Domino Feed Rate Guidance

[Martin Johnson]

When I am showing people the Domino...I almost always get the following question "How fast should I plunge the Domino into the material?"...Good question, but the answer is a little tricky and it really depends on a number of factors (Hard Maple or Pine?; End Grain or Cross Grain?; etc...)  If you use the Domino, you will soon get a feel of the right feed rate, but I thought this guide would be a good starting point for someone who is just starting out.  Adjust it to your specific situation and materials being used.

 

[ForumMFG]

Thanks for the chart Martin.  That will come in handy.  Although I already know the rule of thumb it would be nice to see a chart on what SIZE domino should be used for your project.  It would also be nice to see a detailed diagram of all the useful dimensions on the fence that can make the job go faster.  Maybe you already have these??

 

[Martin Johnson]

Part of a growing list of to-dos for sure

 

[ForumMFG]

Sounds good.

Is there any advice on how we should modify the time listed for either end grain or cross grain?

 

[bruegf]

Thanks for the chart.  I'll need to print this off and keep it w/ the tool.

Fred

 

[Royce]

I don't know if everyone has seen this or even where I got the link, but there is a lot of domino information at

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/DOMINO/DOMINO_TableOfContent.html

 

[ForumMFG]

Nice link, there is a wealth of information on that site.

 

[woodshopdemos]

There are some nice ideas and aids here. I don't use any. I go by ear. Even my bad hearing is enough to "read" the speed drop of the Domino. I then mortise at whatever speed that  keeps me pretty much is the sound range that is "no strain." I don't know that I explained it very well but anyone with Domino experience will understand.

 

[ForumMFG]

I "hear" ya.. No pun intended.

 

[Neill]

There are some nice ideas and aids here. I don't use any. I go by ear. Even my bad hearing is enough to "read" the speed drop of the Domino. I then mortise at whatever speed that  keeps me pretty much is the sound range that is "no strain." I don't know that I explained it very well but anyone with Domino experience will understand.

John,

I agree with you regarding the sound, but I also think there is some feel, read vibration (or resistance might be a better term).   I can tell when the bit is cutting and when it has completed that section and to plunge the bit a little further in until it bottoms out.

I don't see that speed is a factor when you are talking a second or a fraction of a second to do the job correctly.  I don't think you can perform the operation too slowly but you can do it too quickly.

Neill

 

[bruegf]

You can do the plunge too slowly.  They talked about that at the End-user-training.  From what I remember, they said the fence is actually designed at a very slight angle to compensate for the effect of the climb cut of the bit.  If you plunge too slowly the bit climbs more than the fence compensation and you end up with a mortise that's at a slight angle.

Fred

 

[ForumMFG]

Good point Fred, I forgot they made that comment.  It was a stern comment so make sure you don't go to slow.

 

[peter halle]

Isn't it nice that the engineers were pre planning for my oops?

Peter

 

[Neill]

You can do the plunge too slowly.   They talked about that at the End-user-training.   From what I remember, they said the fence is actually designed at a very slight angle to compensate for the effect of the climb cut of the bit.   If you plunge too slowly the bit climbs more than the fence compensation and you end up with a mortise that's at a slight angle.

Fred

Fred,

OK, I get it.  We spend a friggin fortune on these tools only to find out that we need to go to Festool College to learn how to use them properly.

Do they have a football team?

Neill

 

[bruegf]

Neill,

That was new information for me as well.  I have seen a few cases where I had mortises that were at an angle but I never figured out how they got that way, so this was another great tip from the training session.  I always figured I had somehow moved or slipped or I had a chip under the fence that caused the problem.

Fred

 

[Neill]

Neill,

That was new information for me as well.   I have seen a few cases where I had mortises that were at an angle but I never figured out how they got that way, so this was another great tip from the training session.   I always figured I had somehow moved or slipped or I had a chip under the fence that caused the problem.

Fred

Fred,

Mine are at an angle too.  It was OK because they always seemed to match the angled mortises on the mating board. 

You cut the first mortise right to size for alignment purposes. You then use the next cutting size up like they tell you to do to make an easier fit. It seems to work even if they are at a slight angle.

Neill

 

[Forrest Anderson]

Exactly a year and a day ago, Brice started a thread entitled Domino mortise not horizontal: Problem solved? in which he gave a link to a Festool Service document that gave a very interesting graph of feed rates.

That thread, the Service document, and another thread entitled Domino mortices not horizontal.Anyone seen this before?I still love the thing! are well worth reading, and should give some answers regarding domino mortises which are slightly angled.

Forrest

 

[peter halle]

Forrest,

I would like to publicly thank you for all your hard work in putting together all the links.  You're kind of like the guardian angel who swoops down to save the day or provide an answer.

The FOG historian?  A future member of the FOG hall of fame?  Yes to both.

Thank you,

Peter