: In my idle moments I wonder how to make a curved scarf for decorative
: purposes. . .

What comes to mind is the idea of plugging a circle with a truncated cone -- somthing like plugging it with a cork. A circle would be cut, the edges evenly tapered and a second piece with the exact diameter of the outer edge of the taper would then be prepared with a matching taper, so that the hole is filled by the "plug".

This type of design might make a very interesting, but very delicate, hatch!

: The only thing I can think of is complentary profiles done with
: the router, along the lines of a rule joint or drop leaf table joint or
: whatever they call it. But to get the necessary length -- 2 inches or so
: -- how about some sort of router template -- or is there an easier way?

You might do this with a router, but I think something like a surface grinder or an electric hand planer might be easier to use for removing the wood.

How thick of a piece are you trying to scarph? A 12:1 joint in 1/4 inch material calls for a tapered area a bit over three inches long.

: Whether it's worth it depends on how much hassle it is.

The hassle would certainly be greater than for a straight scarf if only because the jig needed would be a bit more complicated to build. In scarfing (or scarphing) the idea is to reduce the leading edge to a sharp knife-edge. This edge is so thin and delicate that you could use it to guide the wood through a tool, as you might guide a board against the fence on a tablesaw. Instead wer have to either clamp the wood down and move a tool over the wood, or we need to provide a secondary guide on the wood, and use that to guide our powered cutting tools.

Personally, I'd opt for holding the wood down, and moving the tool, but if you could secure your workpiece to a large moveable table, or something that would serve the same function -- say a thick piece of plywood -- then you could move the wood, and the entire table it was mounted on, past a stationery cutter.

With straight scarfs we just use a straight line, board, guide, etc. With a curved joint you would first need to decide what you want the final joint to look like and cut that from a piece of material you will use as your guide. Depending on your scarf cutting tools you will either need a guide which is the exact size, or you will need one which is oversize. Looking at the spacing of pins on a router's dovetail jig will give you the idea of using an oversize guide with a bushing around the cutter.

I think the ideal cutter for this would be a cylinder. Think of a long straight-cutting router tip, or the rotating cylinder that holds the blades in a power planer, or a drum sander. Tilt that at a slight angle and mount it securely so it can be driven by some power source, and you'll have built the tool you need.

: Scarves is the plural of what you wear around your neck.

True.

Actually, we have made a noun out of an adjective. It should be called a scarf joint, and the plural should be 2 scarf joints.)

But if you can accept modifying the language to allow someone to "grow" a business, you certainly don't mind creating nouns which are hard to pluralize.
But why even bother? Pluralizing the alternative spelling of scarph as scarphs doesn't violate the conventions of English spelling that calls for a final "f" to be changed to a "ves"

One scarf around my neck. I made 15 more scarves for the necks of friends at Xmas times. I need to cut two tapers to make one scarph joint, and 4 tapers for two scarph joints, which, if we vernacularize, are scarfs, scarphs, or scarves.

If you are interested in pursuing the spelling traditions of this language, there seems to be very large sect of English speakers you night wish to contact. From my vantage point, it appears that they are bent on the singular issue of correcting English spelling of the word "light" Their method of operation seems to be to identify beers which are mislabeled with the misspelled word "Lite">, which they purchase, obviously with the intent of removing it from the eyes of proper English spellers. a strange ritual of this sect is that then then drink the mislabeled beverage. Anthropologists viewing this action are of two opions on this. One opines that this is a form of sacrifice where by sect members willingly accept the effects of numerous containers of this bevereage. Another opines that the contempt the sect has for the mispelled beverage is demonstrated by how their body processes the fluids. This opinion is filled with technical scatological details that I won't bore you with. Wither way, if you wish to observe such actions yourself, you can usually observe sectmembers at most local taverns. By the way, this is a secret sect. If you mention that you know about it to anyone who is a member, they will give you a look like they think you are nuts. That's their recognition code -- and I probably shouldn't have mentioned all this, but I share so much here already, and I know how interested everyone is in such off topic subjects.

hope this helps

PGJ