Domino alignment on mitered cabinet frames

[Dan Lyke]

We're getting closer on agreeing on a style for the doors for the kitchen cabinet, and I built a mock-up to both get some practice and work on my technique, and to try to make sure that we're going to be happy with what we come up with.

[attachthumb=1]

We're wanting a more elliptical profile for the cabinet door frame parts, which means that we're pretty much stuck with mitered corners. This would be fine, except...

[attachthumb=2]

You can see from this detail that, sometimes, I'm getting a little bit off on the Domino I'm using to attach the doors. I think I know why it's happening, I think I'm not pulling the pin hard enough against that sharp outside edge because I'm afraid of damaging that edge.

So, I guess this leads to two questions:

First, anyone got generic suggestions for getting better alignment? I suppose I could make matching marks and try to align the Domino by eye rather than indexing off the pin, but that just seems like I'm more likely to end up with corners that don't quite match up.

Second, anyone built a jig to try to be easier on that thin edge than the Domino pins are? I guess I need to make it so that I can flip it over for the other side, so that I'm always registering off the same place, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get this exactly right.

And maybe a third: Anyone got other suggestions? We're looking for a frame cross-section something like the Pacific Crest Industries Bellmont "Milan" doors, which we're planning to cut with a table edge style router bit, no rail and stile bit set I've seen comes close to that much curve (and I'd be nervous about that thin edge on the stile anyway), so I think I've just got to get the miter right..

And, dang it, I'm cutting that miter on the 1080 MFT and it seems pretty darned close, so there's no excuse here for the Kapex...

 

[Mirko]

I would suggest to place the door parts in a jig that has flat stops on it, that way the pins will not damage the sharp corner.
I just finished some doors that are mitered and they lined up nicely.
BTW I used one tight and one loose domino on each corner.

Mirko

 

[Michael Kellough]

I would suggest to place the door parts in a jig that has flat stops on it, that way the pins will not damage the sharp corner.
I just finished some doors that are mitered and they lined up nicely.
BTW I used one tight and one loose domino on each corner.

Mirko

Here is one reason the new Domino with flat nylon pins is possibly an improvement.

 

[Bill Wyko]

When I got my Domino it was slightly off center. What I did was take a piece of scrap wood 3/4" thick. I drew a line around 3 sides using the opposing sides as reference for the tool. I set the heigh so that when I make a plunge on both sides, the mortises are one above the other. Now I measure the offset between the two and adjust the cursor 1/2 of that and try again. At this point the alignment is usually perfect. I hope this is understandable and helps. This should make your mortise & tenon align perfectly w/o having to do one side with a loose fit. Let me know If I can help.

 

[poto]

What if you built a jig that had a long flat face to align the frame piece, and a thinner piece at 45 degrees to that piece, forming a pocket that the mitered corner could sit in, completely surrounded by wood. Then domino a hole through the 45 degree piece, and fix the domino to that face so it always made its hole in exactly the same place. Then domino the frame piece through the 45 degree piece. You'd have to set the plunge depth to account for the thickness of the 45 degree piece. But everything would always be registered exactly the same, and you could run a mess of dominos into the mitered edges in no time.

I guess you'd have to make a mirror-image jig for the opposite edge, unless you can flip the stock over.

If you built the jigs very precisely, your mitered corners should be protected, and you'd be able to domino all your frames in no time!

 

[Bill Wyko]

In order to do that you would still need the cursor to be aligned on dead center of the mortise because when you turn it around to cut the mating mortise, you will still be off by the amount your cursor is off center. ??? At least I'm pretty sure. ;D

 

[poto]

As long as you draw a line from the center of the mortise, perpendicular to the piece of the jig you're mortising through, and center the domino  on that extended line, the horizontal offset should work out. If I'm understanding your point, Bill.

Is there a way of attaching a domino to a frame, and then mortise through the frame? Or at least registering the domino to the exact spot on a frame each time? Maybe some registration holes in the frame to accept pins in the domino? I don't have a domino, so I'm just guessing here...

 

[GTHill]

One of the previous posters gave you a great answer.

Make one of the mortises wider than the other. The strength of the Domino is on the flat sides, not the edges. Done.

Gene

 

[Eli]

I agree with above. In fact I rarely use the tight setting, preferring to use the domino mostly for planar alignment. The strength of the joint is the glued edges.