# The wonder of the domino



## LBCarpentry




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## LBCarpentry

I can’t praise this machine enough. If it broke tomorrow I’d buy another one in an instant. Other than amazing for jointing all sorts of timbery things, we use it loads for cutting in deadlocks & sash locks in doors.

And today I used it for precision morticing of 3 solid oak newels for a set of stairs. Took 20 mins to mortice the lot which is quicker then a morticer and I know it’s bang on central because I referenced off both sides.

Just simply an amazingly useful bit of kit

That’s all, thanks

Louis


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## DBT85

I look forward to eventually receiving mine! I placed an order for one at the start of October and its still not arrived due to the delays getting a lot of things at the moment. 

I'm sure others have used it in the way you just have, but the only useage I've ever seen in videos is just making normal domino holes.


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## Ollie78

I agree they are very handy, once you have one you just find uses for it. There is a number of excellent add ons to make it even better and easier. I was looking at this thing. Domino Alignment Jig System (DAJ) Deluxe | FC Tools its a bit expensive but looks great.

Ollie


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## RogerS

Ollie78 said:


> I agree they are very handy, once you have one you just find uses for it. There is a number of excellent add ons to make it even better and easier. I was looking at this thing. Domino Alignment Jig System (DAJ) Deluxe | FC Tools its a bit expensive but looks great.
> 
> Ollie


Curious. Why would one need that jig ?

Louis...thanks for those alternative use suggestions. Kicking myself for not thinking about them for myself.


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## DBT85

Louis out of interest did you do the full depth in the first pass or did you do it in multiple passes like you would a normal router?

EDIt: scrub that, you obviously had to do multiple plunges along the length of the mortice, not slide the domino along the mortice.


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## Ollie78

Just for very quick accurate use, I have the normal cross stop with the pins but find it a little flimsy and awkward sometimes. Its unnecessary I agree.

Ollie


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## LBCarpentry

Think of it as a mobile morticer that can create many


DBT85 said:


> Louis out of interest did you do the full depth in the first pass or did you do it in multiple passes like you would a normal router?
> 
> EDIt: scrub that, you obviously had to do multiple plunges along the length of the mortice, not slide the domino along the mortice.



One pass. Bosh and straight in without issue. Even with an old cutter and on the “wide” setting. The thing is a beast!


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## LBCarpentry

DBT85 said:


> EDIt: scrub that, you obviously had to do multiple plunges along the length of the mortice, not slide the domino along the mortice.



Ah I see! Yes plunge and move it’s the domino groove

Louis


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## Doug71

I have said it before but I do think the Domino XL is probably the best designed tool out there when you take in to account ease of use, what it can do and the fact there is nothing else like it available.

I remember that lightbulb moment when I suddenly realised I could use it for fitting sash locks


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## pcb1962

RogerS said:


> Curious. Why would one need that jig ?


To save you drawing a few pencil lines?
There seems to be a sizeable industry built up around Domino and track saw accessories designed to part gullible people from large amounts of cash.
Always amuses me that these accessories are invariably made from 'aircraft grade aluminium', as if a piece of bog standard 6061 wouldn't be perfectly adequate.


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## DBT85

Not to mention all the aircraft are composite now so it's all going cheap!

I'm joking

I guess if you have to make a ton of joints at the same place, that jig is worth it. For doing 6 its probably overkill.


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## NewbieRaf

This leads to the age old question DF 500 or the 700 XL haha? @LBCarpentry what are your thoughts. I’m waiting for the DF500 just because it’s not a monster. Having said that you’ve got me thinking again as I always like to pay extra to future proof myself. I usually don’t go beyond 18mm boards but the Mrs is now I’m about a front door canopy.

Thoughts? And sorry to open that old chestnut again haha


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## Linwoodjoinery

what is the maximum depth it will cut? As in how deep can the Mortice hole be?


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## AJB Temple

NewbieRaf said:


> This leads to the age old question DF 500 or the 700 XL haha? @LBCarpentry what are your thoughts. I’m waiting for the DF500 just because it’s not a monster. Having said that you’ve got me thinking again as I always like to pay extra to future proof myself. I usually don’t go beyond 18mm boards but the Mrs is now I’m about a front door canopy.
> 
> Thoughts? And sorry to open that old chestnut again haha


This to me is quite simple. The small one is the best bet for cabinetry. The large one is better for full size doors and quite large framing joints. However, if you are only doing a couple of doors the large one is not justified as you may as well save the cash and make M&Ts by hand. 

