Do you use your Domino on mostly all your joinery?

[rjwz28]

I am really thinking off getting a Domino and was wondering if I could use it for basically "mostly" all my joinery?  I make stuff like tables, chairs, frames.  I don't have a mortiser and don't make tenons so this would be my do all tool.  Because of the price, I'm trying to think of all the ways I could use it.  I know how accurate and fast it works.  Really impressive.

Where wouldn't it be benefitial to use it?

Thanks for all your input.

Rob

 

[MrToolJunkie]

I have since I bought mine earlier this year -- works great.  I sold my mortiser and I use routers with long spiral bits if I need a big mortise (for bed rails or something).  So far the Domino has worked well on a couple of bookcases and a desk.  What would take hours before I can do in a fraction of the time.  For furniture I use the 8mm and 10mm Dominos the most.  I cannot wait for the Domino XL to be released to take care of all my joinery needs when you need more strength.  I use the 4mm Dominos for picture frames and I have not broken out my Biscuit Jointer since getting the Domino.  I do not think you will regret the purchase.

Scot

 

[mouppe]

I use it for almost all my joinery. Sometimes a dovetail is called for, but wherever you need a mortise and tenon, a domino works just as well for me.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Interesting question - one I ask myself often.  I was taught in the "big integral tenons and lots of them" school, so I am somewhat skeptical of dominoes.  I keep trying with each project to stretch the limits, and so far the Domi does what needs to be done.  For furniture making, the XL will be a huge improvement.

On the other hand, the Domi has some significant shortcomings.  Besides the limited length and thickness of tenons - hopefully solved by the XL, the Domi is totally oriented toward square work.  There are no clamping surfaces and to register a Domi against a curve requires a lot of jig work - basically unbillable time.

But for square apps, it can be a huge productivity tool.  Way faster than traditional methods.

If the price of a Domi is an issue for you, let us know more about what you wish to do and maybe we can offer better advice...

 

[upscale]

I am really thinking off getting a Domino and was wondering if I could use it for basically "mostly" all my joinery?

Actually, you'll go *Looking* for innovative joinery projects after you get a Domino. It's been a year since I bought my Domino and in all that time, I haven't used my Freud biscuit joiner or Record dowelling jig once in all that time. In fact, I've just decided to sell both of them. A few pictures for some ads and out the door they go.

 

[jtwood]

I have had mine for about six months and use it for building furniture.  The current project I am working on is a pair of nightstands, and all of the carcase joinery has been dominoes except for some 3/4" square frame pieces that are too small for even the 4mm dominoes.  There I used 1/4" dowels.
On another piece, a coffee table in mission style, there were large joints where I used double rows of large dominoes rather than a large mortise and tenon, and it came out very sturdy.  Sturdy enough for furniture use, in my opinion, at least for personal use.  Feet on the coffee table would be no problem.  i don't know about using them for children's bunk beds.

 

[semenza]

Hi,

I use mine for most joinery, and am always on the look out for a new thing to use it for because it makes life easy. Some of what I use it for ... glue ups, cabinet carcasses, edging, table aprons, frames (mitered or butt).

Seth

 

[MrToolJunkie]

You can also use Dominos for buttons to assemble table tops.  I also look for ways to use it to make joinery faster and more accurate. 

Scot

 

[Tezzer]

I use mine for everything. it’s a portable milling machine and gets more use than any other tool/machine except for my Shelix head 8” jointer.  Im always experimenting, and even though something’s are fun, in the end not practical in every day use, but all the techniques get used in some fashion.

Apart from the usual leg/rail or panel joining so far I use, or have used the Domino for- 

Decorative mitre corner splines (3 kinds so far)
Mitre spline jig 
Handmade Cabinet handles/door and drawer pulls. 
3-way mitres.
Table buttons mortises
Breadboard ends
Dovetail sockets
Traditional tenons
Marking and measuring gauges.
Heavy duty bench dogs.

At the moment im halfway through re-doing everything and photographing all I have done with a Domino in the past (plus a few I haven’t shown before) and are going to itemise them and in a few months going to chuck them on my web page.

I love this machine so much. Thank you Festool 

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Rob

Go for it - get the Domino and get rid of your biscuit jointer and morticer!

