Domino Process Help!!!

[thedevme]

First of all, I absolutely love my DF500 and I want to get the DF700 even though I don't need it lol.  I have been using Half Inch Shy's first technique for lining up the boards:
=13s)

Using this method, I find it to be tedious when doing this on the top portion.  I am currently working on a Systainer/MFT Cart and he uses dominos for construction:
=474s

I love the idea but I find myself having to put it together and then take it apart for each part. I worry that my orientation is messed up so it just really slows down the process.  I know there is a better way but have yet to find a more reliable technique to do this.

I am using the Seneca plate when I am not doing the face of the plywood. Please give me your technique for building this systainer cart and how you would make it so that your top and bottoms are aligned correctly without having to put it together each time.  If there is a video on this please share I have yet to find one. I really love this process and just want to get better and more efficient with the Domino.  Thank you and sorry for the long post.

 

[Birdhunter]

I think you are doing the correct process. I built a similar project and I dry fitted it together numerous times. I do use a lot of blue tape and felt tip pen to identify what goes where.

It does help to shave a little off the sides of Dominos to use for dry fitting. They go in and come out easily. I put a big X on both sides of the shaved Dominos so they don’t get used in he final gue up

I also practiced several times for the final glue up before actually applying glue. Knowing the glue up sequence before applying glue helps to avoid last minute mistakes.

 

[ChuckS]

The carcase glue-up is not particularly complex. But as Birdhunter pointed out, the dry-fitting part is indispensable.

To make the assembly a bit easier, use the narrow (standard) setting on one side as well as on the first one (only) on the mating side for alignment purposes. Then use the wide setting for the rest of mortises on the mating piece.

In the glue-up process, always glue the dominoes on the piece with the narrow setting first and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, before attaching it to the other piece (the one with the wide mortises except the first one). This way, you are breaking own the glue-up into smaller jobs.

 

[thedevme]

Wow thanks [member=57948]ChuckM[/member] and [member=15289]Birdhunter[/member].  I have been doing all side mortises tight settings and all mortices on the face of the wood are wide setting. That has worked for me but I feel like the process is so slow or I am really slow at the process.  I have 3 pieces left to do and I didnt want to have to put it together 3x and take it apart 3 times just to confirm.  Glad to hear that I am not far off.

 

[Gregor]

In the glue-up process, always glue the dominoes on the piece with the narrow setting first and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, before attaching it to the other piece (the one with the wide mortises except the first one). This way, you are breaking own the glue-up into smaller jobs.

I wonder if letting the narrow side sit for 5-10 minutes might lead to the glueup having less strength, stemming from the glue only being partially cured in that time and the domino being agitated by assembly (when tapping together the parts) might break partially formed bonds between it and the narrow mortice...

Out of this reasoning I either glue up the dominos into one side and let it cure according to glue instructions or glue them into both mortices simultaneously. Am I overthinking it?

 

[ChuckS]

How could a glued domino move inside a wider mortise on the mating piece during tapping? I have not experienced any of that.

 

[mcooley]

The dry fit is always annoying. Using the smaller say 5mm x 30mm dominos work fine for some case construction on plywood. That way you are always leaving the depth the same for all mortises. A little less to keep track of that way. But I think to make dry fitting easier one could use a Domino made of plastic but have it designed for easy removal. I know some people drill holes for removing theirs and like others above some keep modified pairs around just for dry fitting. The machine is very accurate but as we all know the ergonomics are primitive so in many ways the way the machine is configured doesn't always help and seems to work against certain repeat operations.   

 

[Svar]

Am I overthinking it?

Yes.

 

[ChuckS]

Snip

I know some people drill holes for removing theirs and like others above some keep modified pairs around just for dry fitting.

Drilling holes is way too much work for me, and sanding the edges could defeat the original design for a tight fit. My go-to method for dry-fitting as well as for final glue-up is to microwave the dominoes to remove the moisture (placing the dominoes on a coffee filter). It has worked all these years for my projects. Just be careful in the first few times you use the method so you don't burn the tenons, and the dominoes can be quite hot.

 

[RussellS]

Snip

I know some people drill holes for removing theirs and like others above some keep modified pairs around just for dry fitting.

Drilling holes is way too much work for me, and sanding the edges could defeat the original design for a tight fit. My go-to method for dry-fitting as well as for final glue-up is to microwave the dominoes to remove the moisture (placing the dominoes on a coffee filter).

Drilling holes once in frequently used TEST Dominoes is "way too much work" but microwaving every Domino you use is not?

 

[ChuckS]

How many sample dominoes do I drill per size and keep? 30 per each size? Not to mention I can't use those predrilled dominoes.

Microwave: 20 secs per glue-up or less depending on the unit's watt. Inserting and removing the microwaved dominoes after dry-fitting are also easy.

 

[Birdhunter]

I never drilled my “test” Dominos, just sanded the edges and marked them with a big X on both sides.

I found the sanded Dominos worked just fine in the final glueup. I always glue Dominos into the narrow mortises and let them set up before gluing them into the wider mortises.

I get a couple of sanded tenons around just for testing.

 

[thedevme]

I never drilled my “test” Dominos, just sanded the edges and marked them with a big X on both sides.

I found the sanded Dominos worked just fine in the final glueup. I always glue Dominos into the narrow mortises and let them set up before gluing them into the wider mortises.

I get a couple of sanded tenons around just for testing.

I like your glue up process [member=15289]Birdhunter[/member]

I am going to do a test tonight and use the Storystick from Woodpecker as a way to mark domino locations.  They have both offset and standard tabs that work perfectly no matter the direction.  Then when I make may marks I will use Half-Inch Shy's suggestion of by using the domino center point on the side and back when doing face plunges.  I feel this will give me accurate spots without having to lay the piece on the line and mark the two pieces together.