Considering taking the Domino Plunge

[Chris Jackson]

There are probably a couple of other threads on this but I felt I needed my own.  I am considering a Domino purchase and really need some sage advice of the group, due to the financial significance of a purchase this size for me as a humble hobbyist.

Firstly my woodworking habits are as follows:

Simple cabinetry projects, Entertainment Center, Coffee Table, Side Board, and the like...

Modern design leanings, not prone to do any Queen Anne, or flowery Georgian work...

Occasion small boxes, stand alone cabinets, and sheet goods built-ins, closet organizers, etc...

Majority machine tool user, I have one or two planes and a couple good sets of chisels, but predominately use my machines for most projects...TS55 (with 55" track), MIDI Vac, RO125, OF1010, T15+3, 2HP Router in a Table, Table Saw, Bandsaw, Drill Press, Benchtop Mortiser, and Jointer/Planer...

My Questions based on the above information:

Would my money be better spent on a Domino Kit or stick with my Biscuit Jointer and get a 32mm hole drilling system or something else?

I've heard a lot of folks have buyers remorse with the 32mm kit.  I do several projects a year where it would be useful, but the initial $600 or so is quite steep.

On the other hand $1100 for the Domino set and a cutter/domino box is REALLY going wipe out my toy fund for the year...

Any help??

 

[tigger]

Hi Chris

I really think you can't go wrong here. I've always been pro domino but only since I bought one. Had the same feelings as you have about the price. In SA we pay around R 12 000.00 for the Domino with a systainer of domino's of each size. That about $450.00 more than you lucky Americans pay. So you can imagine our hesitation for such a purchase.
The good news is that I have been able to elevate my game and produce some cabinetry I never thought possible.
It also makes the actual construction a lot easier as edges actually line up!
Check out the attached pic. This is veneered chipboard with the edges cut at 45 degrees! This should give you an idea of how accurate you can work. Please note that this is the first project I built using the Domino. I was trying to see what it could do and I was not dissappointed.
I know it will empty the piggy bank but I have NEVER regretted buying it.
I also found it very useful as a general mortising machine for barrel locks and the like.
I wish you well with you decision.
Leon

 

[Jesse Cloud]

The Domino sounds like a natural for you.  It should really speed up those cabinet and small table projects.

And, as a fellow hobbyist, it is great fun to use!  It is so fast that when using it I act like a kid on a roller coaster "Faster! Faster!" until I make a mistake and come back to earth.  The good news is that mistakes are easy to fix - saw off most of the protruding part of the Domino, plane it flush and start over.

Still more good news, if you buy it and then get buyer's remorse six months later, you can sell it for darned near what you paid for it, at least in the US.

I have made a dozen or so projects with the Domino, and never had any trouble with any of them = as Tigger says, it raises your game!

 

[GPowers]

I'm waiting for a Domino right now. Ordered it on Monday and UPS is scheduled to deliver it this coming Monday. Had a very hard time spending that kind of money. I was thinking about buying a joiner and a sanding station. But I have not sold the third car yet too make room for equipment. So I need to keep all my wood working  portable. Need to be able to move all the wood working tools out of the way and park cars.

I'm look forward to a new kind of joinery that the Domino will allow me to do. Face frames, carcass construction, bookcases, and some shop furniture.

I would agree with you on the 32mm kit (aka European 32 mm grid pattern hole drilling set) for $425 plus a hole rail for $81. $500 is a little steep.  For now I think a Rockler JIG IT? Shelving Jig $25 and a Rockler Concealed Hinge JIG IT? System $40 will work for me. Or even the JIG IT? for Concealed Hinges, Multi-Tool Rail Master Pack for $90.

 

[nico]

Chris,

I used a biscuit joiner for some years , about 18 months ago I bought a Domino,
since than I never used the biscuit joiner again .
Ok this is a lie, I used it during a weekend when I run out of dominos ;-)
Chris, I don't think you will ever regret buying the domino

Kr,
Nico

 

[ajones]

hi Chris sell the biscuit jointer and put the funds towards a domino, I thought it was a expensive item but now I think they are worth every penny,
take the plunge [big grin] [big grin]

 

[Wood_Junkie]

The Domino is a budget buster... but it sure is great.

Others on this forum have also touted the Dowelmax as a reasonably comparable joinery tool, at a significant cost savings.  Search around and think about that.  I have no experience with it, and would beat you to death with my Domino 'fore I let you take it... 

Following the purchase of my Domino, I sold my PC biscuit joiner, Mortise Pal (I really did like this tool!), and various doweling jigs (relative cheapies).  The only other thing I kept was the Kreg pocket hole set.  In certain instances the pocket holes are a beautiful complement to Dominos (panel movement management) and for certain things faster, easier, and uglier (e.g. shop drawers). 

Oh, I also kept my JET mortising machine, specifically for square plugs... but Lee Valley just came out with something muuuch more space efficient for that purpose... so that machine may be on its way out, also.

 

[john ferri]

Your list of tools indicates that you do not need a domino--you want a domino, or at least the speed and convenience of a domino.  You might just consider the domino an upgrade from your biscuit joiner (although an expensive upgrade).

JF 

 

[clintholeman]

The Domino is the clear choice here, IMO - along with everyone else or nearly so.

For 32mm hole drilling, you can certainly use the rail and then use a drill bit taped to a small square to use as a guide rail stop for your router [there used to be pix of the set-up on this site, but I couldn't find them searching].  It is accurate, repeatable, and very cheap - use the money you would have spent on that system to finance the Domino.

 

[fshanno]

I looked long and hard at the Dowelmax because it's a great little rig.  But it's not cheap either.  In the end the speed and flexibility of the Domino trumped the accuracy, lower cost and arguably stronger joints of the Dowelmax.  I didn't own a biscuit jointer or a mortiser so my Domino became my workhorse.  If it dies after the warranty expires I'll have to have it fixed or buy a new one if it can't be fixed.  It's that important to me.  I'm as accurate with it as I am with any of my other power tools.  It doesn't disappoint.

 

[Chris Jackson]

Well it certainly seems that there is a lot of passion in the owners of the Domino.  After digesting a lot of online info I can really see the strengths in terms of speed and versatility...now if I can just find about $1200 laying around!  Well, I may be off to Ebay to sell some of my lesser used products to put toward the purchase...thank you all very much for your insights I'm glad for the feedback.

 

[Chris Jackson]

One other question...if I do go for the purchase should I bother with the Trim and Cross Stops right away, or can this wait until later??  How often do you typically use these for routine cabinet work??

thanks,
Chris

 

[Brice Burrell]

Chris, I bought whole set. I don't use the trim stop much at all but I happen to really like the cross stops. The cross stops are great for panels in case work, really speeds thing up. Some guys use the cross stops incorrectly and insist they don't work. You need to use the wider mortises after the first tight mortises in each piece. I say buy the set since you get a decent discount.   

 

[kfitzsimons]

I bought the pin model about two months ago that Festool closed out and it came with all the add-ons, including, to my surprise, the new support that screws onto the bottom of the Domino.  It's nice those items are included in such an expensive tool. It's a great addition to the shop.

 

[Wood_Junkie]

The support bracket is standard, but for the $50 more for the kit, you do get both of the accessories.  Virtually guaranteed you'd need one of them anyways at some point.

However, if your budget is really tight, using a pencil mark to locate mid-field mortises works great.  The precision of the Domino is excellent, so if you mark them accurately, they'll be placed accurately.  Using the 2nd width mortise gives you a lot of leeway, so with that in mind you don't even have to do precision marking... within 1/8" and you're good.  ;-)