Domino fence slides when locked.

[Curlycherry]

I use my Domino like I would a biscuit jointer and I keep the fence flipped down in the 90 degree position. Well, I can slide the thing up and down pretty much with one finger when it is locked and I cannot figure out how to tighten the lock mechanism.  So I am getting variable height of the dominos down from the surface of my boards.  The cam flippy lever that tightens the raising or lowering bottoms out on the aluminun bracket that supports the dust collector shoot.  So I cannot get it tight enough so it won't move up or down.  And why the heck does this thing not have a screw height adjuster like all biscuit jointers have?  Duh!

 

[Programmergeek]

I had to do this also.  Just make sure you crank that fence down a couple of times mind was not tight enought and still moved.  Since I pay attention to it now it has been fine.

 

[Woodenfish]

I recently purchased a Domino and have yet to put it through any production duty usage as of now as we are still in the acquaintance stage of our new relationship. After reading this discussion I went back and checked the fence on mine for looseness. Like others have reported, my fence too was found to be less than secure. Readjusting the lock handle per Rick's recommendations has seemed to help mine and I thank him for the tip.

Looking at the contact shoes and the vertical piece the fence locks upon I could see why it might be a problem. Perhaps Festool will mill or grind that edge to increase its coefficiency of friction in version 2.0. Maybe just a little scuffing of that very slick cast surface on ver. 1.0 with some sandpaper is all that is needed to add some extra bite for the shoe and clamp?

 

[Brent b]

I had this problem a while back and cut a thin strip of emery cloth to slip between the contact shoe and vertical piece.  Seems to work good but I also started handling the tool a bit more gingerly.  I became concerned that I could bust off that wing screw and it also seems to me that the force of that screw, pushing on one side as it does, distorts the fence in relation to the body; skewing away from the pressure, so that the gauges read incorrectly.  Regardless, the tool works good for me but I'm not building fine furniture with it either.
Brent

 

[bassman00]

I ran into this same issue this weekend.  However, it was user error.  I remembered reading somewhere that some people stripped the locking lever mechanism when they overtightened it so I tightened it up firm but not overly tight.  Unfortunately, it wasn't tight enough and started slipping.  :'(  I was doing a sort of a production run using spacer blocks so I wasn't testing each assembly.  Fortunately, I stopped about half way to glue up some assemblies and noticed the problem.  I now know the proper "torque" to apply to the lever to get it to hold. 

Now, I guess I should glue in some dominoes into the bad mortises and redo them.  Any other suggestions?

Rick, Thanks for the instructions on adjusting the clamping handle.  I'll double check mine tonight.

PaulD

 

[Tinker]

Since I do not own, nor have I even used, a Domino, this reply is more question than answer. I don't want anybody to take me wrong in that i am trying to diminish the product in any way.

i have read several posts going back many months where it has been mentioned that the casting might be too thin (my interpretation) causing brekage with over tightening.  Is that weakness in a location where Festool might be able to design a little extra strength (thickness) to the casting.  It would appear to me, from those previous posts along with this thread, that it could be quite detrimental to try to eliminate the slippage problem by increased tightening on the screws/nuts. 

Two solutions have been suggested:
Add a thin piece of sand paper>>>  will this decrease the amount of screw exposed to the nut thus lessening the efficiency of the bolt and also doing nothing to eliminate the weakness of the casting?

A light sanding/scoring of either the casting or the adjustable plate (I'm not sure which)
If the casting is sanded, won't that further weaken a weak part?  Multiple sandings might make a less accurate base with one area thinner than another which would cause breakage from even less pressure.  Even if the sliding part is sanded, won't that part become uneven with time causing breakage of the main casting also?

Rick C mentioned that rotating a part will give a little more tightening capacity.  Is it possible that has been taken into account by Festool and purposely not rotated all the way so there is no more room to increase tightening capacity later on?  sort of like brake or clutch adjustments on my trucks.

Like i said above, I am only asking questions that others might want to consider. I am sure the problem has been mentioned enought to Festool that they are looking into it and will eventually come up with a solution.
Tinker

 

[Curlycherry]

Rick's suggestion helped.  I moved the lever and can now clamp it down pretty darn tight.  I won't crank it down too much for fear of breaking something.  It holds, but with enough finger pressure I can still move the fence.  Using the depth stops are probably a better idea, but it just burns me a tiny bit to not have the domino exactly centered in the middle of my board.  I am a fuss-nut and I would like it to be in the center. That way if I screw up, I can at least flip the board over and use the other side without having to fill the domino hole in first.  I think a height adjustment screw or crank would do a lot to help hold things in place too, but that is just me.

 

[ROb McGilp]

M'sieur Cherry,

You may find that you need to move the handle one more peg to give you more control over the tightness of the grip on the fence. I had the same problem as you about a day after firing up the Domino in anger for the first time. Taking the handle back 2 notches was perfect. I've since had to do this with the plate lock as well.
I do wish to say, however, that I cannot see how anyone could break or strip the nylon nut unless they were using a Torque wrench to tighten it.  Particularly in the position it is in when you take it out the box. Its quite obvious to the feel when you have tightened the nut sufficiently. So I think that most people should not be made to feel that slippage is their fault as a result of overtightening.
If the fence does not lock properly after moving one more notch, you really need to talk to Festool or one of their agents.

Regards,

Rob

Rob

 

[Tinker]

Rick,
I think you are correct about the first report fro FWW.  I don't recall where i noticed it the second time.  i do not keep written or copied journals of reports, good or bad.  i just try to keep the memories of what i pick up in my head, which as some who know me well might well attest there to be somewhat of a shortage of space.  In actuality, the unrecorded previous mentions and this thread are the only locations where i have read of any negatives concerning the Domino.  The conversation, so far, has done nothing to counterbalance all of the great good i have read about the tool and certainly my wish list has not been altered to remove the Domino package from its present lofty position so close to the top of that list.  thanks to you, and some others with far more experience than I, there always seem to be very sensible solutions to every problem mentioned concerning any of the very practical Festool Toys.  I am one who looks at a half full cup and will also try to figure ways to keep it half full, and not half empty.

Thanks for all of your knowledeable input.  we all benefit 
Tinker

 

[BilWil]

I wrote about this happning to me, I found that if I took the fence off I could get to the lever adjustment, i.e., the lever that you use to tighten the fence.  I made thing tighter, using the screw and bolt that hold the lever in place,  That has worked so far; however, I'm not sure how long it will last.  I like the tool, and I like the result when the fence doesn't slip.  When I tighten the fence I can see the fence is distorted a bit, and I can see that I have to check to make sure the fence isn't cocked before I lock the lver down.  I checked for burrs on the fence tracks and also looked for any foreign stuff that might be causing the problem.  So far so good. ;D.