I had both but sold the large one as I simply didn't use it and for my work I preferred trad joints on bigger pieces. The small one I use frequently. In fact it will be in action today to make some loft door frames.


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## custard

I agree that the Domino can be a very useful machine, I use both the 500 and 700 in my workshop and I wouldn't be without either of them.

But a lot of the Domino lust that I sense on this forum isn't entirely justified. Because the Domino has some important limitations that don't get the publicity they deserve, and there are plenty of alternative methods of getting the same job done. After all lots of amazing furniture was being produced before the Domino was even a twinkle in Festool's eye!

The Domino gives you a decent amount of flexibility around the depth of the mortice, a bit less flexibility around the width of the mortice, but the thickness of the tenon is very, very limited. Consequently to get the best out of the Domino you need to design your furniture around the restrictions of the machine. That's something I really dislike, both for the limitations it places on my designs, but also because it ends up with everyone's furniture looking a bit "samey".

Before the Domino we would often use a router to cut a loose tenons, most craftsmen over a certain age will fondly remember the ingenious jigs we all constructed for the purpose! And I still regularly use a router for the same job today, taking advantage of the huge variety of cutters that are available and the inherently handier nature of a router. For the really complex, compound angled loose tenons, or those cut in curved components (and most jointed chairs for example will usually feature joinery like this) a Domino rarely provides the flexibility required, but it's often the humble dowel that comes to the rescue. Likewise, for many mitres I'd rather use a biscuit than a Domino, as the rugby ball shape often gets support further out to the very edges, preventing the joint opening up in future years.

I'm not having a go at the Domino, as I said I use two of them, just pointing out that it's far from a silver bullet solution for all your joinery needs. Consequently the hobbyist, especially one with limitations on space or budget, should look beyond the hype before deciding if it's a tool they should invest in.


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## LBCarpentry

NewbieRaf said:


> This leads to the age old question DF 500 or the 700 XL haha?



If your doing cabinetry then 500. Without a doubt. I use my 500 a lot more than the bigger.

Of course they have limitations but doesn’t everything? I think the idea of a hobbyist purchasing a domino is a bit ridiculous.

Depth of cut is 70mm for whoever asked

Didn’t intend to start an argument. Just sharing my love for what is essentially a hand held mobile mortice and tennon machine that can be adapted For other tasks and is accurate and fast. Impressive in my opinion. 

Louis


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## DBT85

LBCarpentry said:


> Of course they have limitations but doesn’t everything? I think the idea of a hobbyist purchasing a domino is a bit ridiculous.


It's one of the few tools you can get most of your money back on if you sell it on, and all I hear is that you find new uses for it when you on one and that it's very fast for lots of jobs. When the time you get in a workshop is limited I get why people want one, especially as you can get most of that money back if you want to.


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## Benchwayze

There are plenty of 'utility' style dining chairs still around and in good order. Now pushing 70-80 years. Most of these chairs were jointed with 3/8" dowels. If you like the style they are simple to repair/renovate and a single painted example looks well in a porch.

John


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## AJB Temple

I think Custard has made good points here. As I think I said before I do have and use a Domino 500. I used it yesterday in fact to make some loft hatches where I wanted 100mm insulation filled frames on the inside. I would not use it for fine quality work, but that is partly because if I spend the time to make something of high quality with expensive materials, I like to do "proper" joints. 

My Domino was bought second hand from a tool collector type, and it's second hand value has gone up. This is a bit bizarre really but the current fetish for Festool gear generally is partly responsible. 

I don't have a biscuit jointer as I an just an amateur, and I don't have a dowel system either. What I like about the Domino is the ease of achieving great accuracy.


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## petermillard

DBT85 said:


> It's one of the few tools you can get most of your money back on if you sell it on, and all I hear is that you find new uses for it when you on one and that it's very fast for lots of jobs. When the time you get in a workshop is limited I get why people want one, especially as you can get most of that money back if you want to.


Yes indeed. A unique product combined with a certain amount of tool fetishisation stokes demand; throw in annual Festool price hikes and no real competition and you get a tool that’s essentially free, provided you keep it for a few years.


