[masraum]

Originally Posted by dad911

If you don't have dowel jig or biscuit joiner, you can cut both ends on 45, giving a larger area to glue and clamp. then short nails or screws from backside.

If it is just over 8', how about an 8' board, then 1x4 etc at both ends, running the grain at 90 degrees to the original 1x12, to add a decorative end?

I tried to make my own dowel jig, and got it close, but not quite. I was at HD earlier and noticed that they had a dowel jig there for purchase, but don't know that I'd use much so decided against it.

I like the idea about the 1x4s at the end, but while not structural, the ends may have a little stress. I decided to get a biscuit joiner instead. I've needed one in the past, and suspect I'll need one again some time, so I figured for $100 it was a good deal.

I read up on "scarfing" a bit. I read one webpage that said that the recommended ratio is 12:1 for length of glue area vs thickness. Wow, how in the hell could you get a 12:1 ratio on anything other than 2/2 or 1/2 or maybe 1/4? That's a pretty shallow angle. I'm sure under most circumstances, 45* would be fine.

Thanks again all.