Domino Grip

[semenza]

This thread starts with a quote because it was split from another topic.

Seth

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Mark

In the end user classes your taught to support the unit with one hand on the fence and the plunging hand on the plug it cord. It works real well for me.  I think it will solve your problem and give you a little bit more control.

I find it interesting that this is the way it is done in the Festool classes. I tried this and found it to feel awkward, less stable, and the added leverage gave me less control with more chance to lift or or lower the unit while plunging by holding it from so far back.

I find that a firm hold on the fence, and a grip at the narrower body section works well. I think that really planting the fence firmly to keep it from shifting is the biggest key.  

I will have to try the 'tailgrip' method again sometime.

This is one of those topics that is really a personal preference type of thing. What works well for some does not work well for others.

Seth

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Seth,

I have to agree with you on that last post.  I use the Domino the same way.

 

[semenza]

Hi,

As I understand it -- the Festool classes teach holding the Plug - It with a couple of fingers and pushing straight in.

I will give this another try.

Although I I generally grip the Domino at the mid section, I make sure that I am pushing smoothly , straight in.  With a somewhat slower feed rate than I would use with a biscuit joiner.  I find that the slower feed rate helps prevent side to side jerks.

Seth

 

[MarkR]

I personally think it natural to grip the body grip.
If you grip the plug-it and push and pull it, apart from moving the balancing point further back which could lead to reference problems, you might cause problems to the connection perhaps?

 

[peter halle]

Mark,

Try it this way.  Take two or three fingers and a thumb and place them at the end of the tool where the plug it socket meets the tool.  The other hand is holding down the fence section to the work.  Now when you plunge you are not really grasping the tool tightly, you are using those three or four digits to push the tool into the work.  Takes a little getting used to.

Peter

 

[MarkR]

I will give it a go, but it will take some getting used too, as I want to grip near where the on/off switch is.

 

[Eli]

Yeah, hold the plug with your thumb on top and it's poised to slap the switch off when you finish.

 

[barnowl]

Mark,

Try it this way.  Take two or three fingers and a thumb and place them at the end of the tool where the plug it socket meets the tool.  The other hand is holding down the fence section to the work.  Now when you plunge you are not really grasping the tool tightly, you are using those three or four digits to push the tool into the work.  Takes a little getting used to.

Peter

That's the way I do it after trying different ways.

Solid pressure on the fence, and very light pressure on the tail to plunge in and out.

 

[peter halle]

Another tip from class was not to necessarily turn the machine off between cuts.  With the retracting bit the safety aspects are there.  It does save were and tear on the switch.

You may agree or disagree.  Just passing this along.

Peter

 

[Kevin D.]

I find that when plunging in the vertical position, that having the vac hose and plug-it cord hanging loosely from above makes life easier.

 

[ccarrolladams]

My good coincidence I was visiting Europe shortly before the Domino went on sale there. At a dealer a Festool application trainer was demonstrating various techniques of using the Domino. His suggestions were to apply firm pressure on the fence, minimum pressure on the end with the cord to perform the plunge and to turn on the power before confirming the Domino was correctly positioned, then leaving the power on until the plunge was completely returned to retracted position. A good friend bought one of the first Domino sold, so I had the chance to try it before I flew back to California.

Each of us is built differently and has different ways of working. Personally I do not like to move my hand around on the machine end to work the power switch. I also find most of the problem of the Domino moving is cause by the start of the motor. Therefore I always have the motor at full speed before I position the machine. I also have found there is less chance of wobble enlarging the mortise when the bit is at full speed while retracting.

My own technique is to plug my Domino into a foot switch, so I can leave the machine's power switch on and still control the power without moving my grip. I do use a toggle foot switch. These need a tap to turn on power. The next tap turns the power off, to reduce the chance of my foot slipping off the switch during the plunge. Sudden stoppage of the bit before the mortise is completed is to be avoided.

In my experience there is on reason to stop dust extraction when the mortise is finished and advantages to leaving the CT running during the entire Domino session. So I use a separate circuit for the CT and for the Domino, similar to my Kapex arrangement.

