Have a question about the Domino? Get answers here.

[Administrator_JSVN]

How about... only turn the width adjustment dial when it's running.  Or, maybe, don't turn the dial when it's not running. The choice is yours. [big grin]

 

[image132]

Sometimes when you turn the car off, you can put it in gear without depressing the clutch.  Sometimes you can't, because the gears aren't lined up, and they aren't moving.

Similarly, you can actually shift while driving, without using the clutch, but you have to get lucky with the timing to get into gear.  You can always shift *out* of gear while driving, without using the clutch. 

[scared] Your poor car! I hope for it's sake you drive a automatic  [tongue]

I second what Shane said. I can see now why they just blanketed that statement.

 

[grobin]

I am using a water based topcoat (Crystalac) and have been plunging the mortises before finishing.  I protect them during finish and then glue up (makes clean upa lot easier).

Why not just finish and then plunge the mortise?

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Sometimes when you turn the car off, you can put it in gear without depressing the clutch.  Sometimes you can't, because the gears aren't lined up, and they aren't moving.

Similarly, you can actually shift while driving, without using the clutch, but you have to get lucky with the timing to get into gear.  You can always shift *out* of gear while driving, without using the clutch. 

[scared] Your poor car! I hope for it's sake you drive a automatic  [tongue]

I second what Shane said. I can see now why they just blanketed that statement.

It was my old '67 VW Beetle, and then a '85 VW Golf.  First two cars.  Had a love/hate relationship with them both.  ;-)

Anyway, drove a stick (manual transmission) for a number of years.  I didn't drive like I described all the time!  It was just experimenting with what you could or couldn't do with the transmission.  If, say, the clutch died while on a trip I knew I *could* shift without it. 

But I've had automatics for about 15 years now.

 

[mosez]

im having problems with edge alignment and festool service didnt help me (they say they cant find any error).

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/domino-not-mortising-in-the-centre-between-the-side-flaps/

this is not normal, is it?

[attachthumb=#]

the first image shows two boards joined using the right paddle on both mortises (thus the huge gap between the faces, the board has been flipped)
the second image shows the same two boards joined using the right paddle on the first and the left paddle on the second mortise (like i always do on a usual face-edge-joint)

 

[mosez]

oh, i already exchanged the paddle that was responsible for the longer distance of the mortise from the edge with the replacement paddle as explained in ricks supplemental manual. this just led to the edge being not flush in the other direction...
ideas?

 

[tbellemare]

You could calibrate the paddles or use marks on both pieces. The marking method would be an immediate solution.

I always rest the machine's sole on the same surface of each work piece. That way, I don't have to be "perfectly" centered in the pieces.

Tom

 

[jonny round boy]

oh, i already exchanged the paddle that was responsible for the longer distance of the mortise from the edge with the replacement paddle as explained in ricks supplemental manual. this just led to the edge being not flush in the other direction...
ideas?

If that's the case, then take the wider of the two paddles & file it down until it's part way between the original width and the width of the replacement paddle. that way, you can get it spot-on.

My domino is the same, and boards have a slight step in the edge. However, I haven't bothered with this procedure yet since I haven't done anything that requires that level of accuracy. I will get around to doing it one day, though.

 

[mosez]

filing down it has to be then...

my problem is not about vertically centering it (which i know you dont have to when using both "good" sides of the workpieces for the fence to rest on) but about the center of the mortise not being in the center between the to edge dogs.

 

[venk67]

???
New to using domino, so apologise in advance:

When using thin material, I am using the 4 mm cutter set at 20mm setting.  My Q is related to determining how to reliably cut the mortise in the center of my plywood.

So far what I have done is use a 5mm spacer under my workpiece (the piece that I plungeinto the end grain), I then plunge on my MFT-3 table and assume that the horizontal fence is used to reference the cut ( material thickness guage all the way to thinnest) producing mortise 5mm from joint line ( what should the distance be from this fenceot the center of the tenon)?

Then I plunge (into the faceof the other board) by drawing a line 5mm from the joint line, lining up the base plate and so cut a mortise 5mm from the joint line. (12 +5=17mm minus 10mm means the mortise is 7mm from the bottom)

It seems to work, but can someone advise on a shim on the fence and what thickness it would have to be.

