Domino DF500 alignment problem

[f114306]

Hi All,

I’m relatively new to the festool game having had a TS55 for a while now, but recently I seem to have accumulated shall we say a number of other festool tools one of which is a used DF500.

OK so since purchase I’ve watched countless YouTube vids by all the usual suspects, Festool UK, Festool USA (Hi Sedge ), New Brit Workshop etc.etc. but I settled on one from Rick Christopherson as my go to as he was using it to build drawer boxes just like I’m trying to do albeit using his own stop guide.

I’m using a 6mm cutter, 6x40 dominos with 18mm MDF, captive front and rears on the drawer box.

I get that the domino doesn’t have to be centred so for the front and back of the box I set depth @ 20 and plunge @ 25. I use the stops to register on the left and right of the stock, cutting 2 dominos , one tight and one on the next setting, dado facing down as per the vid. So far so good.

So for the drawer sides I set it vertical, dado towards me, as per the vid. Now here’s where it all goes wrong. The only setting I change is plunge depth to 15. I make the cuts left right, tight loose, and do a dry fit, this is all in ‘scrap’ by the way. When I offer up the side and the front the front sits like 2mm back from the edge. I end up setting the depth manually to get the alignment on the face to the side edge.

I’ve got to be doing something wrong or missing something but I can’t figure it out hence the reason for asking, so any help/pointers greatfully appreciated.

CG

 

[squall_line]

Photos of what is happening would be VERY beneficial in this instance.

You may need to re-size any pictures you take; the limit seems to be 1 MB per image if you upload them to the site, even though it tells you it can use larger files than that.

 

[f114306]

Thx, I’ll try and get some in the morning.

CG

 

[Dr. P. Venkman]

I get that the domino doesn’t have to be centred so for the front and back of the box I set depth @ 20 and plunge @ 25. I use the stops to register on the left and right of the stock, cutting 2 dominos , one tight and one on the next setting, dado facing down as per the vid. So far so good.

So the board is clamped horizontally, and you're plunging horizontally into the end, with the plate on what will be the outside of the box? Sounds good to me.

So for the drawer sides I set it vertical, dado towards me, as per the vid.

Does this mean that you have clamped the board vertically and are plunging horizontally, with the plate on the end of the side (that is expected to be flush with the front)? If I've got that right, I think your orientation/reference faces are right, but I've always preferred clamping this board horizontally with the dado up and plunging vertically.  Also, I think the included screw-on base support is really helpful here.

This shouldn't affect the alignment, but I think I'm not understanding your tight/loose settings.  Are you putting one loose and one tight mortise on each board? And then are you joining tight to tight & loose to loose? On something like drawer boxes, where all of your mortises are referenced off an edge (as opposed to spanning across a longer run, referencing the previous mortise or a pencil mark), you can likely get away with all tight mortises.  If you opt for some to be loose, I would put both tight mortises on one board and loose on the other.

 

[f114306]

Hi,

Yes in fact I did opt to clamp the sides horizontally and plunge vertically since I don’t have a VacSys.

So, I went back and had a look at Halfinchshy vid #69 and my problem becomes obvious. At 02:30 into the vid he takes his 2 pieces of stock and flips one of the pieces so that now when he joins them they’re out of alignment because they are off centre on account of having used the quick depth block.

Consider this, using the preset 10 depth on 18mm stock puts the cutter centre line 10mm from one face and 8mm from the other. My 6mm domino is centred on that line so when plunging into the end for the front/back faces I have 7mm from the outside face to the domino, 6mm for the domino itself leaving 5mm to inside face.

I cut the side panels only changing plunge depth, cutter centre line is 10mm and the domino is centred on that line so 7mm from the front of the side panel and then 6mm for the domino.

The bottom line is that I’ve been putting the box together all wrong so I have the 5mm side of the front face outward when it should be the 7mm side hence why it’s not flush or in my case 2mm back from the edge of the side panel, I flipped my piece.

What an idiot [doh]. But damn it’s good to talk.