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## Spectric

In my opinion the domino may be justifiable in a production workshop where speed is important and it's cost will be put down to capital expenditure but in many other cases it could be compared to push fit plumbing fittings, ie they require less skill to achieve an end result that could be achieved another way. As mentioned by custard loose tenons have been around longer and the domino is not the magic tool that will always deliver on demand.


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## DBT85

Why is speed not important at home? Why is a power tool that can do something faster and more repeatedly than other options somehow frowned upon when many of us have home workshops filled with routers, bandsaws, table saws, tracksaws, bench drills etc, many of which for many people cost more than a domino, they also all do specific jobs that save time and increase repeatability and accuracy.

No its not magic. None of it is.

So what if it requries less skill to achieve the result. I love flexing my grey matter but I'm also after results in a limited time frame. If it was all about the skill for me I'd do it all by hand. Then I'd be a _real_ woodworker.


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## Spectric

What is the rush at home, take your time and enjoy. To me the domino seems an expensive way to cut a mortice when a router can do the same but somewhat slower and I can cut long lengths of loose tenon on the table. If I had to do it all by hand then all I would make is sawdust and scrap, plus probably use a lot of plasters !


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## DBT85

Spectric said:


> What is the rush at home, take your time and enjoy. To me the domino seems an expensive way to cut a mortice when a router can do the same but somewhat slower and I can cut long lengths of loose tenon on the table. If I had to do it all by hand then all I would make is sawdust and scrap, plus probably use a lot of plasters !



My time at home is more valuable to me than anything. I have to travel away from home for work and so for 12-14 days a month I'm not at home, not with my wife and my daughter and missing out as a result. It's work that pays well and I can do in my sleep (I broadcast the Premier League and other live sports all over the world), but being away from home both sucks and blows.

Sometimes I just need to get a project done and out the door so that I can move on to something more interesting, more exciting or maybe just next on the list. I have to maintain my own house as well as do maintenance on the holiday cottages we rent out and my in-laws house, that's before I get to make or create anything of interest, or be a dad, a husband, cook the dinner, etc.

Time is valuable and all power tools/machines are a really just a way of buying yourself more time by compressing how long it takes to do the same job you could do with a hand saw, hand plane, chisel, hand drill etc. What we can each justify to ourselves is always going to be different from person to person. Steve may have more room than Bruce so can justify a planer/thicknesser. But Bruce with less space actually only uses sheet material anyway so he buys a domino. Bruce is not doing it "properly" as after all it requires less skill than doing it another way. Meanwhile Steve is filling bag after bag of shavings with his enormous planer/thicknesser. Just seems odd that its only the domino that can illicit such a feeling in folk a full 13 years since its first release.

Sorry if it sounds like im having a go.


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## Linwoodjoinery

I went out to see one of the joiners that works for me in my full time job as contracts manager the other day. He was doing skirting. He is in his 60’s and ‘was doing it properly’ (his words not mine) by hand. That’s all well and good and he made a good job but it took him all day to do a small living room and a small entrance hall. So if a tool makes a job quicker and easier why not use it. Be it a chop saw or a domino


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## Phil Pascoe

DBT85 said:


> So what if it requries less skill to achieve the result. I love flexing my grey matter but I'm also after results in a limited time frame. If it was all about the skill for me I'd do it all by hand. Then I'd be a _real_ woodworker.



Reminded me of school. One day I was starting a woodwork lesson and the master said what's the plan for today, then? I said I was going to get my mortices chopped out. I know you can chop them out perfectly well, he said, so don't waste your time - go down to the metalwork shop, make sure the pillar drill is clean and drill the waste out.


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## craigs

Dear pigeons, look out for the incoming cat...

Lamello zeta P2


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## Droogs

This is an argument that has raged on and on, probably, since some Jewish kid with a Hispanic name packed in his apprenticeship and decided to dropped out as he couldn't compete with that Roman git down the road with all the slaves and who did a bit of woodwork for fun with than new fangled block of wood thing with a bit of sword stuck in it and sold treen at the market on a tuesday.
Yeah, "Omnem apparatum cum ignorantiam" as they say.

There is no such thing as a real woodworker. Unless we only work in daylight or by oil lamp then we are all hybrid woodworkers. the only difference between someone who uses power tools in their workflow and those that don't is, to me, that some of us like things to be perfect to our eyes, some don't. It is all a matter of taste. Not in the workflow but in the final product.
Using machine means you get repeatable exactness and straightness all in all, true uniformity. For some that is great for other it is dull, inhuman and feel unnatural. Those who feel towards the second part tend to shy away from machines and embrace the imperfect that the human hand can so lovingly create.