I have no plans to take a file to my DOMINO joiner.

Thanks Venk

 

[Alan m]

the way i see it you dont need to exactly center but need to be able to repeat the setting time after time. you could make a shime to allow the fence to be in a higher setting . a better way is to buy one of Ron Wen,s (member here) domniplate that bolts to the bottom of the domino and centers the cutter on 3/4 and 1/2 stock. this is a gret piece of kit and i am ddelighted i got one

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I'm a hobbyist and only use my Domino occasionally, but, don't want to relearn or look up techniques all the time. One thing that I think affects the quality of my mortises is how fast I plunge the tool. I have seen it suggested to push it in and release quickly and also to take 4-sec. to plunge. Which is correct?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

I'm a hobbyist and only use my Domino occasionally, but, don't want to relearn or look up techniques all the time. One thing that I think affects the quality of my mortises is how fast I plunge the tool. I have seen it suggested to push it in and release quickly and also to take 4-sec. to plunge. Which is correct?

Mike, here's some general guidance on feed rate when plunging mortises with the Domino. It's important to keep firm pressure on the handle on the fence and push with steady pressure from the back of the machine near the power cord for the best results.

 

[GPowers]

when you plunge at the correct rate the Domino make a different sound.

 

[jimbo51]

I have a project where I need to attach table aprons to legs. The plans call for butt joints of 3/4 aprons to 1 1/2 inch legs, centering the 3/4 on the center of the 1 1/2. The plan suggests dowels, but I am using oak and the difficulty of drilling into the endgrain of the wood has already caused me some issues, so I want to use dominos instead. Although I have roughly figured out by trial and error how to almost center the 3/4 on the 1 1/2, I wanted to know if there was a simple way to do this accurately.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Use the base to align to a center line. Scribe a line on the center of your material. Then align it with the surface shown in the image below.

Pretty sure that Rick covers this in his supplemental manual for the Domino.

 

[tbellemare]

You can use Shane's alignment method on the first piece while the fence is down and loose to set the fence. Then just use the fence as your guide on the other 7 ends.

Tom

 

[jimbo51]

I did not see quite my situation in the expanded manual. I will have one end of the domino tenon going into the end grain of the apron and the other end going into one face of the leg. In the plan I am using, apron is the term used to describe the horizontal pieces that support the top of the piece.

In your picture, the top of the piece on the red line is the center line of the cutter? Since the center line is 10 mm from the base, is it realistic to try to set the height to 9.xx which is the center of my 3/4 stock? Since these measurements are so close, I have had trouble trying to make a stable cut with the stock laying flat on my MFT. I tend to get a slight angle. Would it be better to clamp the stock upright in a bench vise and hold the Domino upright? I am a little concerned about slippage in that situation. I think I could align the center of the 1 1/2 stock more easily since it is so thick and make the cut with the stock laying flat.

 

[mouppe]

I had a similar situation using the domino a couple of months ago. In my case it was for an offset joint in a bookcase. In the end it does not matter if the joint is exactly centered on the face as long as it is equally spaced from the front (or back) at both ends of the apron. Then the reveal will be the same at both ends of the apron.

You just have to make sure that you are always referencing off the same side.

If you rotate your Domino 90 degrees, you can reference off the edge and therefore avoid issues with slipping (if I understand your problem correctly).

[attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#]

 

[Rick Christopherson]

You have two methods available for accomplishing what you need. The first method is based on treating your apron as though it were a shelf in the middle of another board. Your leg would be the bottom board shown in the two images below, and the pencil lines are placed at 3/4" from the edge.

The second option is to use a spacer for a single fence height setting. (or more simply, just reposition the fence). In this case, you would set your fence height to 19 mm (3/4") and plunge into the side of the leg. Then either reposition the fence to 9.5mm (3/8") or place a 3/8" thick spacer board on top of your apron board.

For your application, the precision of the height setting is not critical, but the repeatability of the adjustment is critical. To overcome this, simply plunge all four legs (8 sides) at the same time, then reset the machine and plunge all 4 aprons (8 edges).