Domino to build plywood cabinet?

[rjwz28]

I am planning on building a tv stand out of 3/4 plywood and was wondering if I could do all the joinery with the Domino?  What about attaching plywood sides to solid legs on the 4 corners?  And also using the Domino to attach the shelves to the sides instead of dados?

Thanks and Happy Holidays to all!

Rob

 

[Kev]

I'd say "yes", with some reservations ... for my perspective I'd need to understand the design a little.

Got a sketch you could share?

Would the solid legs be a solid frame? ... can't visualise your idea.

 

[rjwz28]

I'd say "yes", with some reservations ... for my perspective I'd need to understand the design a little.

Got a sketch you could share?

Would the solid legs be a solid frame? ... can't visualise your idea.

Sorry, no sketch.  Just thought of it right now in my head.  I was figuring like 4 legs like you would make a simple table and attaching the sides and back to the legs like you would if you were making a skirt or apron except in this case the apron would be the whole height to the bottom.

Rob

 

[stairman]

I just used my DOmino for assembling Melamine shelving units in the Dr's Office I am building-out.  it has worked VERY well.
all the fixed shelves are domino'd on one side, then screwed on the other.  then the next shelf gets domino's -spaced around the screws,  so all screw heads are concealed by the next shelf.  (does this make sense?)

it worked very very well.
although I fit all domino's DRY  (no glue)
the units are built wall to wall, so once assembled,  they are set in place and shimmed tightly front and back of every fixed shelf row,  which tightens up all the loose joints.

I built a test rig 1st, and got over 500lbs on the test shelf before it finally cracked out in the field (4 dominos one side,  4 screws on the other)
I expected the dry dominos to blow through the domino mortises  (8mm domino used in 19mm Melamine)
-but that didn't happen.  it bent and bent and bent, and finally cracked out in the middle of the span.

I have been using the daylights out of my Domino for all sorts of things I never expected to use it for.
millwork installation,  jambs, casing,  miter joint in a solid white oak bar-top

with plywood,  -veneer core,  I would setup a test jig,  and I would try gluing those dominos.
probably going to work fine being glued in veneer core ply,

Melamine?  -I was afraid it would swell up too much, so,  no glue...
-spit on that stuff and it swells up and turns to mush.  -your plywood + solid leg cab plan?  go for it,  go crazy with your Dominok,  you will not regret it!  and I promise you,  once you start using it,  you're not going to want to stop!

I NEVER imagined I would use the Domino as much as I have this past week...  AMAZING tool,  truly amazing!

 

[Tim Sproul]

Dominos are great for this purpose.  For 3/4 plywood (I'm assuming veneer core), use 5 mm dominos.  IME, 6 mm dominos will occasionally cause veneer core plywood to delaminate.

 

[rjwz28]

Dominos are great for this purpose.  For 3/4 plywood (I'm assuming veneer core), use 5 mm dominos.  IME, 6 mm dominos will occasionally cause veneer core plywood to delaminate.

Would you care to ellaborate on that?  I will be using 3/4" Koa plywood (both sides veneered) that will cost me about $300 a sheet.  Don't want to screw it up!

thanks

 

[Stone Message]

Dear Rob

Paul Marcel gave some good tips about the strength of Domino joints in his video review. If you use dominos for the plywood TV stand then I would make sure that the top (on which, I assume, the TV will sit) extends to the outside edge of the sides so that it sits in stable equilibrium. This also makes it easier to disguise the raw edge.

Happy Christmas

Peter

 

[woodwreck]

Here is a pic of our newly-bilt fine dining, cherry dining room table doing what you described, attaching legs to aprons with 10 mm Dominos, veneer top, etc,., etc.

So far the users have been extremely pleased (1st pic is from retail mail order catalog); 2nd pic is ours just made.   [big grin]

 

[mastercabman]

One thing you need to watch for is,when you are mortising on plywood(on the face of the plywood),do not go too deep.I have done it before and when taping the domino,it busted/push out the outer veneer ply.I use the smallest setting 12mm deep.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Dominos are great for this purpose.  For 3/4 plywood (I'm assuming veneer core), use 5 mm dominos.  IME, 6 mm dominos will occasionally cause veneer core plywood to delaminate.

Would you care to ellaborate on that?  I will be using 3/4" Koa plywood (both sides veneered) that will cost me about $300 a sheet.  Don't want to screw it up!

thanks

I don't you need to worry too much about it on your particular project.  However, happen to think the 6mm tenons are a little too big for 3/4" ply.  Another issue with 6mm Domino tenons is the fact that they are 40mm long.  Your ply is only 18-19mm thick so you'll will need to offset the mortises, 25mm deep mortise in the end of a panel and 15mm in the face.  That's not a big deal, unless you screw up and cut a mortise all the way through the panel.

Also, even with 5mm tenons be careful inserting them in the face of your ply.  Remember there's  only a 3mm or so left so if you use a hammer or mallet you can drive them right through the back side.  Laying the ply flat on your work table to back up the panel helps a lot.  

 

[bruegf]

I've built a number of cabinets using both 3/4 veneered plywood as well as 3/4 particle core melamine using 5mm dominos and have not had any problems.

