Domino base not calibrated correctly?

[festivus]

I've had the Domino 500 pretty much since it came out and have never been 100% happy with it but needed to use it so just got on. I always found that the alignment was slightly off - on the minimum slot size.

I just got a Domiplate and started noticing that even off the base calibrated centre line, the cuts are out as shown below. I also did a test cut with the fence too (I know I could calibrate that).

Question is - is there anyway to fix this? The tool is well out of warranty.

Many thanks!

Base
[attachimg=1]

fence
[attachimg=2]

 

[Birdhunter]

It's hard to tell what the problem is from the pictures.

The side-to-side alignment looks perfect looking at the edges of the board even if the pencil marks are not aligned in the top picture.

The top picture looks like there is a gap at the juncture of the two boards. Is that the problem you are experiencing?

 

[festivus]

Thanks.

It's the alignment left to right that's the issue. That's not the side of the boards - just the photo cropped in.

 

[ear3]

You just need to correct the sight gauge (you'll need a T10 bit for this).  It's a simple fix -- just did it myself and got the machine dead on:

http://www.halfinchshy.com/2011/10/calibrating-festool-domino-cursor.html

I've had the Domino 500 pretty much since it came out and have never been 100% happy with it but needed to use it so just got on. I always found that the alignment was slightly off - on the minimum slot size.

I just got a Domiplate and started noticing that even off the base calibrated centre line, the cuts are out as shown below. I also did a test cut with the fence too (I know I could calibrate that).

Question is - is there anyway to fix this? The tool is well out of warranty.

Many thanks!

Base
[attachimg=1]

fence
[attachimg=2]

 

[festivus]

Thanks I understand I can calibrate sight gauge. My query relates to calibration to the base plate centre mark which a mm off?

 

[ear3]

Sorry -- my bad.  There's no way I know of to calibrate the plate, but I could be wrong?

Thanks I understand I can calibrate sight gauge. My query relates to calibration to the base plate centre mark which a mm off?

 

[Birdhunter]

The technique I learned from a Halfinchshy video is to cut one board with the narrow setting and the other board with the wider setting. His technique allows for side-to-side adjustment. Your Domino's base plate marking error (if that is what it is) will become a non-issue using Halfinchshy's technique.

 

[festivus]

Thanks chaps.

For the way I use the Domino - often errors due to the (adjustable) fence gauge won't usually show up although I think it is about time I calibrated it!

The base marking is more of a concern since there is seemingly no way to adjust. Makes using it with a Domiplate not really an option without considering each cut carefully. Marcel's comment that the base plate mark is factory calibrated and will be bang on concerns me - not sure I this is an assumption or a fact?

Is anyone with a Domiplate able to check if their base plate CL is bang on or not? (Could also just line up a cut with the CL - don't have to use Domiplate.)

Thanks.

 

[greymann]

I had the same problem.  I went a little crazy (OCD) trying to find my mistake.  In order to align the sight gauge I had to shave off some of the plastic tab on one side.  It was off that much.  And like you it has made my domiplate a paperweight do to no fault of Seneca.  But I now get perfectly aligned slots.

Dick Perry

 

[kmhphoto]

I've had this same problem in the past but in my case its been user error as the mortices are so precise that misaligning the CL of the baseplate to the pencil marks on the two pieces by even 0.5mm will result in those lines being off when the work pieces are joined.

 

[festivus]

Dick - are you referring to the plastic fence gauge? You don't use this with the Domiplate - sorry don't think I've understood you?

greymann - I've been very careful doing a test cut and it's repeatable. So don't think it's user error ...

 

[greymann]

Sorry if I wasn't clear.  I was having exactly the same problem you were using the Domiplate.  Of course since you can't see the plastic gauge at that time you can't use it but have to use the etched lines in the base. 

What I should have said was that I tried everything I could think of to find my error as I assumed it had to be me.  I couldn't.  The only fix I could come up with was to remove the Domiplate, flip the Domino over and adjust the plastic gauge.

CabinetKid - I agree but use flip down magnifying lenses and .5mm pencil for marking to do as much as I can to remove my error in aligning the cut.  Even with that I had the problem until I did what I describe above

Dick

 

[festivus]

Thanks Dick for the clarification.

I've had a think about this and I'm not sure that the base CL is guaranteed to be bang on ...

If it was, why would Festool supply narrower edge stop dogs? The slots for the dogs are also machined into the base - yet Festool let you adjust the offset with the narrower dogs. If the centre of the mortise was calibrated to the centre of the base, then it would not be necessary to have a adjustment for the side dogs?

OK - I can't use the base centre line accurately with the Domiplate copy I just got, but it did prompt me to check two things that were both off and took only 20 minutes to fix!

First off the horizontal position plate was off - quick loosen with a T10 screwdriver and a nudge to the left and it was spot on. (I'm sure it's been noticed but Rick Christopherson's manual - which is excellent - has the picture of the sight gauge flipped upside down for some reason - which may confuse you if you follow this!)

Also the issue that has always bugged me, where the front of a cabinet doesn't line up perfectly, was simply fixed by swapping one of the side dogs for its narrower version. Not it is SPOT ON! Why it's taken me over 5 years to do this I really do not know!!

And another thing while I'm at it - I live in a very damp part of England (Dartmoor) - and particularly 5x30 Dominos - even newly opened packs almost immediately swell. I measure their width at about 19.3mm. A quick blast in the microwave takes them down about 0.5mm which makes them a tight fit just achievable by hand - I've always had to use a hammer to have any chance of getting them in the mortise.

All in all very happy I discovered my base CL was off! Wouldn't have finally sorted all this out otherwise!

 

[rsenechal]

I had the same issue, the baseplate centerline was not aligned to the centerline of the mortise. I just bought it so was able to exchange it for a new one (the new one hasn't been delivered yet). I'm curious how close that baseplate centerline should be coming out of the factory? Is it dead-on for most people?

 

[festivus]

I had the same issue, the baseplate centerline was not aligned to the centerline of the mortise. I just bought it so was able to exchange it for a new one (the new one hasn't been delivered yet). I'm curious how close that baseplate centerline should be coming out of the factory? Is it dead-on for most people?

As per my comments above I don't reckon it can be for many people.

I notice in another Paul Marcel video reviewing the SCG, that he mentions his is off.

Let us know how you get on with the new Domino .