Could I use a Domino

[lablover]

I have a bunch of panels to glue up for raised panel doors.  Would it be "overkill" to use the Domino to align the panels for glue up and avoid them moving all over the place with the slippery glue?

I don't have a domino now and was just going to use a glue panel bit in the ole router.

Don't have a biscuit jointer either.

Advice?  Anyone do this before?  Tips?

Joe

 

[Theshipstore]

Joe  I have been using my domino now for about a year on raised panels door glue-up's.
It has save me some time for sure and makes the glue up that much faster to accomplish.
I use the 5mm x30 domino and I have the domino plate from Ron Wen attached for even faster panel alignments

Sal

 

[Wonderwino]

I used the domino to glue up raised panels for a bar I built several years ago.  They worked great, but just make sure you locate the dominos away from the area you plan to relieve with your panel raising bit.  I also joined the rails and stiles with dominos along with pocket screws and that structure is just about bullet proof.

 

[lablover]

Does the Domino come with a bit?  I went to a demo today and the rep said I need to spend 100.00 to start using the domino?

 

[lablover]

Joe  I have been using my domino now for about a year on raised panels door glue-up's.
It has save me some time for sure and makes the glue up that much faster to accomplish.
I use the 5mm x30 domino and I have the domino plate from Ron Wen attached for even faster panel alignments

Sal

What is that plate?  Do you have a link?

 

[Wonderwino]

The Domino comes with one bit, but no dominos.  The Systainer assortment comes with all the bits and sizes of dominos in beech and is well worth the money.  You can buy dominos and bits seperately, but the kit is discounted over the individual prices.

the "Domiplate" is a convenient accessory designed and manufactured by Ron Wenner (Ronwen) and centers the bit on 3/4" and 1/2" material, settings which the domino does not have as it is metric.  I have one and use it on plywood and mdf projects.  You can get by without it as I did when I built the above bar.

 

[lablover]

Outstanding.

So I can start with the included bit and just buy some dominos for this one project.  then down the road get the systaner with extra bits

 

[ccarrolladams]

Since the Domino became available in North America, I have used them to align all the glued up panels for cabinet doors and drawer fronts made in my shop. Each week that is a lot of Dominoes, because we make so many doors and drawer fronts.

Custom cabinets is my business. We will not compromise quality, but to make a living we do need to use our time wisely. I wrote off the cost of the machines years ago. To me the price of the individual Dominoes is a wise investment.

However, I would not suggest to a hobby woodworker rushing out to buy a Domino and the Assortment set just to align a few doors. Of course once you have a Domino and the Assortment, you will find a million other uses for it.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I'm not a pro but have made many panels. Including about 70 for cabinets for our kitchen. I have a Domino and plate jointer but find it isn't for panel glue ups. Like mentioned above if you raise the panels you risk exposing the domino. When I glue panels I use a small roller tospread the glue quickly and evenly. If your lumber it prepared correctly the Dominos will just add time to the job.

Mike

 

[tiralie]

How many is "a bunch"? 5 or 25? How long do you have? How large are they? What kind of wood?

You really don't need anything but a good hand plane and some good clamps and the right glue.
Joint the boards with your plane and glue them up.
Simple.
Tim

 

[semenza]

Joe,

The Domino comes with the 5mm bit. So you could just get some 5mm Domino's to go with it. A bag of 300 5mm is $17.50 . Those are a good size to use for panels.  There are lots of ways to  do panel glue ups, I would not say the Domino is overkill, it is just one of the ways to do it. 

The thing you will find if you get a Domino is that it will do many joining tasks easily.  Since you are making doors I assume you are or have done cabinets.  Dominos and pocket screws are a great way to put carcasses together.

Seth

 

[lablover]

OK, maybe not a bunch...32 overall  I just wanted an excuse to get a domino.  Cabs are all built already.  I do have several other tasks around the house where it would come in handy 

 

[Theshipstore]

Joe here you go.Contact Ron and he will help you out

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-sales-dealer-area/domplate-order-thread/

Sal

 

[tiralie]

OK, maybe not a bunch...32 overall  I just wanted an excuse to get a domino.  Cabs are all built already.  I do have several other tasks around the house where it would come in handy 

Ya I understand the need for an excuse to get tools... [big grin]. It's a horrible addiction.

Are these inset or overlay doors? Are you going with a face frame or frame less cabinets? Are you milling your boards or buying them surfaced four sides (S4S)?
32 is enough of an excuse in my book, and a Domino is a great multipurpose joining tool, but I might look at other tools that I don't have to speed up production. For example a good sander, joiner and/or planer (lunchbox) as this will speed up production more than a domino.
I like to use a biscuit joiner for flat panels, but as Wonderwino pointed out you need to be careful where you put a domino and or biscuit when making raised panels etc. because of the chance that you might expose either a domino or biscuit when you mill your profile. Because I am absent minded (screw up) and really hate throwing out panels 'cause I am too stupid to pay attention I just opt for none (when required) and concentrate on creating a good spring joint.

Tim

 

[Nick C]

I've done it both ways. For years I just applied the glue, rubbed the edges together until the glue started to grab, then dropped the panel into a pair of back-to-back clamps. The wide faces of the clamp bars help ensure that the panels remain aligned in the same plane. For large panels I would sometimes use dowels or even T&G for alignment, and then use the much heftier bar clamps. Recently, I tried the Domino for this. It works, but it adds time and complicates the workflow, so I usually don't use the Domino for this.  If the panel edges are straight and square, any mismatch at the joint is trivial, and is easily removed by sanding. The Domino does a great job on rails and stiles, though. Not quite as fast as pocket screws, but no exposed "tunnels" to deal with.

 

[jacko9]

Joe,  I've been using my Domino joiner for 3 1/2 years now and with just a simple pencil mark across the boards and the medium wide cut you can align up your sections without worry of slippage between boards.  However, using the Domino for this is just a minor part of the tools usefulness.  I have been using the Domino for building everything from small drawers with the #4 domino tenons to large credenza's with multiple # 6 or # 8 tenons for the carcase construction.  Large chests of drawers that used to take me days to dovetail together now go together in less that 1/4 of the time.  I bought the container of tenons and cutters and I'm about to make a re-fill order because I use it so often.