Domino 500, cutting off center

[Scoutsdad]

Hello ,
I am wondering if anyone could help me out with this problem. I bought the tool used but it showed only slight wear and only about 70,5mm  dominos used out of a bag that come with it.  All the cutters (5pack) seem basically brand new except the 5mm. 
I am an experienced  woodworker for over 20 years and I am sure of my ability in using this tool correctly.
the cut is fine and the dowels fit fine but the cutter is off center of the bottom plate mark and the sight glass is maxed out so I cannot adjust it to correct this problem , it's simply the cutter off center.
I do not really want to send it in for repair as I have a few large projects starting that I bought it for , I was hoping I could maybe fix it myself, if someone could point me in the direction to go.
It can be used currently so long as I reference it from the same location always and that will work for my current projects but I would like to have it proper.
All other features seem to work perfectly.
[attachimg=1][attachimg=2][attachimg=3][attachimg=4]

 

[squall_line]

There should be a hairline etching down the center of the shoe, besides the one on the fence.  Have you tried to align that etching with a marked line and see how close your plunge is?

Are you sure you're adjusting the sight in the correct direction? (it's easy to get turned around with this machine)

Does this only happen with the 5mm cutter, or do others exhibit it as well?

What about plunging into cheap pine instead of plywood?

 

[tsmi243]

If you cut with the paddles, do the pieces line up?  If so, your cursor is off.  If not, it's a busted tool. 

 

[Mini Me]

Centre the cursor by measurement, I used feeler gauges to do it but Paul Marcel (user name Half Inch Shy on Youtube) did a video on the adjustment but I can never find it.

 

[PaulMarcel]

Centre the cursor by measurement, I used feeler gauges to do it but Paul Marcel (user name Half Inch Shy on Youtube) did a video on the adjustment but I can never find it.

I had to file the cursor adjustment holes a bit to allow for a larger correction. Many people have told me they needed to do the same. Mine was a first-gen Domino with the pin fence.

I've calibrated mine twice: first when I got it and the second time when I made the video. Still dead on. Favorite tool.

53 - Domino Crib Sheet - Festool Domino Calibration

 

[Scoutsdad]

There should be a hairline etching down the center of the shoe, besides the one on the fence.  Have you tried to align that etching with a marked line and see how close your plunge is?

I have tried cutting upside down on that mark and no better.
That mark and the top cursor line up perfectly

Are you sure you're adjusting the sight in the correct direction? (it's easy to get turned around with this machine)

Does this only happen with the 5mm cutter, or do others exhibit it as well?
Tried 3 cutters all the same result

What about plunging into cheap pine instead of plywood?

Tried many different materials, I clamped material to it as well to guarantee no movement

 

[Scoutsdad]

If you cut with the paddles, do the pieces line up?  If so, your cursor is off.  If not, it's a busted tool.
Can you explain what the paddles are, I can get it to line up if I cut all pieces the same orientation,  but the machine KS supposed to cut a hole in the center of the mark on the baseplate.

 

[bobtskutter]

I don't claim to be an expert on the domino machine, but there are some basics which your machine doesn't seem to be following.
The line on the clear cursor should line up with the scribed line on the machine base plate.  Both of those lines mark the center of the domino mortice.
The center of the mortice should be 37mm from the inside edge of the paddle (the black plastic flip stop on either side of the cutter as you look at the machine).
It seems as though your machine is off center, maybe due to a gearbox problem.
I found this:https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/festool-domino-tenon-joiner
which shows a picture of the inside of the machine, it looks quite complex to me.
Maybe you should send the machine to festool for them to look at it, or ask the seller for a refund.

just my 2c worth,
regards
Bob

 

[Scoutsdad]

Centre the cursor by measurement, I used feeler gauges to do it but Paul Marcel (user name Half Inch Shy on Youtube) did a video on the adjustment but I can never find it.

I had to file the cursor adjustment holes a bit to allow for a larger correction. Many people have told me they needed to do the same. Mine was a first-gen Domino with the pin fence.

I've calibrated mine twice: first when I got it and the second time when I made the video. Still dead on. Favorite tool.

53 - Domino Crib Sheet - Festool Domino Calibration

But can you use it to cut with the base shoe plate markings accurately or just the cursor view? , I could do what you said but then only use it with the cursor marks. It seems to me the machine is off but I have heard of people sending in theirs and the cost being $600.

 

[Scoutsdad]

Centre the cursor by measurement, I used feeler gauges to do it but Paul Marcel (user name Half Inch Shy on Youtube) did a video on the adjustment but I can never find it.

I would have to cut 1.5 mm off the cursor to get this in alignment,  that can't be right

 

[Vtshopdog]

Please clarify:
Are the cut mortises misaligned with the scribed line in baseplate of the tool??

 

[tsmi243]

If you cut with the paddles, do the pieces line up?  If so, your cursor is off.  If not, it's a busted tool.

Can you explain what the paddles are, I can get it to line up if I cut all pieces the same orientation,  but the machine KS supposed to cut a hole in the center of the mark on the baseplate.

If you get good results with this method, then the machine is working fine and the cursor is just out of position.  Easy fix.

If not, then it's damaged internally, and will need to get it serviced. 

 

[Vtshopdog]

Another thought:

Maybe the tool was dropped and the rods on motor body are bent to one side.  If my little brain is functioning before having full compliment of coffee, this would result in the fence being laterally displaced at full extension and motor gradually returning to alignment as the plunge is finished.

