Centering dominos
- Thread starter woodnerd
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woodnerd said:
Cliff, what are you doing where you need it precisely centered? Many people think you have to center the mortise. As long as you reference off of the same face on both pieces of material, centering doesn't matter.
I agree that for most things the mortice doesn't need centering as long as you measure off consistent edges. However, this weekend I was placing slats in a garden bench and wanted it to be at least close. I measured the thickness of the slat and set the domino fence height at half of that measurement. I'd recomment using metric for this even if it is the only metric measurement you do use. I can easily get within a half mm.
This didn't work well until I tightened the fence locking level to be able to really lock down.
This didn't work well until I tightened the fence locking level to be able to really lock down.
Use the top of the Bar (Nub) that sticks up (Vertical) at both ends of the Fence Face. This Bar lines up to reference from the bit's center. This reference point is the Horizontal or for the thickness of the Domino.
You can really reference everything from the bit's center based on marking cross lines on your piece.
I know there was a post about this but I'm not good at linking nor posting pictures.
You can really reference everything from the bit's center based on marking cross lines on your piece.
I know there was a post about this but I'm not good at linking nor posting pictures.
What Woodnerd is saying that he wants to center the Domino in the thickness of the panel's edge and NOT from the end of it's edge.
For my needs I found that Ron Wenner makes a jig to do this and it's capable of centering Domino's in 1/2" and 3/4" thick panels.
For my needs I found that Ron Wenner makes a jig to do this and it's capable of centering Domino's in 1/2" and 3/4" thick panels.
Jeff Hein
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I was trying to do this as well, I could get close, but not perfect...
I am putting 1/2" slats into 3/4" rails for a bunk bed railing. I was trying to center the domino in both the 1/2" material and the 3/4" material so that when I put them together, they would have a consistent reveal on both sides.
I am putting 1/2" slats into 3/4" rails for a bunk bed railing. I was trying to center the domino in both the 1/2" material and the 3/4" material so that when I put them together, they would have a consistent reveal on both sides.
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If you have to center it, then scribe your center line and then use the fence for alignment. I posted about it in another thread, here:
Centering Domino mortises
And, here's a photo showing it in action. The red line would be the center of the mortise.
Centering Domino mortises
And, here's a photo showing it in action. The red line would be the center of the mortise.
mouppe
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Jeff Hein said:
Jeff,
I had a similar situation with table aprons and legs. I wanted the apron made from thinner wood to be centred on the table legs giving an equal reveal on both sides. I found the easiest way was to mortise all my legs, then use a test piece the same thickness as the apron to get the right height adjustment for the aprons, and finally mortise all the aprons. Even if you are off by a mm, the eye won't pick it up.
Richard.
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Shane's illustration might be easier to understand if the fence were flipped down 90 degrees.
You can mark the center of the thickness the same way and adjust the fence so you are on that mark. That should dial you in close enough to center that any error is imperceptible. You should still ensure that you consistently reference the same surface of all parts.
Tom
You can mark the center of the thickness the same way and adjust the fence so you are on that mark. That should dial you in close enough to center that any error is imperceptible. You should still ensure that you consistently reference the same surface of all parts.
Tom
Jesse Cloud
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Hey Woodnerd!
Is the issue that your dominoes don't go in consistently, or that they are consistently off center?
If this is something you do often, Ron Wen's gadget would be worth it. Also, Rick's manual for the domino shows how to make a stop for setting height to dimensions other than those build into the tool. All you need is a piece of 1/2 pvc....
Almost always, when I find my Dominoes aren't going in consistently its one of two things:
- not always referencing from the same edge
- letting the bottom of the domino rest on the mft or some crud...
Hope this helps.
Is the issue that your dominoes don't go in consistently, or that they are consistently off center?
If this is something you do often, Ron Wen's gadget would be worth it. Also, Rick's manual for the domino shows how to make a stop for setting height to dimensions other than those build into the tool. All you need is a piece of 1/2 pvc....
Almost always, when I find my Dominoes aren't going in consistently its one of two things:
- not always referencing from the same edge
- letting the bottom of the domino rest on the mft or some crud...
Hope this helps.
Sorry guys, I got sucked into the vortex of the Brain-Addled Client. Didn't mean to leave you guessing what I meant.
The issue isn't the side-to-side alignment. I often want to put a domino dead-center in the thickness of a panel. For example, I needed to make a small case a few weeks ago with a center divider. Because of the design, the two compartments needed to be as absolutely identical as possible and that meant getting the divider dead-center. I can certainly do it by being super careful, test pieces, etc. But I was just hoping for an easier way. I made up some spacer blocks to help out with my common sizes of stock, but even then I just can't seem to get it right without test cuts.
The issue isn't the side-to-side alignment. I often want to put a domino dead-center in the thickness of a panel. For example, I needed to make a small case a few weeks ago with a center divider. Because of the design, the two compartments needed to be as absolutely identical as possible and that meant getting the divider dead-center. I can certainly do it by being super careful, test pieces, etc. But I was just hoping for an easier way. I made up some spacer blocks to help out with my common sizes of stock, but even then I just can't seem to get it right without test cuts.
woodnerd said:
Woodnerd, correct?
What Woodnerd is saying that he wants to center the Domino in the thickness of the panel's edge and NOT from the end of it's edge.
For my needs I found that Ron Wenner makes a jig to do this and it's capable of centering Domino's in 1/2" and 3/4" thick panels.
Jesse Cloud
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Hate to say it, but if the spacer blocks don't work consistently for you, then probably the panels are slightly offsize. I doubt in Ron Wen's jig would solve the problem either. If its gotta be dead nuts on, you probably need to do a test cut. Not the answer you are looking for, I know...
