dominos and MDF

stairman

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Sep 29, 2011
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anyone using Dominos for MDF construction?

I've been using DRY Domino joints for indexing and assembly help,  but I'd like to find a way to glue the joints for full Domino construction.
Rew Glue or Melamine glue perhaps?
 
On the rare occasions I have dominoed MDF, I used yellow glue and it worked just fine. I wouldn't trust it for the toughest of jobs, but then I wouldn't use MDF in those situations anyway.

I do think this is one of those situations when both mortises need to be made on the narrowest setting, however.
 
stairman said:
anyone using Dominos for MDF construction?

I've been using DRY Domino joints for indexing and assembly help,  but I'd like to find a way to glue the joints for full Domino construction.
Rew Glue or Melamine glue perhaps?
I have used it a few times with no problems.  Do you worry that the moisture from the glue will swell the MDF?  That can happen if you glop on a lot.  I paint glue on the dominoes first, then a light coat on the MDF mortise and quickly join.  MDF will soak up the glue quickly, so you have to move quickly.  As to strength, never had a problem, I have had to "dissemble" a couple of assemblies and the mdf always breaks before the glue joint.  My typical use for this is attaching a hardwood fence to an mdf bearing surface that gets tossed around a lot, clamped tightly and otherwise abused.  No problems in 3 years.
 
Yellow glue works great.  MDF produces much stronger glue joints than plywood, especially in a butt joint.
 
I've used 5mm dominos for a number of mdf core melamine cabinets w/ no problem.  I typically use the narrow setting for the 1st domino in a row and use the medium width for others within the same row.  I've been using gorilla glue because titebond II doesn't stick to it, but for plain MDF I'd use titebond.

Fred
 
they work fine in mdf. becareful not to router in the edge too close to the end as the domino will split it
 
I use Dominos with MDF all the time - usually 5mm Doms in 18mm MDF, liberally coated with PVA - no issues at all.
 
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