thank you for the wisdom. I did follow the video directions and screwed a piece of 2 x 4 across the joint (screws into the worktable itself). Your recommendation of using blue tape is right on! I will definitely incorporate that into the deck piece.
Go to this thread and you will find there how I deal with the puzzle joints. Yes I tape them both sides with blue tape. I am working with thin veneers 1/100 so there can be no sanding at all. You really need to weight them down so you dont ge any ridges .
I would recommend scraping before thinking of sanding. No dust, and it will just remove the squeeze-out. Sharpen the scraper periodically. CLC carries them, and has some tips on sharpening them. I have to admit that I haven't sharpened them like CLC shows, and haven't burnished them. I've just been placing some sandpaper on a flat surface and holding the scraper at 90 degrees to the surface and going back and forth a dozen times.