Better Dominoes Storage

[ChuckM]

The large bulk packs of dominoes (8x22x50 - 600; 6x20x40 - 1100) come in a box of several plastic bags, unlike the regular packs in a nice container.

I've saved some salad containers, and three such containers can hold the content of one bulk pack.

For the 8mm dominoes, I decided to buy the longest ones (50mm), instead of both lengths. If I need the 40mm, I can bandsaw them to length. The 6mm and 8mm dominoes are the most used tenons for my projects. When I run out of the 10mm, I may consider making them myself.

 

[Coen]

Oke, so now they just take more space  [huh] and don't stack as easily.

 

[ChuckM]

I keep only one container of each in the shop...the rest off to offsite storage (a.k.a. basement). ;D The original boxes and bags go to the recycle bin.

 

[Mini Me]

I was always under the impression that preventing the Dominos from absorbing too much moisture was a priority and they should be kept in closed containers to avoid it. I guess it depends on the local climate in that regard and what steps are necessary to keep them essentially dry.

 

[ChuckM]

In the old days, I used to microwave the dominoes before assembly. I no longer do that. Instead , I keep slightly sanded dominoes (in each size) for dry-fitting purposes. I also apply glue to all the mortises first, then the dominoes one at a time (and only half of the domino each time), not giving them much time to swell. This was the trick Tage Frid used in inlaid dovetail joints.

I'm not aware of any reliable and practical way of keeping such quantity of dominoes from absorbing moisture once a plastic bag is cut open. So my solution is to ignore it and hammer them in with my Halder-Simplex or Lixie mallet. There haven't been any hiccups in my assembly process due to moisture issues since I changed my practice a couple years ago.

Edit: In the winter, on average the shop (garage) is 15% to 20% more humid than the house where the rest of the dominoes are kept.

 

[Packard]

I was always under the impression that preventing the Dominos from absorbing too much moisture was a priority and they should be kept in closed containers to avoid it. I guess it depends on the local climate in that regard and what steps are necessary to keep them essentially dry.

  That was my impression too.  I know that conventional dowels with ribbs are compressed and expand when exposed to the water in the glue, and biscuits do too.  I thought that dominoes would be also.  The impressed "Domino/Festool" on the surface is a sure indicator that it was compressed. 

Almost any glass jar would make a suitable container if the lid is available.  A plastic jar with a lid that has a gasket will work as well, though it might not be as moisture tight as the glass jar.

 

[Coen]

Edit: In the winter, on average the shop (garage) is 15% to 20% more humid than the house where the rest of the dominoes are kept.

Relative humidity (RV%) and absolute humidity (g/kg) are not the same thing. The garage is probably also much colder, and colder air can contain less moisture.

Eg. 20 degrees C and 40% RV is 5.8 g/kg while 5 degrees C and 80% is only 4.32 g/kg.

 

[ChuckM]

Edit: In the winter, on average the shop (garage) is 15% to 20% more humid than the house where the rest of the dominoes are kept.

Relative humidity (RV%) and absolute humidity (g/kg) are not the same thing. The garage is probably also much colder, and colder air can contain less moisture.

Eg. 20 degrees C and 40% RV is 5.8 g/kg while 5 degrees C and 80% is only 4.32 g/kg.

You're right. My shop is much colder (in the winter between 5*C to -15*C if it's -30C outside), but the garage floor is always wet on every snow day because the car (two previously) brings snow in. The water puddles around the tires get trapped in the shop, and don't go away for days or a couple of weeks. We had a huge snowfall the week before Christmas, and most residential streets are still packed with snow.

To deal with shop moisture concerns, I have these in every tool cabinet or box, large or small:https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/tool-maintenance/53828-silica-gel-dehumidifiers (recharged when the color changes), and spray rust preventatives such as fluid film or Boeshield T9 regularly on machines.

 

[Packard]

For controlling humidity in closed cabinets: https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pac...V8/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=condensation+heater+for+cabinets&qid=1611856632&sr=8-12

I used to burn a 15 watt bulb in my table saw.  It warmed it up enough to keep condensation off of it.  But try and find 15 watt incandescent bulbs nowadays.  The heater is more sensible.

 

[Coen]

Edit: In the winter, on average the shop (garage) is 15% to 20% more humid than the house where the rest of the dominoes are kept.

Relative humidity (RV%) and absolute humidity (g/kg) are not the same thing. The garage is probably also much colder, and colder air can contain less moisture.

Eg. 20 degrees C and 40% RV is 5.8 g/kg while 5 degrees C and 80% is only 4.32 g/kg.

You're right. My shop is much colder (in the winter between 5*C to -15*C if it's -30C outside), but the garage floor is always wet on every snow day because the car (two previously) brings snow in. The water puddles around the tires get trapped in the shop, and don't go away for days or a couple of weeks. We had a huge snowfall the week before Christmas, and most residential streets are still packed with snow.

To deal with shop moisture concerns, I have these in every tool cabinet or box, large or small:https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/tool-maintenance/53828-silica-gel-dehumidifiers (recharged when the color changes), and spray rust preventatives such as fluid film or Boeshield T9 regularly on machines.