Try cutting various depths and measure how much misalignment is produced.  If above is the problem, I'm thinking deeper mortise might create more shift in mortise placement.

Edit:
Might actually change the mortise width??

 

[peter halle]

If it were mine I would send it out for service.  After touring the repair facility on a couple of occasions I can tell you that each Festool repair location has a special device that was manufactured for the express purpose of calibrating the Domino.  This isn't an over the counter device and their technicians are trained to calibrate using it.

I know that isn't what you want to hear, but I'm just being honest.

Peter

 

[squall_line]

Where are you located?  Presumably in the US?  There may be someone near to you that might have a unit you can try/borrow for comparison and/or while yours in in for service?

As Peter said, service may be the only thing that gets this back where you need it to be if you're after a permanent fix.

Is this the old style with the pins for lateral location, or the newer style with paddles?  If it's the pin version and you send it in for service, there are better than 50/50 odds that it will come back with a paddle-style foot.

If the goal is to have it serviced, I would humbly suggest that it's worth getting serviced before using it for a big project.  My reasoning being that if your first project is done on the machine with it in a "compensating" mode, after service you'll need to re-learn the machine again.

 

[Scoutsdad]

Please clarify:
Are the cut mortises misaligned with the scribed line in baseplate of the tool??

That is correct , if I use the tool upside down and align my cut with the baseplate centerline mark it gives the same result, cutting the mortise off center by a fare bit 1.5mm.

I cant see anyway this could happen, the tool has no distress mark (ie dropped) it works perfect otherwise , and from all the pictures I can see it can only go together one way. What I want to know is if there is a way to adjust the cut location, if so I would be inclined to send it in , if not then I would say the manufacturing of this tool is crap.
I would also like to know a rough estimate of the cost to adjust it back to acceptable standard, if its a simple process of alignment it should be not much but I suspect I am getting a bill for rebuild of the whole tool.

 

[Scoutsdad]

Another thought:

Maybe the tool was dropped and the rods on motor body are bent to one side.  If my little brain is functioning before having full compliment of coffee, this would result in the fence being laterally displaced at full extension and motor gradually returning to alignment as the plunge is finished.

Try cutting various depths and measure how much misalignment is produced.  If above is the problem, I'm thinking deeper mortise might create more shift in mortise placement.

Edit:
Might actually change the mortise width??
I tried this too as that was my first thought , so I only plunged in 1 mm to see , same result the mortise is ~8mm to one side and ~11 to the other . Also it looks brand new barely used , without any marks on it. And functions well otherwise.

 

[Vtshopdog]

Please clarify:
Are the cut mortises misaligned with the scribed line in baseplate of the tool??

That is correct , if I use the tool upside down and align my cut with the baseplate centerline mark it gives the same result, cutting the mortise off center by a fare bit 1.5mm.

I cant see anyway this could happen, the tool has no distress mark (ie dropped) it works perfect otherwise , and from all the pictures I can see it can only go together one way. What I want to know is if there is a way to adjust the cut location, if so I would be inclined to send it in , if not then I would say the manufacturing of this tool is junk.
I would also like to know a rough estimate of the cost to adjust it back to acceptable standard, if its a simple process of alignment it should be not much but I suspect I am getting a bill for rebuild of the whole tool.

This suggests to me that either the motor and fence somehow are misaligned or perhaps whatever internal gearing controls the cutter oscillation is mis-indexed to cut to one side.  (also, does problem persist on all mortise widths?)

To eliminate the fence maybe you could track down a local dealer or another owner and make a test cut using your motor installed on their fence and vice versa??  If problem goes away then your fence is messed up.  If problem stays with motor then gearing internals possibly the culprit.

Obviously above are guesses, but seems worth considering.

 

[squall_line]

What I want to know is if there is a way to adjust the cut location, if so I would be inclined to send it in , if not then I would say the manufacturing of this tool is junk.

The factory and service technicians have the tools and knowledge necessary to make these adjustments.  To claim that the manufacturing of the tool itself is junk is a pretty big leap, considering how few complaints like this exist.

I would also like to know a rough estimate of the cost to adjust it back to acceptable standard, if its a simple process of alignment it should be not much but I suspect I am getting a bill for rebuild of the whole tool.

Festool Service will, in fact, repair to 'as new' quality and status when you send in a tool.  They should provide a quote before performing the service, which you can accept or decline, but they don't do it partway.

Major question time:

How accurate are the measurements of 8mm and 11mm?  Because the overall width of the mortise should only be a total of 18mm, 13mm plus the diameter of the bit.  The next-widest setting (medium) is a total of 24mm wide (19+bit diameter).

Have you used the width adjustment while the tool is running to make sure that it adjusts correctly?  If so, have you attempted to mill in either of the two wider settings, and were those mortises also off-center?

It sounds like something jumped a tooth internally in the gearing and/or is stuck between two settings.  This could happen if someone adjusted the width setting while the tool was turned off instead of running, which would not show any outward signs of damage from dropping.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I just went through service. It's a pretty well organized system, with you in control of what happens. When you set up the work order you get a label to use to send the tool to them. You'll be notified when it arrives. You'll be notified when they've examined it and given a quotation for repair. You have the choice of having the work done, having the tool returned as is or having the tool disposed of if it is hopeless. I found them prompt, professional and very thorough. You will not receive any grand surprises like you seem to be expecting. If the repair is going to be expensive, you'll know it before they start the work.