Alternative joining method

[Jacob]

.....Here are some images of a Dowelmax joint:

View attachment 101067

........

Just revisiting this image - could be a chair/table leg joint?
It involves 24 holes accurately positioned and 12 dowels to fill them. Same joint with M&Ts involves 2 holes only and no dowels or loose tenons at all, though you do have to shape 2.

 

[Spectric]

Hi

It involves 24 holes accurately positioned and 12 dowels to fill them. Same joint with M&Ts involves 2 holes only and no dowels or loose tenons at all, though you do have to shape 2.

It is not difficult to accurately position those holes using a Dowelmax, you will get issues if the workpiece is more square than rectangular because the holes can meet. If I had the skills/confidence then the good old M&T would be my choice for this type of joint but for now I am using dowels and also Dominos, but hopefully honing other skills in the time that should now be freed up.

 

[recipio]

Check out the Beadlock system sold by Rockler the US.Two mortises sre drilled out and the special loose tenons are inserted. A simple idea but the fit is so tight it needs clamping
I think it is a brilliant and cheap system and made a set of dining chairs 6 years ago which are still rock solid.
Too bad it is imperial only and the special router bit to make the tenons is a one off expense.

 

[johnnyb]

After buying a df700 finding it inaccurate then eventually selling it I've got a foot in both camps. Notably I mostly use mortice and tenons in one guise or another. There good because there controllable and accurate and blooming strong. I'm intrigued by the dowel max for joints that aren't that easy to make. I've also considered a slot morticer for my planer but there a pain to take off/ back on to use the planer. But they are accurate which is more than my domino... a simple table corner begs for a m and t. We used barefaced tenons on big pine kitchen tables. It's the change of fashion that put pay to them not falling apart.

 

[Beau]

After buying a df700 finding it inaccurate then eventually selling it I've got a foot in both camps. Notably I mostly use mortice and tenons in one guise or another. There good because there controllable and accurate and blooming strong. I'm intrigued by the dowel max for joints that aren't that easy to make. I've also considered a slot morticer for my planer but there a pain to take off/ back on to use the planer. But they are accurate which is more than my domino... a simple table corner begs for a m and t. We used barefaced tenons on big pine kitchen tables. It's the change of fashion that put pay to them not falling apart.

Hi John. I'm looking at getting the larger Domino jointer and in doing so stumbled across this discussion. Can I ask in what way its inaccurate? For that money I would be expecting fast, precise joints

 

[Spectric]

Can I ask in what way its inaccurate? For that money I would be expecting fast, precise joints

That is the £1000 question, it is fast and makes great oblong dowel holes but for me and others the location has caused issues. If it was 100% bang on then why are there aftermarket products such as the Domi plates started by Senaca woodworking, the Domino alignment jig (DAJ) from FC tools and the Woodpeckers Offset Base System for Festool Domino at £590 from here

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/w...hJj-umiEJvBziJLcPwdXJiUE6YrqQgTjZhYvjZv0zu3SE

I think that the reason for the loose settings on both the domino machines is simply to accomodate the slight misalignment, if you use the loose setting then alignment is not a big issue and it appears to be accurate. The loose setting on the 700 is really too loose, so someone on this forum suggested that rather than use the loose setting just ease the sides of the oblong dowel instead. I must admit that having come from using dowels where precision is critical that I have issues with sloppy fitting dowels round or oblong. If my dowel jigs can allow me to lay a pattern of twenty dowels and achieve perfect joint closure then I would expect something similar from a £1000 domino 700.

At the moment I have not been using my XL700 and instead have been using my Jessem dowel jig but the concept of the domino is great and so at some point I will spend some more time and try further ideas, there is also some product in the pipe line from a woodworking company we all know which I hope might be the solution, I can only hope.

The other great thing about the domino is that it is fast, much faster than dowels and so would be a great asset plus I like the idea of joining wood with wood, the other tool out there is the Lamello P2 with it's plastic / nylon P connectors but that is using plastic to join wood which I seem to have some issue with, maybe it is really just the cost of both the machine and connectors !

I'm intrigued by the dowel max for joints that aren't that easy to make

The dowelmax is an amazing doweling jig, once you master the concept then it is so easy to place a pattern of dowels in a workpiece and mirror the pattern on the other piece, if you have a line of say twenty five dowels then think how precise each one must be for that joint to close, just 0.125mm out on each and the total error will be such it would not close. This is no longer supported in the UK, the Jessem jig is the next best in my opinion.

So John the decision is yours, ideally it would be great if you could handle and use one before purchase so maybe a trip to Axminster is a solution as it is a big expense.

 

[johnnyb]

It just didn't allow the faces of things to line up as well as I would like. It was not precise at all.

 

[johnnyb]

I found the smaller one fine though

 

[johnnyb]

I would even suggest a slot morticer is a far superior device.

 

[Citracal]

The domino is only as accurate as the person using it, the machine is tried and tested, if you're finding it inaccurate I'd say the most likely culprit is the user not the tool.

 

[Citracal]

When considering the larger sized machine I think you have to ask yourself what size material you think you're going to be working with. At my last job we produced all manner of solid wood furniture and between all the makers in the place I might have seen the df700 picked up once in two years. Not that it's a bad machine just for furniture you rarely need something that size, why have something more cumbersome than it needs to be. We used traditional mortice and tenon joints, done on the tenoner and morticer, for all chairs as they need to be tolerate a lot of force but for making up frames, cabinet doors, panels you cannot beat the speed of the domino.

 

[Spectric]

I found the smaller one fine though

I would say that the 500 is more manageable and with a lot less plunge depth then easier to use.