glue domino's?

[MrMac]

I am considering purchasing a domino machine. I was wondering if you glue in the domino's? reason that I ask is the domino appears to fit really tight into the slot, and if put glue in, you would have a hydro lock, or no room for the glue.

I currently (on casing) use my biscuit joiner, glue and then clam clamps. They work great! sometimes though I have stain grade material so the clam clamps won't work. I leave the clamps on for a few hours so the glue will set. Now and then I attach the casing to the door/window with the clam clamps attached, I'm not sold on that though as it's really heavy, but it works and gets you a perfect miter fit.

The clam clamps also hold the casing tight enough that the biscuit wobble is eliminated, but it's a bit of a pain to fiddle with that. Time is money! and anything I can do to be more efficient is a benefit.

Not waiting until glue dries would also help, so if the domino's hold tight I could attach the casing etc. right away and not wait for a few hours for the glue to kick.

What's the convention on this? I intend to use it mostly for crown/baseboard and in the future some built in cabinets.

Thanks!

MrMac204

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

If you just wanted to use the Domino tenon for alignment, you could. Gluing isn't required per se. However, typically you would glue the tenon up. There are glue channels (ribbing) on the tenon which is made of solid beech.

The Domino has three settings for mortise width. At its tightest setting, I built a entryway cabinet that I posted on the forum here. I completely dry-fit assembled it with no glue at all. The tenons are tight enough to hold it together. That's not to say that you will probably want to clamp or screw it together while the glue dries to ensure no gaps.

If you're doing crown and base, you'll probably want to pick up the 4mm cutter and tenons which are designed for 1/2" material.

Remember that you can get one and try it out. If you don't like it, return it for a refund under our 30-day guarantee policy.

If you have additional questions, feel free to give us a call toll-free (number is below in my signature) or email me directly at sho@festoolusa.com.

Thanks,
Shane Holland
Festool USA

 

[peter halle]

Yes you can glue the dominos.  You can also glue the miters.  The fit can be loose or tight.  One thing that I have done is glue and assemble then shoot a couple of micro pins thru the domino on each side of the joint thus acting as a clamp.  Then on to installation without the wait.

Depending on the thickness of your trim and the profile of your trim, you might have to experiment with referencing off of the back of the trim which could unfortunately cause misalignment on the faces if there is difference in thickness.

I would also suggest that you also consider the 4 mm dominoes if you work in thinner mouldings.

Peter

 

[mouppe]

I think you need to use glue and I do for several reasons even where I am only using dominoes for alignment purposes.

The mortises are about 1 or 2mm longer than the tenon, which allows a little glue to pool there. Also, the glue can act as a lubricant when you put the domino in the mortise. With seasonal movement you may find that the mortises expand more than the tenon, and this would allow the domino to loosen, which may be undesirable.

Some beginner domino users- and I am not suggesting you are- plunge too quickly which can cause the mortise to not be properly sized and the resulting fit can be too tight. Nonetheless, a little glue is something that I would recommend.

Good luck,
Richard.