I went through the same agony as you a few months ago and made my decison to buy very recently. I was helped a great deal by the superb video reviews done by Paul Marcel on the FOG. I had to sell my Lamillo Biscuit Jointer before I could get the Domino but now am considering selling my morticer as well.

Whenever I get a new gadget I test and practice a lot - the Domino has done very well. Everyone above has testified how brilliant it is for all the usual stuff. I have even made some small boxes using the 4mm dominos to join the mitred sides. This is the only application where you do need to concentrate to get an accurate registration before the big push.

My brother has now bought a Domino as well and, for me, if he buys one then it has to be good!

If I have to build another barn like the one in my picture to the left then I will get the 700 XL rather than struggle to move all those big timbers to the morticer. As someone said above, if I have to do a really big traditional mortice I will either use my router or dig it out the way that I was taught at school.

Buy the Domino - you will love it.

Peter

 

[rjwz28]

Okay, what if I was building a dining table at about 42" x 64" and the rails were 3-1/4"x3/4".  What configuration of tenon(s) would you use?  And would this be strong enough for a table like this?

Thanks

 

[Stone Message]

Dear Rob

I have just had a trial go using 3 1/4 by 3/4 inch stock - the wood is a bit rough but it serves for this illustration.

As far as I can judge you should use 2 dominos each 10mm x 50mm. I marked the rail then transfered the marks to the leg. When I cut the mortices for the rail I used a board thickness gauge setting of 28mm (I probably should have used 20mm but this was just a practice go). For the leg I set the gauge deeper so that the rail would end up slightly in from the leg edge.

This was the first time that I used the 10mm cutter on a narrow piece of wood. I found it useful to screw the spring loaded locating paddles back so that they did not protrude. I think that I will leave them like that unless I need to use them for registration against an edge.

Here are some pictures.

 

[rjwz28]

Dear Rob

I have just had a trial go using 3 1/4 by 3/4 inch stock - the wood is a bit rough but it serves for this illustration.

As far as I can judge you should use 2 dominos each 10mm x 50mm. I marked the rail then transfered the marks to the leg. When I cut the mortices for the rail I used a board thickness gauge setting of 28mm (I probably should have used 20mm but this was just a practice go). For the leg I set the gauge deeper so that the rail would end up slightly in from the leg edge.

This was the first time that I used the 10mm cutter on a narrow piece of wood. I found it useful to screw the spring loaded locating paddles back so that they did not protrude. I think that I will leave them like that unless I need to use them for registration against an edge.

Here are some pictures.

Wow, thanks for doing that for me.  That's what I thought would be needed.  And you think this joint will be strong enough for this application?  I believe so but wonder what you others think?

thanks again,
Rob

 

[GPowers]

Being a hobbyist the Domino reduces the need for me to spend limited time perfecting traditional joinery skills. So YES, right now all. 

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Stone's joinery should work just fine. 

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Rob,

Thanks - it was a useful exercise for me as there are a number of things that I have not tried with the Domino and I did learn a few things...

First of all, in my haste, I set the thickness gauge to 28 mm instead of 20mm (for 3/4 inch stock) - that was a math error as I have now trained myself to be metric and keep making whoopsees if I mix it with Imperial.

Next, those paddles. I have seen a lot of discussion about paddles versus pins (which were on the older Domono 500). The paddles are spring loaded and when you are lining up against some stock they should just spring into their recess out of the way. When I was making the second mortice in the leg one of the paddles caught itself in the first cut. This lead to a bit of a bishup and so (not shown in the photos) I started again.

I then discovered (should have read about this before I suppose) that the paddles can be pushed back into their recess and then locked there by tightening a little grub screw. The Domino 700 XL has a far better set of retractable pins which would be far better on the smaller Domino 500. The two machines overlap in their capability but each can do lots which the other cannot do. Therefore we all should eventually end up with both in the workshop - I expect to but please don't let my wife know!

Finally, thanks to your question, I learnt that the 10mm dominos can make a very sound joint for table construction.

So, it was kind of you to thank me but I am grateful that your question helped me learn more.

Peter

 

[KorDes]

I've had my Domino for over 5 years now. It was my very first Festool purchase and its the one tool I use most often. It's sits on a shelf above my workbench because I use that often I just reach for it, plug it in and start plunging.

I've used to make cabinets, chopping boards, cabinet door frames, tables, drawers, beds, you name it, I've probably used it for that application.
I've got a horizontal borer sitting in the corner collecting dust.