Thinnest stock for Domino?

[baldkev]

So if i was looking at getting a domino, looks like the 500 would be best for me as it would be for built in units and such ( and i have a morticer for big stuff ) , but is there anything i need to know? I wouod probably make the dominos in the workshop ( im tight ) and it would mostly be in 18mm and above stock, so do i need different sized cutters or aditional extras?

I have watched Peter's 10 years of domino videos and would make the domiplate.... i havent bought festool before and for me its a fair sized outlay, but i have 3 built in cupboards coming up and i want to make myself a new kitchen next year......

 

[DBT85]

So if i was looking at getting a domino, looks like the 500 would be best for me as it would be for built in units and such ( and i have a morticer for big stuff ) , but is there anything i need to know? I wouod probably make the dominos in the workshop ( im tight ) and it would mostly be in 18mm and above stock, so do i need different sized cutters or aditional extras?

I have watched Peter's 10 years of domino videos and would make the domiplate.... i havent bought festool before and for me its a fair sized outlay, but i have 3 built in cupboards coming up and i want to make myself a new kitchen next year......

Kev, you don't need a domiplate at all. I don't have one and its not caused me any issues at all. Feel free to make dominos but to my mind its really not worth the faff and the time when they are like 6p each. You need to get the material, route it, cut them all to length. I'm in the middle of 2 large radiator covers and have ended up using 32 on each, not even 2 quid and not worth my time to make my own but each to their own.

My 500 came with the offer at the time of the free systainer (actually free, not a price hike to make it "free") with the whole selection of dominos for the 500 as well as all the bits. Again I think Peter didn't use anything but 5mm ones for a long time so there is a difference between need and want there. It's nice to have the other sizes and I've used all of them at this point but that is in part because I have them. I had to buy a box of 6mm dominos as I quickly rinsed the 200 or so that were in the systainer.

One upside of spending the money on the domino today is that if in 2 years you decide you don't need it, you'll probably get most of your money back.

 

[GarF]

just don't be in too much of a rush. I finally decided to order one in August, and I've just heard from Festool UK that they're not expecting any fresh stock over here until the new year. I dread to think how many projects I'll have designed to make use of it by the time it lands. Should probably use the intervening time figuring out home brew dominoes.

 

[DBT85]

just don't be in too much of a rush. I finally decided to order one in August, and I've just heard from Festool UK that they're not expecting any fresh stock over here until the new year. I dread to think how many projects I'll have designed to make use of it by the time it lands. Should probably use the intervening time figuring out home brew dominoes.

Yeah they've been short supply now for about 18 months.

 

[baldkev]

Kev, you don't need a domiplate at all. I don't have one and its not caused me any issues at all. Feel free to make dominos but to my mind its really not worth the faff and the time when they are like 6p each. You need to get the material, route it, cut them all to length. I'm in the middle of 2 large radiator covers and have ended up using 32 on each, not even 2 quid and not worth my time to make my own but each to their own.

From the video, the plate appears to make it more stable using the domino upright against the edge of board, ratyer tyan using the domino at 90° setting.

Ah i thought they were supposed to be expensive? And i read somewhere else that the systainer of dominos and 2 cutters cost 200 quid!

 

[baldkev]

Should probably use the intervening time figuring out home brew dominoes.

Oh
I had been considering making a pair of router jigs, 1 for centreing on edges and another to set mortice holes on the face..... might have to do that then

 

[Spectric]

Oh
I had been considering making a pair of router jigs, 1 for centreing on edges and another to set mortice holes on the face..... might have to do that then

Keep us all posted, lot's of interest in jigs and problem solving solutions.

 

[DBT85]

From the video, the plate appears to make it more stable using the domino upright against the edge of board, ratyer tyan using the domino at 90° setting.

Ah i thought they were supposed to be expensive? And i read somewhere else that the systainer of dominos and 2 cutters cost 200 quid!

Yeah the plate will help with that, but it's far from a necessity.

The last box of 6mm ones cost me £69 for 1100 or something. Cutters are about £35.

The systainer you can get has a variety of sizes, about 1100 all in, and one of each cutter for about £180. Bearing in mind that's also got 5 cutters in (though you already have 1 with the tool) so at £35 each, the extra 4 would be £140 if you wanted them individually.

I don't think making dominos is particularly hard, I'd just not bother myself unless they were going to be a feature or something and so a particular wood. I think Mr Maskery makes some?

 

[baldkev]

I don't think making dominos is particularly hard, I'd just not bother myself unless they were going to be a feature or something and so a particular wood. I think Mr Maskery makes some?

Yep, ive got a planer thicknesser and lots of 'offcuts' which i could make long strips from. Just size it to say 6mm x 20mm or whatever a domino is, and then put all 4 edges through a router table with 3mm roundover bit. This wont have the indents etc.

Keep us all posted, lot's of interest in jigs and problem solving solutions.

I'll draw it out take a photo. The only real issue is making sure the cutter is concentric to the guide bush so wherever the router is, it is central to the jig. I'm pretty sure ive got a guide bush for my makita palm router.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Maybe not but dowels would work. It was more in reference to the Niche aspect of the Domino and theft that they are great bits of kit but for just about every reason for using one there is an alternative.

