Joining Wood End to End (HELP)

[Steviegwood]

Hi Everyone, I am in need of your assistance. What is the best way to join 5/8" wood end to end? in advance. Steve

[Gill]

What are you going to do with it once it's been joined?

Perhaps a scarf joint might be suitable?



Gill

[Steviegwood]

Why Gill, I am gonna put something perty on it and scroll it of course. Seriously though I have an abundance of shorter pieces of wood the longest being about 30" and have some projects that require 48" and I need a good strong joint. Steve

[lucky788scroller]

Do you own a table mounted router, or a shaper? There are finger joint bits available that will make super strong joints. I cant draw pretty pictured like Gill can, but if you look around the door jambs and some windows, you will see a lot are made from many small pieces glued together. Dale

[workin for wood]

if you don't have any tools, you can buy a hot glue gun. Not a regular one, but check online for one of the new super hot glue guns. Try someplace like woodcraft...I think the glue gun is made by franklin. It's not cheap at about $120, but wow will it ever hold an end grain. A friend of mine has one, we glued together some end grain oak, which is very porous and difficult to glue. We beat on that wood with a sledge hammer for about 2 minutes before we finally smashed it free, but the wood was totalled and some of the two pieces were still glued together. I don't have the cash to throw at that glue gun right now, too many other priorities, but it was sure amazing.
go to www.titebond.com to see the franklin glue gun. ...if you get one, don't get any on your fingers or I'm thinking you'll need a straight razor to get your fingers apart.

I am using splines personally when I join end grains, but splines aren't exactly easy to make perfect. This hot melt is a 5 second and your done. You don't even have time to clamp it, you just hold it tight for 5 seconds and it's done. and once it's done, you can't get it apart.

[owler]

Gill's suggestion is the best.

Unless you have the ability to make perfectly square end cuts, any joining will show gaps/glue in the joint. End grain does not glue to end grain very well. In order to make it strong, you would have to supplement the joint with addtional glue surfaces with either spliens, biscuits or dowls. Even if you can do this, if your scroll cut goes through this "mechanical connection" you will see it in the profile of the cut.

A scarf joint will mask this more effectively and still provide a stronger joint.

The only other alternative I can think of is to use more small pieces and join the wood side to side until you have a piece as long as you need. Even so, you really need a jointer to true the edges so that you do not see the gaps.

[workin for wood]

All the equipment in my shop is square. I use precision marking instruments and check my tools on a regular schedule, but I still totally agree with what Dan is saying. A scarf joint has to be the best way, because in scrolling you will see any splines. Gluing up tons of short boards side by side with a jointer is strongest, but then you will have expansion problems when the board gets really long. If I was going to glue short pieces on end to scroll, i would by the scarf joint router bit. But I have to say, that the titebond hot glue gun is stronger than the wood itself once it sets. If your boards are square on the end, you can't see the joint and it will be even stronger than a dovetail joint.