Domino - first impressions

[ama]

I finally caved in and bought a Domino, the one tool I couldn't understand why everyone seemed so excited about for the longest time. I guess I still don't fully get it, but I am willing to give it a try. I went through my building past and found a couple of projects where I could have used it and would probably have been happier for doing so. If I could have made up my made on which sander to get it would probably have been one of them instead.

Some first impressions:

The domino is a big machine. Om my current project - a portable workbench - I am using it to attach some nice hardwood to the inside of a cutout in an mdf frame. I am only able to index off of the left side of the machine because of the dc connector on the right side. I am also not able to get close enough in the corners. It is also quite long and requires a lot of breathing room in front of the mortise.

The dominos themselves are pretty big. At 19mm or so wide, I can only use them in one orientation in 19mm mdf. That happens to be the same orientation that will *not* allow me to position the machine in the inside corners.

The box does not say what bit is included. The was pretty annoying when buying the machine, wanting some matching dominoes. I haven't gotten the tenon systainer yet.

Overlapping mortises come out less clean than I would have liked. Due to the positioning problems above, two of my mortises just overlapped slightly. This resulted in less than ideal mortises that needed a bit of cleaning up to accept the tenons.

The tenons are not the same shape as the mortises! The domino tenons are shaped kind of like whereas the domino will rout a mortise like so (=====). For structural, internal tenons, it should not matter, but for through tenons (should I ever make any) I will have to create my own dominos. I don't really see why Festool built them like this.

 

[ajones]

Hi Re,your last comment its for the glue to get past so they don't hydraulic

 

[andy5405]

I felt a simlar way when I tried out the one handed planer. I had never really user electric planers before apart from a really cheap one which put me off them. I neally took it back to swap it for an OF1400 thinking I would never use it but persisted with it and wouldn't want to be without it now.

 

[mattfc]

The domino is a big machine. Om my current project - a portable workbench - I am using it to attach some nice hardwood to the inside of a cutout in an mdf frame. I am only able to index off of the left side of the machine because of the dc connector on the right side. I am also not able to get close enough in the corners. It is also quite long and requires a lot of breathing room in front of the mortise.

The dominos themselves are pretty big. At 19mm or so wide, I can only use them in one orientation in 19mm mdf. That happens to be the same orientation that will *not* allow me to position the machine in the inside corners.

Thanks for your first impressions, I would suggest though that they are limited to a specific use-case, i.e. trying to use it on something that appears to be already assembled given what you have said. I think the domino is pretty compact, not much bigger than a biscuit jointer, but can understand the issues you have mentioned if you were trying to use it to add to an existing project. Re through domino's, I just made my own with a roundover bit

 

[fdengel]

Dominos come in varied sizes to go with different use cases.

I don't have one myself yet, but it's definitely on my list as a future purchase.

 

[JSands]

thx for your evaluation....

If I had no joinery system, I would buy a domino, its very versatile....  sort of a hybrid of dowels and biscuits, very clever.

a single domino prevents twisting vs. a single dowel, but two dowels solves this.

biscuits are simple, low cost and have a ton of glue area, for projects where this is applicable, I don't see domino advantage where biscuits are applicable.    Where biscuits are too thin for the required strength, they are not the right joinery method to start with, another loose tenon joinery makes more sense.

The fact the dominos are a loose tenon, is not always ideal when the pressure of the final piece is in the direction of the "looseness"....  in which case, IMO, dowels are preferable as a loose tenon joinery system in these applications, as you have the added mechanical support of tight tenons.   But dowel jigs can be more time consuming vs. a domino, so the "time is money issue" arises...   Of course, where a joint receives no pressure, such as face frames, its a non-issue.... just about any joinery system will work.

I have used Dominos, and really like the system..... and I have drank the kool-aid as well, but I have not taken the plunge yet,  due to.... never having the need vs. my other joinery tools.   But, I am sure the first project I find,  in which the Domino will provide a unique benefit, I will jump in.    

 

[Brice Burrell]

...biscuits are simple, low cost and have a ton of glue area, for projects where this is applicable, I don't see domino advantage where biscuits are applicable.    Where biscuits are too thin for the required strength, they are not the right joinery method to start with, another loose tenon joinery makes more sense.....

No question biscuit joinery can a be cheaper method, assuming one is using a cheap machine.  The advantage the Domino has over the biscuit is the ability to align the end(s) of the two joining pieces.  The loose fit of the biscuit can't do that.

...The fact the dominos are a loose tenon, is not always ideal when the pressure of the final piece is in the direction of the "looseness"....  in which case, IMO, dowels are preferable as a loose tenon joinery system in these applications, as you have the added mechanical support of tight tenons.....  

 

Again the Domino has an answer for this too, just use the tight setting to cut all the mortises.

 

[JSands]

>  No question biscuit joinery can a be cheaper method, assuming one is using a cheap machine.  The advantage the Domino has over the biscuit is the ability to align the end(s) of the two joining pieces.  The loose fit of the biscuit can't do that.

            Well agreed, at the cost of a Lamello, a dominos price is nearly the same...  I was mainly referring to the cost of biscuits vs. dominos.    As for edge alignment, a simple dowel jig does this as well as anything....  in most applications I use biscuits, I prefer the small slop, as it allows me to work fast..... I make positive edge alignment during clamping / glue-up. 

>  Again the Domino has an answer for this too, just use the tight setting to cut all the mortises.

 
                                A dowel fit is more supportive, specially comparing it to the domino on its edge, where the material is quite weaker.    But lots of variables to consider, both are comments are generalized.

Anyway, most all good ww's can make any of these joinery systems work....  they are all great tools.    In this case, I was simply explaining how the domino is more of a all-in-one joinery tool, which is nice.  But existing loose tenon joinery systems are quite effective as well.... specially if you already own them, and implement them with ease.  But if you are just starting out, IMO, the domino's once size fits all is a no-brainer.  I will probably buy one, once I bump into a project where I really see some true benefits....ya know, we all have different thresholds to justify our tool purchases....  hee hee...