How do you dry fit domino joinery?

[zapdafish]

Used the domino on my first real project today. I was making the base for a workbench and usng the 10 x 50 tenons.

The dominos were very tight fitting and as I was putting everything together but I was able to use my hands to insert them. I knew it was gonna be a son of a b***h to take apart. Damn thing took me a few mins to fit together and prob 1/2 an hour banging on things with a rubber mallet and vice grips to separate the components and get out all the dominos. Is there a better way? Should I buy some spreader clamps? Not looking forward to dry fitting the top support of the workbench now.

FYI, I used to use pocket holes for just about everything so dry fitting was cake.

 

[peter halle]

Several things that you can do.  Microwave your dominoes - drives the moisture out and shrinks them a little.  Create one set for test fitting - sand them to get a looser fit.  Mark and keep those separately.  If you can, use a wider setting.

Peter

 

[zapdafish]

Making looser ones for dryfitting sounds like a great idea. Thnx!

 

[jmbfestool]

+1 what Peter said just make a few loose fitting dominos mark them with a felt tip pen and keep them for future projects

JMB

 

[jtwood]

Several things that you can do.  Microwave your dominoes - drives the moisture out and shrinks them a little.  Create one set for test fitting - sand them to get a looser fit.  Mark and keep those separately.  If you can, use a wider setting.

Peter

Thanks for that.  I'm just about ready to dry fit a couple of bedside tables, and wasn't smart enough to come up with that myself.

 

[RDMuller]

Take a box knife (utility knife) and peel off the sides  (edges only!) of the domino.  Dry fitting is much easier for the narrow mortised dominos.  I also a very lightly sanded set of dominos for test fitting,  It is very easy to get dry fitted joints apart

 

[mouppe]

Dry fitting is for wimps. Get out the glue and go for it.

[tongue]

 

[Tezzer]

An oldie but goldie. I have a dozen of each size slightly sanded with a few holes drilled to pry out with a screwdriver.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

You put the holes in both ends, right?  You never know which end gets stuck.  Good idea!

 

[Tezzer]

Yep, both ends Ken. Im not sure who was the original poster here on FOG with this idea (a long time ago) but its a ripper.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Yep, both ends Ken. Im not sure who was the original poster here on FOG with this idea (a long time ago) but its a ripper.

I must have missed that tip the first time around.  And the holes make them obvious they're for dry fitting only.  Good tip, so thanks to our mystery FOG poster. [thumbs up]

 

[jmbfestool]

Yeah good idea!  I'll be stealing the hole idea!

Jmb

 

[ajones]

Yeah good idea!  I'll be stealing the hole idea!

Jmb

You're too late I stole it while you were still in bed this morning [big grin]

 

[RONWEN]

Very simple & VERY clever!

 

[jmbfestool]

Yeah good idea!  I'll be stealing the hole idea!

Jmb

You're too late I stole it while you were still in bed this morning [big grin]

DAM YOU!

Well ill do square holes then!  Patented pending!

 

[zapdafish]

Did the top glueup today dryfitting with sanded dominos, worked like a charm.

 

[fdengel]

Yeah good idea!  I'll be stealing the hole idea!

Jmb

You're too late I stole it while you were still in bed this morning [big grin]

DAM YOU!

Well ill do square holes then!  Patented pending!

Don't bother trying to market it in Germany, nobody there will have a compatible screwdriver.

 

[GPowers]

An oldie but goldie. I have a dozen of each size slightly sanded with a few holes drilled to pry out with a screwdriver.

I like it. Thanks

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Yeah good idea!  I'll be stealing the hole idea!

Jmb

You're too late I stole it while you were still in bed this morning [big grin]

DAM YOU!

Well ill do square holes then!   Patented pending!

Don't bother trying to market it in Germany, nobody there will have a compatible screwdriver.

[thumbs up] [not worthy]