the blank when the saw is put to the appropriate angle (11 degrees in this case). Because this set up lacks the "stop" that Aaron's jig has it is a good idea to clamp the blank to the jig as I mentioned in a previous post. If the neck blank is long enough you can cut a scarf on both ends and then cut the peghead piece off of one end. Or you can use shorter blanks and cut the peghead from another piece entirely.
I also thought that by moving Aaron's jig to the right as he mentioned a longer headstock could be made if you have a sliding miter saw. And that would have the advantage of less waste of materials.

I Like it Aaron. Sure beats how i Do on my table saw.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I am thinking that you should come up with some sort of clamping system. I'd be a bit scared to get my hand that close to a blade. Also sometimes those saws move the work piece just a bit and you get a bad cut. You could do something real simple and just screw it to the jig board itself in some waste wood area.

Just a thought.

I don't have a sliding saw like that but I have a chop saw and it has a surprisingly large number of uses in my shop.

When I pickup more 3/4" Baltic Birch ply, I'll probably redo the jig to a simple fence that I can clamp the stock to. As it is, I had extra 3/8 lying around after I made my Bass Cab, so I used it.

You're the 2nd one that mentioned clamping and moving. I'd clamp it for the Safety aspect (I can still clamp it as it is with a long clamp). As far as moving, the stock sits against the jig in 2 dimensions so that's not an issue.

I am a fan of the " fingers from cutters 8 inch rule " ---- I cringed while watching $.02

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

I might not have 8, but I have 6. The angle of the vid doesn't show much.

And I agree - I now have it in my head to do an angled fence, so the cut is straight, then I don't have to adjust the saw, since I mostly crosscut anyway. And, there will be room for a clamp, so NO fingers.

You didn't hear it from me but compound mitre saws make amazingly short work of a neck to body joint for a bolt on, also. So I've heard.

Not recommended unless you are comfortable outside the "8 inch rule". A well maintained saw and blade are a must.

Yup, that's one of the cuts I make with my chop saw.

I'm not getting that, unless you are just talking about a butt joint and cutting the one and a half degree end cut?

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Pat

Thanks for the idea Aaron. I tried making one just using two-by-fours nailed together. However, it wanted to be a parallelogram more than a square! This worked much better a scrap piece of one and a half inch shelving with two square hardwood pieces super glued and screwed to it. Works great! Much better than my jig that I made for the small bandsaw. I had been meaning to make another one for use with my resaw, but this was much easier.
And +1 for clamps. I could have been drinking coffee while I made this cut! LOL

Although, one caveat. Clamping The Jig to the back face of the saw seems to mess up the tool to jig squareness. The easiest way to overcome was to just put a shim under one edge. But, you don't end up with a completely finished glue ready joint anyways. A little final prep and tuning is still necessary.

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Pat