-30  :-X

In NL the winter seems to have emigrated...

But I have tools in Systainer in a garage without any insulation near the wall and the worst is some very tiny tiny surface rust on a few things. It helps that there is basicly no moisture from the ground and that during daytime some south-facing windows will warm it up.

 

[ChuckM]

For controlling humidity in closed cabinets: https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pac...V8/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=condensation+heater+for+cabinets&qid=1611856632&sr=8-12

I used to burn a 15 watt bulb in my table saw.  It warmed it up enough to keep condensation off of it.  But try and find 15 watt incandescent bulbs nowadays.  The heater is more sensible.

That air dryer is interesting. At one time, I thought about installing a golden rod dehumidifier, which Lee Valley used to carry.

I also use this extensively for hand tools:https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/storage/tool-storage/68931-anti-corrosion-liner  (replaced every 4 or 5 years).

 

[mino]

Edit: In the winter, on average the shop (garage) is 15% to 20% more humid than the house where the rest of the dominoes are kept.

Relative humidity (RV%) and absolute humidity (g/kg) are not the same thing. The garage is probably also much colder, and colder air can contain less moisture.

Eg. 20 degrees C and 40% RV is 5.8 g/kg while 5 degrees C and 80% is only 4.32 g/kg.

Yes, but you actually care about the relative one. That is what will affect how much materials, including wood, accept moisture. Is about the partial pressure stuff an all that.

The absolute humidity will have an effect on how -fast- they absorb water, relative humidity being the same. But this is insignificant in practice as after a few days they will reach an equilibrium aligned with the relative humidity values.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I keep mine in heavy duty zip-lock bags. Each of the containers in the assortment systainer has one and I keep a larger bag for the 6mm dominos that come in the bigger boxes, since I use them the most. I only open them one at a time and actually keep a dessicant dryer cannister in there too. It may not be necessary, but it's something I started doing back when I had problems with biscuits and it can hurt.

 

[JimD]

I almost exclusively make my tenon stock and I keep it on hand in 3 foot lengths stored under my worktable/outfeed table.  When I need it I cut the tenons to length on my bandsaw with a little sled I use only for this purpose with the lengths marked (i.e. 48 mm for 50mm mortises).  I use a sander to bevel the ends a little before assembly.  I have not had swelling issues, my shop garage does not hold cars but it is usually not heated or cooled. 

If I have left over cut to length tenons, I store them in old trail mix plastic containers.  They have a nice wide opening that makes it easy to get the tenons out. 

I have some premade stock that fits the oversize mortise my XL makes at the wider setting.  I'm not sure I will make any more that way, however.  The difference isn't much and it means I have to be more careful to get the right width out of the rack. 

 

[ChuckM]

Jim,

Do you cut any grooves on the shop-made tenons?

 

[Coen]

Edit: In the winter, on average the shop (garage) is 15% to 20% more humid than the house where the rest of the dominoes are kept.

Relative humidity (RV%) and absolute humidity (g/kg) are not the same thing. The garage is probably also much colder, and colder air can contain less moisture.

Eg. 20 degrees C and 40% RV is 5.8 g/kg while 5 degrees C and 80% is only 4.32 g/kg.

You're right. My shop is much colder (in the winter between 5*C to -15*C if it's -30C outside), but the garage floor is always wet on every snow day because the car (two previously) brings snow in. The water puddles around the tires get trapped in the shop, and don't go away for days or a couple of weeks. We had a huge snowfall the week before Christmas, and most residential streets are still packed with snow.

To deal with shop moisture concerns, I have these in every tool cabinet or box, large or small:https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/tool-maintenance/53828-silica-gel-dehumidifiers (recharged when the color changes), and spray rust preventatives such as fluid film or Boeshield T9 regularly on machines.

-30  :-X

In NL the winter seems to have emigrated...

But I have tools in Systainer in a garage without any insulation near the wall and the worst is some very tiny tiny surface rust on a few things. It helps that there is basicly no moisture from the ground and that during daytime some south-facing windows will warm it up.

Well, this aged badly... NL having the coldest week in 15 years. And it's also freezing on the inside of the single pane glazing of the garage.  [big grin]

 

[ChuckM]

A buddy in Vancouver/Richmond told me they had a low of close to -10C. Cold everywhere. (Sadly, someone in B.C. even died after having a drink at her neighbor's house:https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dawson-creek-extreme-cold-woman-dies-1.5905754)

Two weeks ago, I insulated my garage with Reflectix. The cold snap brought the weekend overnight temp. to -26C (before windchill). What was the temp. in my shop the next morning? See the last image. Unbelievable.

 

[JimD]

No, I do not groove my home made dominos.  I usually make them a little narrower than the mortise so glue can move if it all gets in the bottom.  But I try to avoid that with a light coat of glue in the mortises and on the tenons.  I reason that my previous integral tenons were not compressed or grooved and worked fine.  So far my home made domino tenons have worked fine too.