Domino Tenon Size For Garden Bench

[Mike Goetzke]

First off I know it's like zero deg. F outside, but, yes I'm working on a garden bench.

The plans are from an old Wood magazine and call for 3-1/4" and 4-1/4" x 1/2" fixed tenons where the seat rails meet the legs. The design has 6" tall rails so that's probably why the tall tenons.

I want to use my Domino XL for loose tenons. I will be making my own tenons. Looking at the original design I see I can fit three 12mm Dominos (that are 26mm wide) on top of each, but was just wondering since I'm making the tenons should I just overlap the Domino mortises and use one wide tenon - say 3" wide?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Mismarked]

I don't know how to post the link, but jdm5 provided a good suggestion along these lines.  Search "definitive answer shy bench" and it will pull up his post and a link to a half inch shy post on the topic of wide dominos.  He said he used them on a garden bench and it worked fine

 

[Cheese]

Here ya go, there's some helpful info in both of these links.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festo...po-dominos-in-solid-teak/msg479412/#msg479412
http://www.halfinchshy.com/2011/11/extra-wide-domino-mortises.html?m=1

 

[Mike Goetzke]

Thanks for the info.. Guess the jury is still out. I made a couple sample cuts and sure looks like a single 3" wide tenon would be stronger than three individual stacked 26mm tenons.

Mike

 

[Holmz]

Thanks for the info.. Guess the jury is still out. I made a couple sample cuts and sure looks like a single 3" wide tenon would be stronger than three individual stacked 26mm tenons.

Mike

In sheer I am not sure that there is a difference between 1 tenon and three of the same cross section. How they are orientated seems to be intuitively important.

One could make a small test joint(s) and do it a few ways and load them up. Personally I would use the domino material.
Someone may be able to sell or give You a 1 or 2 of the three footers to do the project? Or enough dominoes for the testing. If you can wait two weeks I have some...