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## pe2dave

DBT85 said:


> Why is speed not important at home? Why is a power tool that can do something faster and more repeatedly than other options somehow frowned upon when many of us have home workshops filled with routers, bandsaws, table saws, tracksaws, bench drills etc, many of which for many people cost more than a domino, they also all do specific jobs that save time and increase repeatability and accuracy.


What's that phrase? Your mileage may vary?
I like / enjoy working over the bench. I'll often use hand tools over machines, for the pleasure of getting it right by hand. 
For me, that's why speed is not important. Woodwork is a real pleasure.


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## Spectric

Hi



Droogs said:


> There is no such thing as a real woodworker.



Surely anyone making or using wood is a woodworker, even those who carve trees into sculptures. I am only interested in the end result but can appreciate handmade cabinets and furniture especially with fine cut dovetails because it is a skill I don't have and lack that level of finesse. For me whether I use dowels, barrel fasteners, loose tenons, a dovetail or an M&T does not matter because apart from the dovetail all the others look the same when finished. I suppose if you spent £700 on a domino to do say a kitchen then they do resale well, as for the Lamenello at £1000 that is clever but now a mechanical joint like using barrel fasteners so will that upset the purist? Again a great tool in a production workshop where time is money, but as mentioned some of us are torn between having to work long hours and fit the woodworking into the cracks so do not have the opportunity to relax and take time over a job, yes I can remember those days but once the mortgage is cleared that is a great feeling and takes any pressure off.


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## Droogs

@Spectric You have missed my point entirely. The phrase "not real woodwork/woodworker" is thrown at those who use machines by those who don't a hell of a lot and is entirely wrong There is no such thing as "Real Woodworking" *just *woodworking. The method is down to the individuals personal choice taking in their situation. Prof/Pro-Am/Dabbler etc all have different constraints and considerations and these along with personal taste will dictate the manner of making and construction but they are all *just *woodworking. Each has it's own skills and abilities and liabilities and disadvantages.

What people forget on the whole is that for most of human history "The Craft" has not been a past-time frippery but a necessary occupation and therefore the equipment and techniques developed have been created with this in mind. So tools are made with the tradesman in mind and aim to help him get more done in less time at reduced overall cost. If a modern dabbler wants that tool and has the disposable to buy it and then use it great. They have taken the my time divided by the method of conducting my hobby and it has equaled buy that bit of kit.

No right or wrong in the situation as it is entirely subjective to that person. Just co'z it aint right for you does not make it wrong in any way at all.

Even though I have a big choice of machines I can use and I do use them, especially for stock prep, If I amdoing a lot more than a half doz of something I will usually do it using a powered tool. If less then quicker and more fun to do it by hand tool. Horses for courses. I don't have a domino btw but would if I could

edit typos


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## Spectric

Hi

Yes thats probably because I spent so much of my time in software, everything was logical and so to me working with wood just meant a woodworker!

There will always be this difference in opinion in all walks of life, so there is a cult following of working in a bygone age before we had electricity and now I assume freindly banter between the two groups, as I said I am only interested in the end result and without electricity and machines I would have problems and so will not add any fuel to this debate, taking the Swiss approach.


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## LBCarpentry

The domino isn't that wondrous. But it is a very clever collaboration of basic existing components in a very handy form.

Imagine if it was 1915 and the invention of the handheld router has just come on the scene! Imagine that debate!!


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## LBCarpentry

Spectric said:


> Hi
> 
> Yes thats probably because I spent so much of my time in software, everything was logical and so to me working with wood just meant a woodworker!
> 
> There will always be this difference in opinion in all walks of life, so there is a cult following of working in a bygone age before we had electricity and now I assume freindly banter between the two groups, as I said I am only interested in the end result and without electricity and machines I would have problems and so will not add any fuel to this debate, taking the Swiss approach.


We have the same arguments about mountain biking vs Road biking. Disc brakes vs cantilever etc etc etc


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## Spectric

Hi

What I find amazing is the ornate workmanship that was done in the big country houses and such, knowing it was done before routers and had to have been done with planes and chiesels. Just think of the actual physical effort let alone the skill that went into these jobs. On top of that they had to prepare all the timber by hand as well, so these days most people don't really know what a days work really is, even in my lifetime there has been so many changes. Road gangs have lifting quipment for kerbstones, no longer man handled into place, track gangs no longer carry lengths of rail and a personel lifting limit of 20Kg, we used to have 50Kg bags of cement and they wonder why there is so much obesity around.


