Domino, Lyptus and seal or glue

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grobin

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I am using a Domino to build open carcse bookcases out of Lyptus.  I am using 19.8x50mm risers and 19.8x38mm stringers for folio and heavy books (65lbs/29.5kg peer linear foot).  I would loike to be able to break down the bookcases.  I have been gluing so far but was thinking of using 2 5mm dominoes and a screw to hold the stringers to the riser frames (glue the dominoes into the stringers and just plunge the risers).

Any comments or suggestions would be most welcome.

I also got an unpleasant surprise yesterday with Lyptus.  I had a piece of scrap that I made through mortise in for 6mm domino just to see what a through tendon would look like.  I forgot it and found it in my shop when I cleaned up.  I had made the mortises when the humidity was around 12% and now its around 30% (very humid for the area).  The problem is that a 6mm domino will no longer fit, in fact a 5mm is pretty close!  My question is what are the consequences of using a water based topcoat to seal the tendon and the mortise?  Good idea, bad idea or just an idea?

Again any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 
My guess is that the Lyptus wasn't thoroughly kiln dried.  If you have a moisture meter it might be worth checking. It is common today to have "kiln dried" wood that varies significantly - from 9% to as high as 15% even.  It is good practice to bring the wood to the work site [shop, garage, job site] and let it set for a while.

I have taken to stickering all of my wood for several weeks before I use it - it has saved a lot of rework in the past couple of years.
 
It sat for probably 3 months before I decided to try the experiment.  Pretty much 12 to 15% humidity.  Then after I cut the mortises it sat for another 4 months and finished at around 30% humidity.  I checked Weyerhauser tech sheets and they say that Lyptus as a very high expansion (about 2x most common hardwoods).

I realize that any tape fo coating that is useful will not prevent wood from changing with the humidity but it can control the change and slow it.  That's why I wounder about using a topcoat on the tendons and mortises before assembly (without glue).

Looks like I need to get a moisture meter though.
 
Not sure I understand why you would use a screw and Domino?

Your wood is about what it is going to be after all that time.  Lyptus does move a lot - a lot.  Pretty but tough to make furniture from IMO.  One needs to allow lots of expansion room in the joints.

Good luck!
 
clintholeman said:
Not sure I understand why you would use a screw and Domino?

Your wood is about what it is going to be after all that time.  Lyptus does move a lot - a lot.  Pretty but tough to make furniture from IMO.  One needs to allow lots of expansion room in the joints.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

He wants to leave the domino unglued so that he can disassemble the bookcase if needs be. The screws would hold it together.
 
grobin
Have you looked at other systems for connecting the panels?
I know dominos are almost too sexy to resist, but with wood that unstable a system of euro cams and dowels might work better and they are designed to break down very quickly.

 
tiralie  I have used the domino a lot for glued bookcases and it works fine in Lyptus so far.  I want to break down and am interested in alternates but am unfamiliar with the system you refer to.  Is there an on-line resource you can give me?
 
Grobin:
There are a several manufacturers and distributors Hafele, Blum, Richelieu etc. that are all designed to primarily work with the 32mm system of which Festool makes the 32 hole guide and 32-sys hole Boring system for use with the 1010 and 1400 router.
You don't need to use the 32hole system to use these fasteners it does help to understand why they use the dimensions they do.
Here is link to Hafele hardware that I am  referring to. I am not endorsing Hafele, so much as using their documentation to help explain how these fasteners work. General speaking the fasteners are used in chip board or melamine etc. 
The Hafele diagrams are not exactly clear but after a couple read through you get the general idea.
Blum documentation Assembly recommendations might also help.
Hope this helps. Let me know.
Tim
 
Tim thanks I will give those a look.  I started doing serious joinery with the Domino and am well aware of the "If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail" syndrome.  I may try a couple pine mock ups with them and test.
 
Actually I just bought a Domino and I am always looking at each project and thinking, "...could I use the Domino here?"
Good Luck...
 
Found the fasteners at a local speciality lumberyard.  Looks like they are designed for closed carcase shelving.  I am doing open carcase with removable shelves that sit on stringers, the stringers are fastened to the uprights.  I did pick up a package and am going to see if I can figure out a way to use them on some cheap pine.

I really like the loose tendon joints as they are fast and easy.  The domino needs an accessory for positioning less than the nominal distance and there should be a better method for long ≥100mm distance positioning.

Give it a try but try first on some scrap.

Thanks Jerry
 
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