Star 45 Construction splicing wood to get longer pieces

John Fisher writes:
Since 48 inch balsa is hard to find, I used 1½ pieces of 36 inch balsa that I joined using a 45 degree scarf. I cut a small (about 1 inch long) piece of the balsa I'm joining as a support for the joint, both structural and for alignment. 2668 shows the three pieces before gluing. I use titebond rather than CA because I'm sensitive to CA. I clamp the three pieces as shown in 2669 using the table top and the small piece to gain alignment in both directions for the two long piece. During construction the small piece of balsa must be placed where it doesn't interfere with the construction (2673). Once the stringer is glued to another piece of planking or another stringer the small piece can be removed using an Exacto knife and sandpaper