Posted on April 15, 2026April 15, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Clamping a Scarf Joint It Worked for Me: Clamping a Scarf Joint by Peter True Originally published in American Lutherie #106, 2011 Two wedge-shaped blocks faced with rubber can be used to clamp a scarf joint. Here, they are placed on either side of the joint of a ukulele neck and clamped. The blocks are off cuts from the neck blanks so the angles work nicely. The rubber is car inner tube stuck with contact adhesive. Photo by Peter True. I figure that the wedges ensure that the clamping pressure is perpendicular to the glue surfaces. The rubber stops the blocks from sliding down the ramp on which they rest. In the past I’ve done virtually the same thing using wedge-shaped MDF blocks sacrificially glued to the headstock assembly. As I thought it a chore to chop the blocks off, I experimented with the rubber-faced wedges. This too I’ve found to work. I’ve done about ten assemblies like this and managed to get them pretty much spot on. I ensure that the glue surfaces are wetted by the adhesive, so the joint is not over-lubricated. The tongue is oversize and is planed to the desired thickness when the glue is dry. ◆
