Skarffing attachment

C

charlie foulds

Well-known member
I installed the Gougen skarffing attachment to my circular saw today. After paying almost $70 for it with shipping, I find out it will only skarf an 8-1 full cut in 1/4" ply. I have to finnish the cut by hand on 3/8 ply. Had I known this I would have just done it with a sander. I didnt read that part until after I installed it, OH WELL!!
 
Charlie

I have the same attachement and have always used it for 3/8". It falls a tad shy of the full 3" but not by much, maybe a 1/4" at the worst and I always just scored the finish line with a razor blade and sanded the final bit. My scarfer has been used on at least 10 boats by now and no complaints. Maybe the saw you put it on has less capacity than mine.
 
Charlie it really does the majority of the job easier even if finishing off the 3/8 cut by hand.(Same as Eric P with a knife or chisel.) I did all my major scarfing with a power plane etc. but bought the scarfer for a different job and wished I'd had one from the get go. It's the best way to scarf a panel in place that I have found.

Eric
 
Thanks guys,I will be picking up my ply on Thursday so we shall see. Do you suggest a sander or a block plane to knock off what remains?
 
Charlie, It sounds like it is too late for you, but now that I'm done with it, if anybody would like to borrow my Geogeon Bros. scarffer. I would send it you paid shipping and sent it to the next guy who need it, as long as I got it back for my next build. Seems a waste to buy a $70.00 tool and use it once.

BTW it worked great on my 3/8" Okume. Had to plane off a little nub is all.
 
Hi Jim,
I replied to your email. I think the easiest way to do this is by prepaid UPS. I have a UPS store a mile from me. After you are finished with it you could post here so the next guy can get it. Hopefully this will work and not be too much hassle.

John
 
Skarfing Talkeetna Alaska Style:
Off the verticle end of your work bench set up a 2"x6" across it at the width and angle you need for your scarf. Screw a fence on the 2"x6" at the lower edge for the skil saw to run against. Now clamp your plywood down to the table and scarf away with the skill saw set at the angle you need to complete your scarf angle. I ran my skil saw angle of 90 degrees for an 8 to 1 with no problems. Takes some down (actually up) pressure on your saw hand to keep the saw flat against the set up, but no big deal you're only running it 48". Clean up the burr on the upper edge in thicker widths with your low angle hand plane. Worked for me with 1/8" Birch and 1/4" marine with my 8" skil saw. Haven't tried 3/8", but I think it would work fine.
 
Last edited:
Brad,
No, I didn't take any pics of the set up at that time, but I've rough (very rough) sketched it out for you. On the front edge of your table (mine was built of 2x6's on edge like a joist floor covered with a sheet of 5/8" plywood) screw down another straight 2x6 through drilled holes in the lower edge of the board. Now shim the upper end of the board with straight stock to the angle you need for your scarf. Then take another very straight piece of wood and screw it down to the lower side of the just installed 2x6 to become the fence for your skil saw to ride against. Then clamp down your plywood to be scarfed to the table top aligning the lower edge of the plywood with the lower edge of the blade and saw away. Because the skil saw is now a little bit upside down you will have to hold it tightly against the fence as you cut. Let me know it this is understandable. I could sketch it out allot cleaner if necessary.
537073500_Scarf%20Set%20Up.jpg

 
I didn't want to fork out the $70 bucks so I made my own attachment out of a scrap 4x4. I cut the angle on my table saw. I believe I had to make two passes becasue my saw won't cut that deep then I put two of the deals with wood screw threads on one end and machine threads on the other into it where there were holes in my skill saw's fence. screw it on with a couple wing nuts and there it is. I think I just used clamps to hold the saw on the jig the first time I used it. I put a dowel sticking out of the side for a second handle. I just clamp a guide to the ply and cut away. I dont have a table to put the plywood on just sawhorses and it has worked for me. I drew up a sketch of it and when I scanned it, it is too big to attach.
 
You have a photobucket account? If so you can just put it up there and link to it. Photobucket is free and one of the easiest online storage/linking sites for photos. If you don't want to sign up for one feel free to email the scan to me and I'll post it up.

Maybe this is a good idea for a thread, various scarfing methods.

I've got one for scarfing dimensional lumber up to a little over 2" wide I came up with.

This jig acts as a sled on the table saw and was made entirely of scrap in about 10 minutes. Works like a charm.

Picture 1 - Overview shot of the jig
scarfingjig1.jpg


The OSB is about 15" wide by 20" long. I measured in 3" and 4" on the top and the bottom; I then connected the lines to create what would be the edge of a piece of 1x lumber (although I used 3/4") running parallel with the saw blade. Next, I measured a 12" diagonal line from the top left 3" mark down 12" on the 4" line. I then used a piece of ~26" 2x4 that was ripped in half and screwed it from the underside with the edge on the diagonal line to create a fence for the lumber to be scarfed.

Picture 2 - Sled on the saw
ScarfingJig2.jpg


Go ahead and clamp a piece of scrap to the fence on your sled and adjust the fence on your table saw so that the left side of the blade is in line with the right side of your scrap (this may take a little bit of the fence on your sled off but thats ok). Mark where the top of your scrap is on the sled fence (I used the front edge of the overhanging 2x) Now do a test cut and make sure you're satisfied. You may need to adjust the starting point of your lumber. If you want a scarf longer than 8" you will need to make the diagonal longer.

Picture 3 - Aligning the lumber
ScarfingJig4.jpg


Picture 4 - Lumber clamped and ready to begin
ScarfingJig3.jpg


Picture 5 - Halfway through the cut.
ScarfingJig5.jpg


Picture 6 - All the way through. Make sure that you let the saw continue through after the wedge falls away so that you have a perfectly perpendicular cut to the saw table
ScarfingJig6.jpg


Picture 7 - Lastly, the product.
ScarfingJig7.jpg


Brad
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top