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## DBT85

Spectric said:


> track gangs no longer carry lengths of rail and a personel lifting limit of 20Kg, we used to have 50Kg bags of cement and they wonder why there is so much obesity around.


And chronic back and joint problems.



LBCarpentry said:


> The domino isn't that wondrous. But it is a very clever collaboration of basic existing components in a very handy form.
> 
> Imagine if it was 1915 and the invention of the handheld router has just come on the scene! Imagine that debate!!


People would have been burned at the hand hewn stake!


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## Droogs

LBCarpentry said:


> The domino isn't that wondrous. But it is a very clever collaboration of basic existing components in a very handy form.
> 
> Imagine if it was 1915 and the invention of the handheld router has just come on the scene! Imagine that debate!!




Would have been a long past it's sell by date as the router was invented in 1884


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## RobinBHM

LBCarpentry said:


> loads for cutting in deadlocks & sash locks in doors



For off the shelf doors or ones you make?



I think there may be a 9 degree tenon jig in your workshop.....There's a smallish clue in the image 
Is that for cutting an angled shoulder on jambs of door / windows?


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## Trevanion

LBCarpentry said:


> Imagine if it was 1915 and the invention of the handheld router has just come on the scene! Imagine that debate!!



Before you read any further, *Nerd Alert!* 

I imagine there wasn't much debate with Routers, one reason being that the majority of workshops wouldn't have had electrical power back then and the second reason even if they had power they probably didn't have the equipment to compress the air needed to make the early hand-held routers work (there were _some_ that had electric motors but you can imagine how prohibitively expensive these would be in a world where light bulbs were very scarce).

A bit of story time...

I think the bigger debate was when the very first _proper_ woodworking machinery was introduced in Britain back at the very tail-end of the 1700s. It came about when a Sir Jeremy Bentham who was a prison reformist and was looking for ways to make use of the prisoners for skilled Joinery work without years and years of training as an apprentice would need, Jeremy asked his brother Samuel Bentham for help in this regard. Samuel was a very experienced naval engineer and shipwright and spent many years in various countries in various shipyards and woodworking factories as a manager and commandant and so was perfect for the job at hand and he did not disappoint his brother, Samuel came up with the principle of rotary cutting which all modern planers, routers and moulders are still based on today and turned woodworking from a handcraft to an industrial powerhouse. Samuel Bentham is known as "The Father of Woodworking Machinery" because of his inventions in the field such as rotary cutting, machine veneer cutting, boring machines, segment circular saw blades, tenon cutters, and sharpening machines, of which he can be credited for. The early machines that Bentham made in the 1790s were of wooden construction with only the cutterblocks and bearings made from metal, the machines although very crude compared to modern standards were an instant success and turned unskilled prisoners into workers that were just as good or even better than the hand craftsmen of the time with a fraction of the training needed. Once the idea of woodworking machinery was proven in the prisons, it soon came to the shipyards of Britain. Of course, back then the hand craftsmen of old were saying the woodworking machinery would never replace a hand plane and chisel, but look at woodworking now.

At the turn of the century another man came along, Marc Isambard Brunel (Name sound familiar? It's the father of the legendary British Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel). Brunel mused over a dinner in New York about making ship blocks with machinery as a frigate would need 1500 blocks and each block would need to be made entirely by hand, when Brunel came back to England he came to be associated with Samuel Bentham and succeded in inventing several machines for making the blocks. It was said that the first attempt was so successful, 10 unskilled workers using the machinery replaced 100 skilled craftmen overnight. Goes to show that machinery has been taking people's jobs long before CNC machines came around!

I hope that was somewhat interesting to read.


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## LBCarpentry

RobinBHM said:


> For off the shelf doors or ones you make?
> 
> 
> 
> I think there may be a 9 degree tenon jig in your workshop.....There's a smallish clue in the image
> Is that for cutting an angled shoulder on jambs of door / windows?



Sure is! Great for a speedy one off frame. Clamp it to the panel saw, bobs yer uncle


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## Illy

Interesting debate here, which has some similarities to the film v digital argument which raged in the world of photography (it might still be raging !). 

