Domino limitations

[superunknown]

Sorry, Festool again.......


What are the limitations of the domino joint?

This is a very new machine to me. Most of my experience in the cabinet making industry has been with very traditional jointing methods. So the domino is a big change.

I understand from a bit or surfing and reading, its not recommended for external joinery? Why? I would not be worried to use it on things like windows but would you use it on external doors? Not a single domino, but in sets of 4 with a PU glue?. Anybody tried? Every external door I have ever made has had wedged tenons and I understand all the reasons for this.

I'm interested on how far the domino can be taken together with modern glues.

 

[woodguy7]

You get "sipo" dominos that are specifically for outside. I have just mage a large oak window (2.7 x 1.8) that is full of asticles making it into 49 panes of glass. I have 2 no 10mm x 50mm standard dominoes in each joint. Very strong & very quick. I don't see a problem in using Beech dominoes in a window. I would never build a full sized door with dominoes & always do it the way you mentioned.

Cheers, Woodguy.

 

[OPJ]

The problem with beech is that, despite being hard to the touch, it's a non-durable species. Hence, why Festool produce the "Sipo" dominoes.

Or, you could machine your own dominoes from European oak or similar...

 

[Steve Maskery]

The Domino tool is fab, but it not a panacea for all M&T joinery. You ask what are its limitations. The answer is 28mm depth of cut, 10mm thickness., unlimited width (by taking multiple cuts). Easy to do twins.

But.

If you would expect to need a standard tenon of more than 28mm then a Domino is not up to the job. The same sorts of stresses that are on trad joinery are this too, so if a trad tenon of 28mm is too short, then a domino is too short too. Yes you can gang them up, but would you want an external door held together with tenons that short? I wouldn't.

Having said that, I have made replacement sashes with a domino, twinned up in pairs, and that was very successful. I used home-made softwood doms and the result, as far as I can see, is indistinguishable from a trad M&T.

The Domino is fab for smaller joinery and furniture-making, but for big stuff you still need to be able to make a proper mortice and tenon joint.

HTH
Steve

 

[JoinerySolutions]

Sipo domino's are for outdoor projects such as decks or gazebos.
Beech ones are fine for windows, if they were to rot out you already have a joint failure that allowed water in!
There is also nothing to stop you making your own domino's from offcuts of the project timber.

Most exterior doors available from merchants and the sheds are dowelled or stub tenoned, so no reason you can't make exterior doors with one.
Except that perhaps the reason your making a new door is that you want better than what is commercially available :wink:

Rob.

 

[wizer]

Thinking about the depth issue. I wonder if you could somehow use the dom to mill the slots and then a bearing guided cutter to go deeper, then use home made, longer, doms? A faff, I admit, but it would probably still save time in terms of placement/alignment. Obviously only possible on the larger dom slots.

 

[custard]

Probably the most common shortcoming I find with the Domino is that it's a bit awkward with smaller timber sections.

 

[woodguy7]

You can buy add on fences that is specially for smaller stock.

 

[OPJ]

I'm sure Steve made a jig a few years ago for working with narrow and small stock as well...? :wink:

 

[superunknown]

Thanks for the replies, all interesting

Custard, there is as mentioned a jig you can get for smaller stock. I got this with my Domino, not used it yet but looks like it will do the job just great!

Not used my domino yet, only got it this week. I have some good jobs coming up where I hope it will be working over time

 

[custard]

I use the Domino extras for small section stock, it's a help but not a cure.

The Domino really comes into it's own for making medium sized items, say from a wardrobe to a chest of drawers.

Go heavier (like a workbench or a door) and the biscuits are too small, go lighter (like a side table or a child's chair) and the machine's too big, making it difficult to hold the workpiece and accurately drill the mortice.

 

[RogerS]

We had a discussion about this over on the other site and the general consensus was to avoid Domino's for external work for reasons already given...mainly the restricted length especially when it comes to doors, for example.

I'm not 100% convinced about the argument against using them for windows. My view is that you need to look at the possible ingress points for water and this in turn will be affected by the type of window.

If you look at the typical joint of the meeting rail to stile on a sash window then you have many potential ingress points assuming that you've used through-tenons as is the norm. The only ingress point with a Domino is the interface between the shoulder of the meeting rail and the stile but the normal tenon has this as well.