Domino 5mm holes in white oak do not fit 5mm dominos

[Rpaul1]

I have been using my df500 with 5 mm cutter and dominos for a few years to build Baltic birch cabinets. Today I tried to use the same set-up to align a series of 1 inch white oak boards for a table top. I was surprised to find the holes were not wide enough or long enough and tapping the dominos in actually split the boards.

I’ve never had an issue before and the dominos always have always fit quite nicely.

Any advice or explanation for this issue?

 

[Willy Eckerslike]

Two possibilities maybe
1. Wear on the cutter so that it's actually cutting smaller and shorter mortices nowadays and
2. Dominos have absorbed moisture and swollen slightly

 

[ChuckM]

One possibility is that the dominoes had expanded due to moisture, assuming the cutter wasn't defective (which might mill narrow mortises than they should be). Ply is soft compared to oak lumber, and so it might not present a problem for the Baltic birch project even if the dominoes were wider.

Could you check the cutter for damage, the width of the dominoes as well as the width of a sample mortise with a caliper to rue out such a possibility?

Edit: Assuming dust extraction was used.

 

[Birdhunter]

When this thing has happened to me, it has been because the tip of the cutter has broken off.

 

[tsmi243]

not wide enough or long enough

Sounds like Birdhunter nailed it.  If it's only off in 2 dimensions, check the tip.  If it's off in all 3, you've got the wrong bit installed. 

 

[Mini Me]

Cut another mortise in the Birch ply to confirm it still works as recall it doing.