Of course there is. You can do absolutely everything a Domino can do with jigs and other tools, there is no question about that.

The problems come with the time it takes to make the individual jigs along with the setup time and extreme accuracy needed using them. This will mean that unless you dedicate a router and jig permanently to a particular cut you will be taking many times longer with a corresponding chance of mistakes.


Whereas with the domino my process is.
check the correct size cutter is in place.
check the correct plunge depth is set
line up/use the pins and cut.
Time taken 10~20 seconds (unless I need to change the cutter)

possible mistakes
miss alignment of cut: solution use wider wiggle
marking the wrong side of workpiece; solution be more careful

 

[Spectric]

The only real issue is making sure the cutter is concentric to the guide bush

You can buy this from Wealdon tools, Alignment Cone

possible mistakes

Forgetting to mirror the component parts so when in place the edges used as reference become opposite !!!!

 

[Spectric]

Well my last attempt at using my Domino has failed miserably, joints not closing and bad offsets so scrapped that effort and started again with my Dowelmax and this time sixty dowels in precisely with all joints closing and no offsets so for me Dowelmax wins hands down and will be purchasing another just to improve the slowness by not having to reconfigure. I Did try some odd joints, with a single domino in the end of a 70 x 45 things were better but only on the sloppy setting and no hope when trying two domino's and I did 8 joints with non being acceptable.

 

[DBT85]

Well my last attempt at using my Domino has failed miserably, joints not closing and bad offsets so scrapped that effort and started again with my Dowelmax and this time sixty dowels in precisely with all joints closing and no offsets so for me Dowelmax wins hands down and will be purchasing another just to improve the slowness by not having to reconfigure. I Did try some odd joints, with a single domino in the end of a 70 x 45 things were better but only on the sloppy setting and no hope when trying two domino's and I did 8 joints with non being acceptable.

Roy, could you provide some photos of how you are setting it up and what the fit is looking like? Without casting any dispersions upon yourself, the only time I've had any issues is when I've cocked it up (usually not referencing off the right face). But I've also only been doing dominos with 18mm sheet materials, not real wood.

 

[Distinterior]

I use my DF 500 Domino on both sheet goods and real timber.....There is a distinct learning curve in getting to grips with the correct procedure.
Stick with it Roy,....Its definitely worth it in the end as I wouldn't be without mine now......I haven't used a dowel or biscuit for years as the Domino has rendered them obsolete in the projects that I make.

 

[baldkev]

Well my last attempt at using my Domino has failed miserably, joints not closing and bad offsets so scrapped that effort and started again with my Dowelmax and this time sixty dowels in precisely with all joints closing and no offsets so for me Dowelmax wins hands down and will be purchasing another just to improve the slowness by not having to reconfigure. I Did try some odd joints, with a single domino in the end of a 70 x 45 things were better but only on the sloppy setting and no hope when trying two domino's and I did 8 joints with non being acceptable.

I'll give you 50 quid for it

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Well my last attempt at using my Domino has failed miserably, joints not closing and bad offsets so scrapped that effort and started again with my Dowelmax and this time sixty dowels in precisely with all joints closing and no offsets so for me Dowelmax wins hands down and will be purchasing another just to improve the slowness by not having to reconfigure. I Did try some odd joints, with a single domino in the end of a 70 x 45 things were better but only on the sloppy setting and no hope when trying two domino's and I did 8 joints with non being acceptable.

It is certainly possible that you have a faulty machine, extremely unlikely but possible.

However assuming that the machine is functioning correctly, much more likely, then it is operator error. If you wish to use it correctly then it’s worth finding another owner and spending a little time with them. You will then find out if the machine is actually faulty.

The first few joints I made when I got mine 10~12 years ago were c*ap, my technique was the problem, it’s so long ago and there were not enough for me to remember exactly what I did wrong. Using up some scraps to make test joints did it for me.

A useful tip is to sand down at least 8 of each size of domino mark them with a permanent marker and keep them for test fittings. Using full size dominos in a dry fit is often a bad experience ‘been there, done that, got the T-shirt’

 

[Spectric]

much more likely, then it is operator error

I think this is some of my issues, and I like the idea of sanding down some test domino's . I have cut a pile of pieces from my offcut pile and will methodically do a series of test joints to see if I can narrow down exactly what is going wrong.

 

[Spectric]

But I've also only been doing dominos with 18mm sheet materials, not real wood.

Yes when do sheet goods and using my DAJ I have no issues and all is well, just larger sections.

 

[baldkev]

Ok, you twisted my arm, 60 quid

 

[DBT85]

A useful tip is to sand down at least 8 of each size of domino mark them with a permanent marker and keep them for test fittings. Using full size dominos in a dry fit is often a bad experience ‘been there, done that, got the T-shirt’

Not doing this and then trying to remove them all on a dry fit is soooo much fun Gives you a little extra faith that they won't pull out when glued though of course.

I think this is some of my issues, and I like the idea of sanding down some test domino's . I have cut a pile of pieces from my offcut pile and will methodically do a series of test joints to see if I can narrow down exactly what is going wrong.

Yes when do sheet goods and using my DAJ I have no issues and all is well, just larger sections.

I assume you are certain that your larger sections are properly square and so on?