Scarf Joint - The Scarf Joint in Wood

The Scarf Joint in Wood

In woodworking, there are two distinctly different categories of scarf, based on whether the joint has interlocking faces or not. A plain scarf is simply two flat planes meeting on an angle relative to the axis of the stock being joined, and depends entirely on adhesive and/or mechanical fastening (screws, bolts, etc.) for all strength. Hooked, keyed, and nibbed scarfs are some of the many example of interlocking scarfs, offering varying degrees of tensile and compressive strength, though most still depend on mechanical fastening to keep the joint closed.

The plain scarf is not preferred when strength is required, so it is often used in decorative situations, such as the application of trim or moulding. The use of modern high-strength adhesives can greatly increase the structural performance of a plain scarf.

The keyed hook scarf is common in ship and boat-building, as well as timber framing and wooden bridge construction. In large timbers such as these the scarf is virtually always secured with through bolts, and is frequently reinforced externally with iron or steel fishplates, and/or strapping.

A scarf joint may also be used to fix problems caused when a board is cut too short for the application. The board can be cut in half with a tapered cut yielding a scarf joint. When the joint is glued together, the tapers are slid against each other so that the two sections are no longer in line with each other. This has the effect of making the board longer. Once the glue has set, the board can be planed down to an even thickness, resulting in a longer but thinner board.

In traditional timber framing there are many types of scarf joints used to join timbers.