Domino question

[joiner1970]

What dominos do you guys use for 18mm material i.e. mdf or mfc carcases ? I normally use 5 x 30's so you can plunge 15mm both sides. Just watched one of Phil's videos and he used 40mm long doms so you have to plunge 15 in the carcase side and 25 into the shelf. Is there any advantage to using 40s rather than 30s.

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[bobfog]

I use 5x 30 too.

Reason being a)i was taught softwoods rely more on the glue due to their porous nature and hardwood rely more on the mortise and tenon because modern glues don't penetrate and cross link as well as softwood. So extending the argument, MDF is very porous, so given enough glue to truly saturate the joint the dominos are really just for alignment. And b) going 6x40 seems to split the MDF more readily than 5mm dominos do.

 

[joiner1970]

I like not having to change plunge depth as that's where mistakes happen and you end up plunging right through your side panels. Whoops

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[bobfog]

I like not having to change plunge depth as that's where mistakes happen and you end up plunging right through your side panels. Whoops

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Yeah. I've also been known to leave a 5mm cutter on most of the time and forget when I put a larger on and put the machine away, on for the next time I use it to plunge thinking the 5mm is still on it.  [huh]

 

[Phil Beckley]

Hi
I try and work on the thirds principle - same as M+T joints. So with 18mm I use 6mm but yes, you have to change the setting on the depth otherwise the inevitable happens and am sure we have all done it.
  For cabinet work I machine all at 25mm for the bases and then the sides at 15mm so avoid having to repeatedly change the depth setting and in theory avoid breaking through the material.
rg
Phil

......my normal error is mixing up the 5mm and 6mm cutters  [wink]

 

[Troutbum86]

I've heard both ways. Some say 5mm is more bang for your buck because of how many dominoes you get in a pack. Some say 6mm for the 1/3 rule. Me I choose 6mm because it works. Only thing I make a mistake on is usually forgetting to go from tight to loose setting or vise versa.

 

[Kev]

I'm such a check 3 time tortoise I rarely make Domino related errors. I tend to save mistakes up and just make a few enormous ones each year!

I also apply the one third rule for M&T's whenever practical. It's also not against the law to shorten a Domino, but I wouldn't want to do that with a big run.

 

[Mort]

If only Festool made a 6x30 domino for just such an occasion...

 

[joiner1970]

Hi
I try and work on the thirds principle - same as M+T joints. So with 18mm I use 6mm but yes, you have to change the setting on the depth otherwise the inevitable happens and am sure we have all done it.
  For cabinet work I machine all at 25mm for the bases and then the sides at 15mm so avoid having to repeatedly change the depth setting and in theory avoid breaking through the material.
rg
Phil

......my normal error is mixing up the 5mm and 6mm cutters  [wink]

Oh I see I didn't know you couldn't get 6 x 30 dominoes. So that explains you doing 15 mm and 25 mm plunges.

I just thought it was odd doing different depths but that explains it, cheers

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[Sparktrician]

I like not having to change plunge depth as that's where mistakes happen and you end up plunging right through your side panels. Whoops

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Having done that more than once, I now do a test cut in scrap wood before doing the "real" cut. 

 

[semenza]

    I like to do all the face mortises first at the smaller depth setting to help avoid forgetting to change the depth and blowing through. I find that I am more tuned in to having to set the depth for the first task when I pull the machine out of the systainer than between tasks. It is more a part of the routine at that point. My brain is thinking ..... take the tool out and set it up.

    If you accidentally cut the deep ones , shallow, it is an easy fix.

Seth