As I do with most movable Festools, I drape the hose and power cord over my shoulder or position them from above the Domino so they do not drag the Domino out of position.

 

[flair woodworks]

Another tip from class was not to necessarily turn the machine off between cuts.  With the retracting bit the safety aspects are there.  It does save were and tear on the switch.

You may agree or disagree.  Just passing this along.

Peter

I think about that every time I use it, but I'm always afraid of it walking off my bench.

 

[ccarrolladams]

I think about that every time I use it, but I'm always afraid of it walking off my bench.

I attended the same Cabinet Class in Henderson, NV in November 2010 as Aaron U and G Powers. Besides Steve Bace we had the advantage of Brian Sedgeley as our second trainer. Gaining confidence in the Domino is a major part of Cabinet Class. Each of us was encouraged to try various grips and methods. Unfortunately I had not brought one of my foot toggle switches with me.

One suggestion was to place a pad or towel on the bench to receive the Domino between plunges. Although I have never had a problem with the running Domino creeping off a bench, even the very thin shop towels which shed no lint effectively hold a running Domino in its place.

The cabinet maker working for me who specializes in face frames and doors nearly always puts each of his tools on a towel when he is not using those. He compares this to the "instrument drape" in an operating room. Not only do those reduce the noise, they prevent the sharp blades being dulled by contact with a hard surface.

 

[flair woodworks]

I think about that every time I use it, but I'm always afraid of it walking off my bench.

I attended the same Cabinet Class in Henderson, NV in November 2010 as Aaron U and G Powers. Besides Steve Bace we had the advantage of Brian Sedgeley as our second trainer. Gaining confidence in the Domino is a major part of Cabinet Class. Each of us was encouraged to try various grips and methods. Unfortunately I had not brought one of my foot toggle switches with me.

One suggestion was to place a pad or towel on the bench to receive the Domino between plunges. Although I have never had a problem with the running Domino creeping off a bench, even the very thin shop towels which shed no lint effectively hold a running Domino in its place.

The cabinet maker working for me who specializes in face frames and doors nearly always puts each of his tools on a towel when he is not using those. He compares this to the "instrument drape" in an operating room. Not only do those reduce the noise, they prevent the sharp blades being dulled by contact with a hard surface.

I'll give it a try!

 

[RONWEN]

Another tip from class was not to necessarily turn the machine off between cuts.  With the retracting bit the safety aspects are there.  It does save were and tear on the switch.

You may agree or disagree.  Just passing this along.

Peter

I think about that every time I use it, but I'm always afraid of it walking off my bench.

Of all the portable power tools I've owned the switch was always the weak link that failed first.  I leave my Domino run between mortises even though I have no doubt Festool engineered it with a very long life cycle switch.

 

[Eli]

I leave it running. If I can't hold it with one hand while repo'ing the piece or setting another, I put it on the floor or in the hose garage.

 

[Julian Tracy]

I also turn mine on and then position > plunge.  I leave it on for the entire length of run.

But is this the thread where we all can admit that the vac hose placement on the Domino is just plain stupid?

I love the machine, have had mine since they first came out, but who's idea was it to have the vac hose and port be directly in the way of how you'd prefer to hold and use it?

Julian

 

[Sparktrician]

I think about that every time I use it, but I'm always afraid of it walking off my bench.

I'd suggest setting it on a router mat to keep it from taking undesired excursions. 

[smile]

 

[Eli]

That's what I'm saying tho, if you hold it at the back, the hose is *never* in the way...... [embarassed]

 

[zapdafish]

I haven't had a chance to use my Domino much but when I used a biscuit joiner I had big problems with alignment until I started pushing from the back rather than the body.  Gripping the body I was somehow exerting downward pressure unevenly which caused each biscuit channel to be cut at a different level. Since I got the Domino, I grip it from the back around the cord as well and everything has turned out perfectly. I also turn on the Domino before placement. I don't know why but before I did that I had problems with the switch popping out on me and the domino being pushed into the stock as I was trying to turn it on. Now that I use the domiplate for everything I am forced to turn it on first because everything is upside down  [laughing]