Festool 500 Cutter Alignment

[KUMA]

Hi all. Received a Domino 500 last night from Axminster in the UK.

Straight of the box and having separated the two parts of the body to get to the cutter I am having alignment issues when putting back together. See images below but essentially there appears to be too much wiggle room in the plate that the cutter screws into causing the cutter to plunge out at angles.

I know that the cutter creates the mortise by moving left to right but can't understand why it doesn't always stay in the central position to start. I've separated and connected the two parts numerous times and can't repeat the issue...ie there is nothing I can do to straighten it, it just moves and I can't actively send it off alignment.

Any thoughts?

 

[KUMA]

Issues uploading the other images...apologies and thanks!

 

[grobkuschelig]

What is the issue?!
Since you will only be plunging with the machine running, the position of the cutter when not running does not have any effect whatsoever.

Maybe it’s just me, but I do not see your point...

 

[KUMA]

That's the point...I don't know if there is an issue. I just noticed that it was protruding at an angle and couldnt' figure out why.

You're saying there is no issue then that's good for me. Thanks!

 

[grobkuschelig]

Think of it like a drill.
It will not return to a „zero-position“.
Due to it only being operated while running, there is no need and the effort to establish such a function is not worth it...

 

[KUMA]

Yeah that's fair...thanks. Just obv got worried that something was up! Will be the reason why I couldn't find anything regarding it online hahah.

Much appreciated.

 

[Birdhunter]

What's the old children's song "where it stops, nobody knows".

 

[sancho57]

I attached a link to festool TV. There are a series of videos about the domino. To me I had a big learning curve just to understand the basics of it and that includes even going to festool training. I finally got it sorted. But here are a lot of videos on using the domino
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=festooltv/domino

 

[KUMA]

Cool cheers!

 

[RKA]

The angle is a result of a pendulum like movement of the bit with the pivot point inside that circular casting in the body.  All you should care about is that the centerline on the bottom and the fence can be lined up to marks on two opposing pieces of wood giving to two aligned mortises with no offset in the marks when the wood is joined.  The plastic scale may need adjustment to achieve this, that is part of the set up.

 

[KUMA]

Yeah it makes sense - feeling slightly stupid that that didn't clock before hand! HA.

In trying to take a closer look I moved the mortise width dial a fair bit....it moved effortlessly so didn't have to push or use any force whatsoever....I see now that's a big no no. clearly the gears below were meshed since they moved so easily but do hope I haven't damaged it.

Will fire it up tomorrow and test it out!

 

[SoonerFan]

DF 500 is a great tool and as others have mentioned, yours seems fine.  Enjoy the trial run tomorrow.