Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Pretty Close
With the discussion on end-grain gluing echoing in my cortex, I decided to give it a try. Had a couple cut-off from a book matched set used in a table so, lacking a board stretcher, I decided to see if it works.
Eh? An end-grain bookmatch, you say?
Used 2 small dominoes for registration of the 6/4 pieces then run through the planer.
Now all I have to do is figure out what I'll use it for. 
Finger joints
I was eating lunch at a restaurant table when I spied the finger joints in the top. Simple end grain gluing obviously has some deficiency or finger jointing would not have been employed.
So
The myth continues, eh?
Re: So
The trick for end grain gluing, IMHO, is to make a glue size by reducing the glue with water, and rub it into the end grain. Let it dry, then glue the joint with full strength glue. The size prevents the end grain from sucking the joint dry.
Mark, Having said that, I still find the joint distracting and you relegate it to to a mitered corner of a box. If you cut the two pieces length-wise, you will have two pairs of book matched pieces to make a box.
Tails to tails works great too.
About 12 years ago I was commissioned to build a desk with whatever wood I might choose. Well, I had a 10/4" x 36" x about 10' for about $3000. It was figured Bubinga. After finishing the desk, my client was very pleased, and ask me for a small credenza. I had about a 3' long piece left x 3' wide, so I ripped it down the middle and brought the halves together with dovetail on both parts, which was very strong even without the glue, but could hardly be seen after it was glued. Actually I was wishing it would have shown up better, but the grain matched so well that if I didn't point it out to someone, they would never have seen it.
Re: Pretty Close
When making boxes, chests, it works well if you resaw a long board, then cut them in half to get the four sides of a box, the cut in half ends give you a wrap around grain, the long board ends give you a book-matched end-grain. So you have opposing book-matched corners and opposing wrap around corners. So looking at any corner the two side are matched. This is a chest that was made that way, unfortunately it was done a long time ago and I don't know if I took any more photos. 
Re: Pretty Close
Since it looks so nice just as it is shown, join the pieces with a spline joint. Unless this piece would be load bearing and unsupported in the middle, a spline made of the same type of wood should be sufficiently strong for most design applications.
Re: Pretty Close
Hi Lee,
I'm going to be sanding and coating it to see if the slight line becomes less obvious. There are two dominos tucked in there but I did consider a spline. I letting it get thoroughly dry/cured before I stress it.
Re: Finger joints
I have seen hundreds of 2 x 4 studs for houses finger jointed. Many years ago with to a machinery exposition and they were demonstrating a machine that cut out knots, finger jointed the ends, glued and microwaved them and then cut the pieces to length. The thing was hopper fed on one end and put the lumber on a pallet on the other. It never stopped moving, even the saw blade that cut them off was a big spiral and cut them in a single revolution.
The best part was the knots. They fed to another machine that resawed them, to about 3/4's, end glued them, put a strip down both sides, and faced it with pine veneer, cut it to length, put a groove across it and it was a door jamb. Beautiful on the front, 100% knots on the back.
I saw the same kind of machine at IWF in Atlanta
We are headed to SW England soon for a hiking trip. Some of the places were are staying were built in 1300! Thankfully the wood is not relying on the strength of 900 year old glue! There is no way of reliably doing accelerated testing of adhesives to predict their strength in 100 years.
Re: I saw the same kind of machine at IWF in Atlanta
Congrats on the trip, hope you enjoy. I occasionally watch videos by a young man who moved to the US from England and he posts about All the Memos Lost in the Pond. You might look up LOST In The POND and check out the differences between here and there. Light entertainment.
Re: Pretty Close
Nice box. What's the species of the wood?
Re: Pretty Close
Thanks. it's Cherry. It had some nice grain. I am sorry that I can't find any photos from the other corner to show the book-matched ends.
Re: Pretty Close
I've tried this before, but only on non structural elements.
Take care, Jim