domino -- tricks for aligning stiles and rail mortises?

[mdhills]

When doing frame&panel construction, I often want to butt the end of a stile into the side of a rail.  The stile width is usually too thin to use the spacing provided by the alignment pins on the domino 500.  I know that I can make centerlines and align that way.  Was wondering if folks have figured out clever alignment jigs that make this both faster and more reliable.  (I prefer having positive contact in two axes)

Thanks,
Matt

 

[peter halle]

Hi Matt!  Welcome to the FOG!

You typed that you want the end of the stiles to attach to the side of the rails.  Might you have typed that oppositely.  Usually the rail end attaches to the side of the stile.

Nonetheless, if you regularly do this you might want to look into the ancillary products made by Rick Christopherson for the Domino that has flip down stops you can set.  Here is a link:  http://www.dominoguide.com

Peter

 

[nclemmons]

Check out Rick's Self Centering Jig for the Domino - www.dominoguide.com

They are an excellent accessory for doing just what you want.

Festool makes a trim stop which would work on the rail for centering, but not the stile.

http://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-493487-Domino-Trim-Stop-p/493487.htm

 

[BBrown626]

Do the 700's additional alignment pins eliminate the OP's challenge?

 

[TOOLTOWN]

The Domino Support Bracket (495666) has two more paddles that flip out much closer to the centerline.

Might the use of this accessory solve your problem?

Ken

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Do the 700's additional alignment pins eliminate the OP's challenge?

I would have thought so myself, but I've been rather surprised at how many people have bought one or both guides for their DF700 Domino. It's for the same reason they want them for the DF500, they want to be able to adjust the stop locations specific to the need.

 

[waho6o9]

This works well as mentioned above.

There's hard to see demarcations on the left and right
side, but once figured out you can dial in your work
just fine.

[attachthumb=1]

 

[fshanno]

I've seen some pretty clever jigs.  Including tables where you lock the domino down.  But if the built in pins or paddles won't work I just mark the center line.  I usually go with the narrow width setting in end grain and the middle width setting in the side grain.  So it doesn't have to be drop dead exact.  Registration on the faces is much more important anyway cause I usually trim after glue up anyway.

I figure I'm going to lay the parts out anyway to make sure I'm clear on what goes where and which side is up and so on.  So I go ahead and mark my mortise centers while I'm at it.

 

[BBrown626]

I've seen some pretty clever jigs.  Including tables where you lock the domino down.  But if the built in pins or paddles won't work I just mark the center line.  I usually go with the narrow width setting in end grain and the middle width setting in the side grain.  So it doesn't have to be drop dead exact.  Registration on the faces is much more important anyway cause I usually trim after glue up anyway.

I figure I'm going to lay the parts out anyway to make sure I'm clear on what goes where and which side is up and so on.  So I go ahead and mark my mortise centers while I'm at it.

Thanks for the feedback. Are you using the 700?

 

[dltflt]

I've used the Festool trim stop to do that task. It works good.

 

[fshanno]

I've seen some pretty clever jigs.  Including tables where you lock the domino down.  But if the built in pins or paddles won't work I just mark the center line.  I usually go with the narrow width setting in end grain and the middle width setting in the side grain.  So it doesn't have to be drop dead exact.  Registration on the faces is much more important anyway cause I usually trim after glue up anyway.

I figure I'm going to lay the parts out anyway to make sure I'm clear on what goes where and which side is up and so on.  So I go ahead and mark my mortise centers while I'm at it.

Thanks for the feedback. Are you using the 700?

I have an old 500 that I bought about a year after the Domino first came out. 

I do use the trim stop when I have mid rails and mid stiles.  It works well, it just doesn't handle the stile.  It should have been designed so that the stops on each side could be popped off.  Kind of a design shortcoming if you ask me.

 

[jbasen]

Do the 700's additional alignment pins eliminate the OP's challenge?

I'm building rail and stile doors right now with my 700, a Seneca adapter, home made domniplate, and a 5 mm bit.  The rails and stiles are both 3" wide.  The innermost pin on the 700 has given me very good spacing for 2 dominos per joint. 

 

[Stone Message]

As mentioned by waho6o9 above, the Trim Stop is a brilliant addition to your Domino kit. It works with both the DF500 and DF700 machines and will put a slot into the end of a stile (or whatever) and you can set it up either to centre the slot (normal way) or offset the slot. When you then do the corresponding slot in the rail (or whatever) you use the scales on the Domino fence to get the centre of the slot the correct distance from the edge.

Also, if you want to put a slot in a rail face for a cross piece then you can use the Trim Stop but with the Domino Face upright. The Trim Stop will ensure that the slot is central to the rail - see picture.

Peter

[attachimg=1]