Extra wide domino morticing

[Adam9453]

Just wondering if anyone bothers cutting extra wide mortices to fit their own made extra wide Domino's?
Or do people just use multiple mortices and tenons where required?

 

[custard]

If you've got something like a 45 or 50mm stile and rail, then a single Domino is that bit too narrow and there's not really enough room for a double. So it's an extra wide Domino mortice with a user cut loose tenon...or dust off the morticing machine and do it the old fashioned way!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Yes, I do exactly that. I have a set of gauges, templates with slots cut in them, showing the actual sizes of the slots on different waggle setting. I call it the Waggleometer
I can see at a glance what size mortice will be cut, including by using the pins, and I can then judge whether multiple separate mortices or overlapping mortices will be more suitable. If overlapping, I will often just rip a Domino down to make up the extra width. It's just as strong, as it is the face-grain-to-face-grain contact that counts.

 

[Adam9453]

Do you use the 500 or 700 Steve?
From what I can see the 700 with its multiple pins each side lends itself better to repeatable exact size extra wide mortices.
Have either of you tried using the 700 to make doors or gates?

 

[Adam9453]

I agree custard, I can certainly see where they would be beneficial, I wondered more whether people actually do it, or whether they choose a different joint in those scenarios as you suggest.
I'm going to hopefully get hold of some of those new KD fittings you mentioned in the other thread as I may have a new toy (I mean tool) arriving tomorrow , swmbo fancies a 4 poster bed so it would be the perfect project to test them out

 

[custard]

Have either of you tried using the 700 to make doors or gates?

No, but I've used the 700 to make workbenches and big dining tables. Big structures don't tend to be a problem, as on a 75-150mm wide rail you've got more flexibility to work within the limitations of the Domino width system (13mm plus the bit diameter), the problem I encounter is medium furniture scale components, say a 50mm wide rail. Too wide for a single Domino, too narrow for multiple Dominos.

 

[yetloh]

I have been making extra wide Dominos in the last couple of days. I got talked into making a laundry chest for a confined space - 320mm square and decided to use 8mm thick x 47mm wide slats Dominoed into 14mm thick top and bottom frames to maximise internal space. The standard 4mm Dominos are far too titchy for this, but the widest setting on my 500 gives a 24mm wide slot which works well. Domino stock was easy to machine up from some thin ash I had laying around. The slats are only 3mm apart so the overall glue area will be quite respectable and the whole thing should be plenty strong enough. Freeing yourself up from the straightjacket of standard Domino sizes provides all sorts of opportunities to avoid unheplful compromises.

Jim

 

[Steve Maskery]

Do you use the 500 or 700 Steve?
...
Have either of you tried using the 700 to make doors or gates?

The 500.
Yes I made my (temporary) workshop doors with multiple dominoes. They are too short really, but with a sheet of OSB glued and screwed onto them, they will do until I do the job properly.

While we are talking Dominoes, can I plug this thread? It's a really useful gadget.