I enjoyed the article Table-Saw Tools. The “board stretcher” scarf-joint idea has proved especially useful, but I’ve eliminated the assembly jig shown in the article to exploit another tool: the biscuit joiner. Using a biscuit ensures correct alignment, a strong joint and speeds up the joining process by eliminating the “one joint at a time in the jig” delay (see drawing). And as I explained to my wife, it gives me a good reason to have a $160 biscuit joiner and a rack full of clamps (the technique works better than the argument).
The sequence goes: cut the scarf joints and save the wedge-shaped offcuts; align the pieces and mark a centerline for registering the biscuit joiner; cut the slots, apply the glue and use the wedges as clamping cauls to distribute clamping pressure and to provide parallel bearing surfaces for the clamps.
James A. Berg, Olympia, WA