My Domino has encouraged me to tackle a range of projects which I wouldn't have done before. I can do joints in other ways but haven't got the skill to nail every one of a series, so something won't line up somewhere, which spoils my enjoyment. I like the design and construction parts of a job and for me the jointing is just a necessary evil, where it might well spoil everything, so the domino has been a complete game changer and massively increased my enjoyment and finished product quality. As a hobbyist, it's been worth every penny - I decided against projects before simply because I didn't have the time, inclination and skill to tackle all the required joints.

It's a matter of preferences and which part of woodworking gives you the most satisfaction- I get totally the skill involved in say hand cut dovetails and the results (as shown by other forum contributors) are beautiful and must be immensely rewarding to the maker.


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## space.dandy

Trevanion said:


> At the turn of the century another man came along, Marc Isambard Brunel (Name sound familiar? It's the father of the legendary British Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel). Brunel mused over a dinner in New York about making ship blocks with machinery as a frigate would need 1500 blocks and each block would need to be made entirely by hand, when Brunel came back to England he came to be associated with Samuel Bentham and succeded in inventing several machines for making the blocks. It was said that the first attempt was so successful, 10 unskilled workers using the machinery replaced 100 skilled craftmen overnight. Goes to show that machinery has been taking people's jobs long before CNC machines came around!



'A New and Useful Machine for Cutting One or More Mortices Forming the Sides of and Cutting the Pin-Hole of the Shells of Blocks, and for Turning and Boring the Shivers, and Fitting and Fixing the Coak Therein.' A bit of a mouthful, but that was the patent Brunel was granted in 1801.

I've just finished reading 'Exactly: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World' by Simon Winchester, which covers this development. Fascinating stuff, if you're in to such things.


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## RobinBHM

LBCarpentry said:


> Sure is! Great for a speedy one off frame. Clamp it to the panel saw, bobs yer uncle


when I had a joinery shop I made one of these

its the easy way to get over the issue of the blade tilting the wrong way to do this operation


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## Illy

space.dandy said:


> 'A New and Useful Machine for Cutting One or More Mortices Forming the Sides of and Cutting the Pin-Hole of the Shells of Blocks, and for Turning and Boring the Shivers, and Fitting and Fixing the Coak Therein.' A bit of a mouthful, but that was the patent Brunel was granted in 1801.
> 
> I've just finished reading 'Exactly: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World' by Simon Winchester, which covers this development. Fascinating stuff, if you're in to such things.


I've just read Simon Winchester's fascinating book as well - perfect present idea for anybody on this forum !


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## NewbieRaf

Switching gears slightly has anyone found a DF 500 in stock anywhere?


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## DBT85

NewbieRaf said:


> Switching gears slightly has anyone found a DF 500 in stock anywhere?


Nope.

I ordered one from toolfest (part of bunnies bolts) at the start of October and they've not had any delivered since then. apparently some surprise XLs appeared a week ago but apart from that no ETA from Festool.


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## monster

DBT85 said:


> Nope.
> 
> I ordered one from toolfest (part of bunnies bolts) at the start of October and they've not had any delivered since then. apparently some surprise XLs appeared a week ago but apart from that no ETA from Festool.



So they may now be worth even more than you paid for them - for those who wish to sell on after buying for a specific job! 

I'm keeping mine though - I love it!


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## LBCarpentry

What on Earth is going on?
Corona, brexit or both?
This country is f&@*ed


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## Benchwayze

Every so often, I decide to ignore the feud between hand tool users, machine lovers, and 'hybrid' workers. 
Then I see a purist knocking him/herself out hand-sawing a 6" square chunk of wood, to make 2 inch square legs, just for the sake of it. Okay, if you really do want to knock yourself out, go ahead. 

However, just think how the timber was felled, and reduced to marketable sizes. Not by hand that's for sure.

I use my machinery to reduce through sawn timber to the initial components. After that I roll over to hand tools for cleaning up, sizing and jointing. (Making a stack of drawers for a kitchen, I'd use my Keller Jig for dovetails. It's the easiest jig to use, and it isn't restricted to drawer sizes, and of the plethora of jigs, its results look the best to me. For nice jobs, (which I want to, concentrate on, now I am a trembly, old duffer), I'll stick with traditional methods and hand tools. But I neither have the strength, nor patience to hand rip heavy planks just taken off the lorry! 

