Reply To: Best way to end-join boards for tabletop
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From my reading (not experience), a splice or scarf joint is the appropriate way to extend lumber with a good amount of strength. There are many variations of these joints, some which are more elaborate and have locking keys. Others are simpler and are not much more than a sloping half-lap, where the slope is 6-8 times the thickness of the board. Strength is supposedly far superior to a simple half-lap.
I would really love to see someone using this joint. I think they are largely used in carpentry and boat building, but I do not remember seeing one used in furniture. I suppose machined finger joints have largely replaced the scarf joint these days.