How to use Domino XL for 3/4 ply case construction

[CF]

Hi all,

Again, thanks for a great site and a ton of useful information.  I have a domino XL that's been used exclusively for larger projects thus-far, a to-do shop project, and a desire to start using the domino for ply casework.

I recently purchased the Senneca 3/4 bit adapter and 3/4 ship for use with ply case construction.  I need to build some rolling cabinets that will hold a fairly significant amount of weight and get pushed around regularly, so I figured its the perfect test project.

Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me figure out how to use the domino to attach the back panel easily without omitting attachments for the shelves.  I'm looking to build a 5 foot long cabinet with 2 permanent vertical dividers, then adjustable shelves between the dividers.  Normally I'd just use a router for all the joinery, including the 3/4 backer for heavy duty projects. 

However, I can't figure out an easy way to attach the back panel using the domino.  Ideally, I'd like to figure out a method to just use a track saw and domino to quickly put casework together without bothering to route out grooves for everything.

I'm a little bit nervous about how sturdy just using the oversized XL will be for ply work.  Maybe attaching the dividers to the backer is overkill, so any advice / suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks
CF

 

[Pretzel Logic]

You may want to look at this video on mid panel joinery with the Domino.  I think Festool might have one, and there is some info in the manual.



It sounds like there will be many perpendicular dominos so you might have to assemble from inside to out.  Join the shelves to the dividers, then join that assembly to the back and lastly attach the sides.

Good luck, Ed

 

[semenza]

This may or may not help. But it is possible to make a though mortise with the Domino. Maybe you could attach the back to the dividers that way? After the assembly plunge through the back from the outside into the divider. It will take some careful alignment though.

Seth

 

[Birdhunter]

Halfinchshyshy has a great video on placing Dominos in the middle of a panel with either a Domino 500 or an XL. It's easier with the 500, but not too hard with the XL. I've used both machines.

 

[Stoli]

I am in the process of doing this very thing.  For my design, the top and bottom butt into the left and right ends.  I have cut a dado in all 4 of these pieces to receive the back.  The dividers were cut shorter in both dimensions than the end pieces to account for the location of the back and the fact that they will be in between the top and bottom panels. 

I followed the mid panel joinery technique where you reference off the bottom of the domino.  I used a trick I saw on Mattias Wendel's site for easily determining the location of the panels to get even spacing.  Measure the length of the bottom piece PLUS the width of the plywood.  Divide this measurement by 3.  This gives the distance from both ends of the bottom where the far side of the divider should be located.  I set up a couple of rulers with stops at this distance, and placed my dividers flat on the bottom using the rulers to set the distance.  Then follow the mid panel joinery technique.  Follow the same process (using the same rulers and stops) for the top, and be sure to keep the alignment of the dividers correct.

One other trick I had to do to get the shelf pin holes to line up was to use a scrap piece of plywood to offset the holes of dividers to account for the fact that they are sitting on the plywood, but the end pieces are not.