In the end, I will have no guilty feelings about it. As I already said, if you want to knock yourself out, and you are young enough to enjoy it, then be my guest! I will still give you kudos for a job well done. And I won't label you as a *"woodworker" *just because you use machines, when you could employ hand-tool methods.

'Nuff said for me! 
Cheers

John


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## Benchwayze

LBCarpentry said:


> What on Earth is going on?
> Corona, brexit or both?
> This country is f&@*ed


While Boris continues to ride the swings AND the roundabouts!


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## Benchwayze

Droogs said:


> Would have been a long past it's sell by date as the router was invented in 1884


And a Shaker is credited with the invention of the circular saw/table saw.


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## Terrytpot

Spectric said:


> Hi
> 
> What I find amazing is the ornate workmanship that was done in the big country houses and such...



Few years ago the good lady wife persuaded me to do the "Nile cruise" gig for our hollybobs. I was, and remain in awe, at what the Egyptians (or aliens if you hold to that notion) achieved whilst creating the various tombs and monuments we saw whilst there. When you realise that what you were looking at was built before JC briefly walked the earth, some still holding on to the glorious colours and so much of it so crisp and clear I couldn’t even imagine how ,with our current level of technology ,we would try to replicate it. Everyone is familiar with what _Hieroglyphics_ are but what threw me was I'd always thought they were carved into the rock..turns out they weren't, they were left in relief standing proud, so for just using a hammer and a chisel to achieve that sort of accuracy just blows my mind especially when you think of the price of a mistake..


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## DBT85

monster said:


> So they may now be worth even more than you paid for them - for those who wish to sell on after buying for a specific job!
> 
> I'm keeping mine though - I love it!


Well they are at last shipping out! Axminster got some last week and I got a message from Bunnies Bolts just now to say mine will bee here tomorrow.


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## LBCarpentry

Tempted to buy one, hold it, and sell it for a tidy profit when they run out again


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## philip sewell

I did some subbing work for a friend who has a kitchen company. I started making doors and frames with my morticer and tenoner and haunching (like you supposed to!) but he was unhappy about the time this was taking and encouraged me to get a domino which I did.

The time saving was massive.

Down sides (like Custard said) the size of the rails are designed around the size of the dominos, hence all his kitchen doors are the same size. They are all the same design as well (I believe they are classed as Shaker, i.e. a flat panel in a frame, generally painted finish).

But, if you want a haunch I don’t see how this is achievable using the domino jointer (is a haunch necessary on cabinet doors?).


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## craigs

I only see the limitation in terms of thickness and depth, but that doesn't mean you cant double them up, even if it means thinner dominos. you can certainly make longer mortices and make your own wide domino stock


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## Geoff_S

We used a Domino machine for my front door, made from Douglas Fir. I was told by many that I was not to do it. We did, it worked. Many said it wouldn't. Many said it wouldn't be strong enough. It was, over a year later, zero movement.

Mind you, it was my nephew's Domino, he's a carpenter/joiner, but the machine is still brilliant.

If they had been around 30+ years ago (maybe they were and I just didn't know) I would have bought one without hesitation. The thing is that today I cannot think of any future project that I would need one for, so I just keep on the right side of my nephew!


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## craigs

Geoff_S said:


> We used a Domino machine for my front door, made from Douglas Fir. I was told by many that I was not to do it. We did, it worked. Many said it wouldn't. Many said it wouldn't be strong enough. It was, over a year later, zero movement.
> 
> Mind you, it was my nephew's Domino, he's a carpenter/joiner, but the machine is still brilliant.
> 
> If they had been around 30+ years ago (maybe they were and I just didn't know) I would have bought one without hesitation. The thing is that today I cannot think of any future project that I would need one for, so I just keep on the right side of my nephew!


I assume its the 700? I have seen a number of yootoob videos where joiners make doors with the domino


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## Geoff_S

craigsalisbury said:


> I assume its the 700? I have seen a number of yootoob videos where joiners make doors with the domino


Yes, a 700, the bigger one.


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## DBT85

Mine has at last arrived from Toolfest and at £780 for the 500 Q-set and the "free" systainer of dominos (The promo they were running a couple of months ago) its £200 cheaper than Axminster want. Happy with that.

I shall have a play tomorrow.


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## DBT85

For the filthy tool collectors among us this was a nice 50 minute video from the german Festool chaps about the tool and its accessories.


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