Help with DF500

[Gleyma]

. So wonderful Gayla has been escorted out of the Forum.  I am leaving the rest of the thread because we do get many requests for help with the Domino.>>

P.Halle - Moderator

 

[peter halle]

Hi, and Welcome to the FOG!  Here is one video, others may also post links to others because there are many demonstrators and also many videos.  Take your time and please do practice on some scrap.

Peter

 

[bobtskutter]

Hello, I've been doing this recently.  Here are some things I've found...
The reference surface is the inside face of the board.  If your boards are different thicknesses the outside corner wont line up perfectly.
The domino goes in at 90degrees to the bevel edge.  If the bevel edge isn't quite 45degrees it can be difficult to get the box together.
Put the vacuum hose and power cable over your shoulder, it helps when holding the machine.
Don't plunge all the way through the board - its easy to do!!!
Practice by making a complete box with 4 bevel joints.  Any error in your methods will be multiplied 4 times, to it's best to practice trying to make a full box.

Regards
Bob

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.
Don't plunge all the way through the board - its easy to do!!!

Snip.
Regards
Bob

Indeed.

To avoid that, after setting the fence and depth of cut, place the machine on the work with the bit path off to the side of the work. Plunge the machine without turning it on (or simply unplug the cord) to protrude the bit. If the bit passes the thickness of the work, the setting is wrong. Fix it before doing another dry test.

Do that every time for miters and bevels.

 

[MacBoy]

This ordering of steps will also help from plunging all the way through the other side of the board:

1. Set the bevel angle

2. Then lower the plate to minimize the height

In that video, Sedge does it so quickly and does not make a verbal mention of these steps.  It’s easy to miss that crucial procedure.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Another thing that will help you a lot, is in the order of operations, when assembling a 4 sided box.
Attach one side to the front. Attach the other side to the back. Then push those two assemblies together. < > This is far easier on the joints (and you) than trying to get that 4th side to line-up, if you assemble 3 pieces first.

 

[bobtskutter]

[member=57948]ChuckS[/member], plunge off to the side?  Doh!  I feel like such an idiot for not thinking of that first.
[member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] love the little diagram about putting the box together < > brilliant.

Thank you both.
Regards
Bob

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=57948]ChuckS[/member], plunge off to the side?  Doh!  I feel like such an idiot for not thinking of that first.
[member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] love the little diagram about putting the box together < > brilliant.

Thank you both.
Regards
Bob

Bob, you are quite welcome, and thank you at the same time. The concept came to me years ago, after wrestling with an assembly.  It's a bit counter-intuitive, but the smaller the pieces, the harder it is to get that 4 side in. Two halves are far easier.

Yes, plunge to the side works well. I thought of that after my initial idea of cutting open a test piece.
The first test pieces that I cut, years ago, were very thin at the bottom of the mortise.

One thing I particularly like about the Lamello Zeta system is the plastic shims that they supply for the fence. It gives a very precise way to offset joints, since it's fence only tilts. It cannot move up and down, like the DF500 can. The thing with the Domino though, is that it only goes so close to the bit. If you need it to be closer, there is no way to do it (as supplied)
I generally tape a shim to the fence, Lamellos solution is more elegant.

 

[PaulMarcel]

One thing I particularly like about the Lamello Zeta system is the plastic shims that they supply for the fence. It gives a very precise way to offset joints, since it's fence only tilts. It cannot move up and down, like the DF500 can. The thing with the Domino though, is that it only goes so close to the bit. If you need it to be closer, there is no way to do it (as supplied)
I generally tape a shim to the fence, Lamellos solution is more elegant.

I always tape a shim as the distance from the fence to the bit is enormous when doing miters. Problem is having a convenient piece of scrap that is the right thickness. I'll spend more time finding that piece than doing the mortise!

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=3513]PaulMarcel[/member] yes, that distance is pretty large. I was surprised the first time I used it that way. I suppose it was about strength of the main body though.

The Lamello shims aren't the perfect solution, unless they offer more as accessories. There are 2 in the set I have. One is 1mm, the other is either 2mm or 3mm. I'm not sure, right off my head.
Might be a 3D printable thing, for those with that capability.