Be sure to follow Brice's advice about using a shallower plunge depth in the face than the end of the panels, and if you forget, be VERY sure you don't have a finger underneath the area where you're cutting the mortice.  Came very, very close once to cutting a slot into a finger tip when I first started using the domino and had forgotten to reset the plunge depth for a face mortise.  Now I always make sure my fingers are above the cutting surface.

Fred

 

[fshanno]

It will work fine.  It will also be a simple way to put a project like that together with hidden joinery.  Minimizing the chance for messing up.  Plus you can have the legs as slinder as you like. 

With Koa it doesn't much matter what you do.  If you finish it right it will be beautiful.  A piece of finished koa leaning against the wall is beautiful.

Sounds like you're going with plywood for sides, top, back and deck.  The toughest part of this project is going to be the edging.  Is the veneer thick or only 4 or 5 angstroms like the stuff I get?

 

[Wonderwino]

I've done several cabinets in both ply and Melamine with dominos and had great results.  Always glue the dominos in the end grain first - that way they won't blow out the side of the adjacent panel.  I attach all my face frames with dominos also.  No nails, just glue and dominos, clamped with Bowclamp cauls until set.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=67309&cat=1,43838

 

[rjwz28]

It will work fine.  It will also be a simple way to put a project like that together with hidden joinery.  Minimizing the chance for messing up.  Plus you can have the legs as slinder as you like. 

With Koa it doesn't much matter what you do.  If you finish it right it will be beautiful.  A piece of finished koa leaning against the wall is beautiful.

Sounds like you're going with plywood for sides, top, back and deck.  The toughest part of this project is going to be the edging.   Is the veneer thick or only 4 or 5 angstroms like the stuff I get?

It is very, very thin!  And it cost me $380 big ones for two side good 4x8.

Thanks everyone for your tips.  I may have screwed some up if it wasn't for your warnigns about the tenons going all the way through the other side.  I haven't used the Domino for that type of plunges yet.  Only end grain.

Is there any trick to aligning up the Domino to do plunges to the surface of the ply since I don't have a top edge to reference from?

Thanks.

 

[davee]

Is there any trick to aligning up the Domino to do plunges to the surface of the ply since I don't have a top edge to reference from?

Thanks.

The Domino itself has reference marks in both directions. The side to side position is simply the centerline mark.  The shelf height centerline is on the side of the Domino when stood up to plunge.

An alternative is to position the shelf where is is intended to go and then lay it down and align with the sides.  The shelf itself becomes the reference point.  Where the shelf and side "pivot" becomes the reference point for both side and shelf.  Probably not a clear explanation?

 

[rjwz28]

Is there any trick to aligning up the Domino to do plunges to the surface of the ply since I don't have a top edge to reference from?

Thanks.

The Domino itself has reference marks in both directions. The side to side position is simply the centerline mark.  The shelf height centerline is on the side of the Domino when stood up to plunge.

An alternative is to position the shelf where is is intended to go and then lay it down and align with the sides.  The shelf itself becomes the reference point.  Where the shelf and side "pivot" becomes the reference point for both side and shelf.   Probably not a clear explanation?

Sorry, I do not get it.  I'm new at this Domino thing.

Rob

 

[honeydoman]

i use the 12mm setting on the face so it does not go through and then then next setting for the ends so it gives you a little more room so it does not blow out.

what i did is I used a sharpee and wrote on the steel edge top on my domonio in very large letters  "CHECK SETTINGS"  that way I only forget once in a while to reset the setting... stop think then proceed.

 

[Timtool]

It's strange that the 6mm domino is 40mm long while it's supposed to be used on 18mm (3/4th) material, for 18mm constructions i then always use the 5mm domino which is 30mm long.
I think that i when i run out of 5x30 ones i will make new 6x30 ones instead for cabinet constructions.

On the other hand, a 5mm beechwood domino has alot more strength than the remaining 13mm of plywood or melamine panel. so i'm not sure wether using a tchicker domino won't make the joint weaker.

 

[Brice Burrell]

It's strange that the 6mm domino is 40mm long while it's supposed to be used on 18mm (3/4th) material, for 18mm constructions i then always use the 5mm domino which is 30mm long.
I think that i when i run out of 5x30 ones i will make new 6x30 ones instead for cabinet constructions.

On the other hand, a 5mm beechwood domino has alot more strength than the remaining 13mm of plywood or melamine panel. so i'm not sure wether using a tchicker domino won't make the joint weaker.

That's my thought too. 

 

[Kevin Stricker]

Hmm, either you guys have had too much eggnog or I am not reading the OP correctly. If he is morticing the dominoes into the end grain of the plywood and then into the solid wood legs, blowing through the face of the veneer is not going to be a problem. Using 5mm dominoes as the sole fastener in this application could be though. I would use 8mm dominoes or a combination of 5mm dominoes and pocket screws.  5x30 dominoes do not have impressive shear strength into plywood in this application. As the weight of the piece would be in line with the plywood sides 8mm dominoes would be much stronger in my opinion.