CG

 

[afish]

For what its worth I used to build all my drawers with RB and dominos until RB was impossible to find or $200 per sheet.  Either way the best and fastest way I was able to build drawers was by tacking them together with 23ga pin nails where I knew a domino wasn't going I would Tightbond 3 them and assemble all of them then go back once the glue set up and domino both pieces at the same time on narrow setting. More T3 in the domino and tap the dominos in, flush trim off the tail of the domino that stuck out. No flipping, flopping or trying to keep track off what's what.  since you are cutting both side and front/back at the same time there is never any misalignment. Since the max plunge depth is 28mm on the 500 I would put a small rabbit on the sides so the domino would be more centered or deeper into the front and back.  You would probably be fine without it but once you make a jig or have a setup the rabbit  goes fast and helps with assembly.

 

[squall_line]

For what its worth I used to build all my drawers with RB and dominos until RB was impossible to find or $200 per sheet.  Either way the best and fastest way I was able to build drawers was by tacking them together with 23ga pin nails where I knew a domino wasn't going I would Tightbond 3 them and assemble all of them then go back once the glue set up and domino both pieces at the same time on narrow setting. More T3 in the domino and tap the dominos in, flush trim off the tail of the domino that stuck out. No flipping, flopping or trying to keep track off what's what.  since you are cutting both side and front/back at the same time there is never any misalignment. Since the max plunge depth is 28mm on the 500 I would put a small rabbit on the sides so the domino would be more centered or deeper into the front and back.  You would probably be fine without it but once you make a jig or have a setup the rabbit  goes fast and helps with assembly.

Trying to wrap my head around this.

Are you basically saying that you built all of drawers using dominos as through-mortises?

 

[jbarr]

but I settled on one from Rick Christopherson

Can you provide a link to that video. I can't find it

 

[afish]

For what its worth I used to build all my drawers with RB and dominos until RB was impossible to find or $200 per sheet.  Either way the best and fastest way I was able to build drawers was by tacking them together with 23ga pin nails where I knew a domino wasn't going I would Tightbond 3 them and assemble all of them then go back once the glue set up and domino both pieces at the same time on narrow setting. More T3 in the domino and tap the dominos in, flush trim off the tail of the domino that stuck out. No flipping, flopping or trying to keep track off what's what.  since you are cutting both side and front/back at the same time there is never any misalignment. Since the max plunge depth is 28mm on the 500 I would put a small rabbit on the sides so the domino would be more centered or deeper into the front and back.  You would probably be fine without it but once you make a jig or have a setup the rabbit  goes fast and helps with assembly.

Trying to wrap my head around this.

Are you basically saying that you built all of drawers using dominos as through-mortises?

Yes, and the through domino looks great once finished. People love it because its unique to most non woodworkers, but gives a modern dovetail feel/ look. I honestly dont know why you wouldn't show the domino on wood drawers.  To me wood drawers that just have butt joint look cheap. People are used too and kind of expect to see dovetails on higher end wood drawers.  When they see the through domino drawer its usually like "oh, cool what is that."  However try and explain to some Malibu type soccer mom that the butt joint drawer has a domino for added strength you just cant see it.  Its like trying to teach your cat algebra.  Best part is its the easiest and fastest way to build a drawer. (just dont tell them that)  If your smart you sell it as an upgrade.   

Build the drawer and pin nail/clamp the box together.  T3 sets up pretty fast.  I never timed it but I would say after an hour I could easily handle the drawers without issue.  I do work in very hot conditions so that may make a difference. When you plunge the drawer plunge it vertically so you are not putting any racking force on the drawer. 

Since RB is so high I have started using metal box system similar to legrabox just a cheaper version.  I prefer the look of the of the domino drawers but the metal boxes are winning me over for speed and convince. I hated finishing the drawers.  I doubt I will go back to RB and domino drawers at this point.  I actually only kept my DF500 for doing drawers otherwise I use the DDF40 for most other things. But exposed dowels just dont have the same sex appeal as a domino.   

 

[f114306]

As requested here’s a link to the Rick Christopherson vid:-
=PL5iiBcIqTDhqiwd389_TbMXMYzfMAolso&index=28

CG