I just made an impulse buy! (domino)

[jmac80]

Hello all
New soon to be festool owner alert.

I recently purchased a DeWalt biscuit joiner and a pack of faithfull biscuits on a sale price at amazon uk..
I currently don't have a biscuit joiner or anything like it.
My plan was the above DeWalt joiner, Heap of biscuits and a kreg k5 with hd kreg and some kreg clams, screws etc.

THEN.....  [embarassed]
I did some research on festool domino and i just had to have one They sound great, alot stronger joins and good for alignment.
I know they are expensive but from what i can make out i wont really need any of the above so will return or sell on the dewalt biscuit joiner.
The kreg with jigs and vices etc and the DeWalt would have cost me about £300 so i just thought why not just get a domino xl with the shims and adapter from the USA so i can also do the smaller domino df500 stuff.
Granted the domino xl 700 is about £750 but really it's only £400 more than the above kit and i'd no doubt end up getting one in a few months anyway.

I don't know why i'm telling you all this i think i just need some reassurance i done the right thing on my impulse buy lol!  [scared]

Also wondering, As i make a fair bit of outdoor garden benches, gates etc. can the normal beech tenons be treated or dipped in anyway for outdoor use? I see you get the sipo treated tenons and i shall order some up but i will have an excess amount of the normal beech ones i would like to use up on some outdoor projects, what the view on that?

Cheers James

 

[dltflt]

You will not regret this purchase. I only have the 500 but it is my favorite tool. It works perfect. I can't comment on the tenons other than I know the Sipos are for exterior use.

 

[mr-gobby]

Any impulse buy can always be sold later especially a Festool impulse which will always sell for good money. So if you change your mind I don't think the damage will be terminal, however it sounds like you did your homework, saw a better way forward and took a bold move, so onward and upward I'd think lol
Mark

 

[Carl Prentiss]

Congratulations James and WELCOME. I think you'll NOT regret it.

 

[joiner1970]

Welcome James, I saw your post on the UKW .

 

[L66]

Just be aware once you have one festool you will have many...  I bought a domino in October, it sat around for a month before I managed to use it, and I now have a bit of a collection going on. 

The Domino is an amazing tool, works very well, and is better than any biscuit joiner I have used.  It does work better with direct dust extraction in my opinion.

Ian

 

[waho6o9]

Wise investment James and welcome to

the FOG!

 

[Birdhunter]

I would not use beech tenons where they would be exposed to the weather. Sipo tenons are made for outdoor use for a reason.

Also, most of the woods one would use for outdoor furniture are oily and normal glues don't work well.

I built some benches using Ipe, a very hard and oily wood. I used a 2-part epoxy glue to glue up the benches. I also swabbed out the mortises with alcohol just before I glued in the tenons. The alcohol removes the oil and exposes the raw wood for the glue to work into. I understand some people prefer TiteBond III for outdoor work. Regardless of the glue used, removing the oil from the wood prior to glue-up is important.

P.S. I have  not used a biscuit cutter but once in the 3 years since I bought my Domino.`

 

[dltflt]

I agree with bird hunter.  My biscuit cutter has not seen the light of day since I got my Domino.

 

[Louis84]

Have no fear. I spent so many ( slow) months doing joints by hand, with routers, with biscuits, with dowels. it was painful. Until I brought the domino and everything changed for the better. It was better, quicker, smarter & efficient. And what happens when everything turns up a gear??

SO DOES YOUR PAY GRADE!  ;D ;D

I now have a fully operational workshop with spindle moulder, morticer and tenonner etc and it has gone up yet again.

But the domino still gets plenty of use on certain jobs!

Ps. I have used beech dominoes for external work before, its buried in the timber, covered in glue, with primer and 2 top coats on top.

Although now I make my own dominoes from the timber being used

 

[Birdhunter]

Making tenons from the wood being used is a fascinating idea, but it seems like a lot of work. How do you do this?

 

[peter halle]

I hink that you will really enjoy your Domino after you do some practicing with it.  BUT in order to use it you need a vac to extract the chips.  For the Domino in the interim before you end up buying a Festool Dust Extractor you certainly could use a standard shop vac but you will need to either buy a hose that has an end that will fit the Domino or you will need to cobble together adaptors that will mate a standard shop vac hose to the Domino.

Peter

 

[jacko9]

Making Domino tenons from your project wood is easy with a thickness planer, saw to width and router the edges.

Jack

 

[Stone Message]

Hi James and welcome

The Domino is a real game changer and was in the second tranch of Festool kit that I bought after my Kapex and CT26. As said above, you really do need to invest in a Festool extractor - my CT26 is the unsung hero in my workshop.

Peter

 

[CO_JCD]

And just in case the message still has not been absorbed….

Festool CT22 extractor was my first purchase, Domino DF500 my second - don't even think of running a Domino machine without an extractor.  Others on here have not used an extractor initially - they then come on here and ask why they have broken the cutter, cutters are not cheap!

Re Sipo vs beech dominoes, Sipo every time for exterior work, I have used a large number in the building of cedar window frames plus a cedar door.  Beech as a wood just does not hold up in exterior conditions, the difference in cost is small vs the time put in doing the woodwork in the first place.

John

 

[wow]

Unlike some who posted before me, I actually predict that you WILL have a few regrets:

1. That you didn't do it sooner
2. That you now want to replace every tool you have with a Festool product, and
3. Your wallet will regret that you ever bought your FIRST Festool - because it won't be your last!

[big grin]

[welcome] to the FOG! - and the addiction!

 

[jmac80]

Morning all
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!  [big grin]
I know exactly what you all say about a festool addiction, I don't even have the xl df700 yet and i want more festool stuff lol

I do have an extractor at the moment, It's a dewalt dwv902m (I know i know it isn't a festool) but it seems very good to be honest. And i'd say it will be up to the job no problem, Also have adapters for it.


I think i'll just buy some sipo rods and be done with it for the outdoor stuff.
Once again thanks all for the very friendly welcome i can see i'm going to like it here (even though my bank account won't)

Cheers James

 

[mddharma]

New to here and woodworking.  Just bought a patio home that has a 23x23 garage and have been slowly been setting it up for a woodshop.  I have been planing to make shop cabinets and after reading on the various ways it seemed as though the domino would be a great way to put these together.  So 2 weeks ago I bought a 500.  I rationalized to myself it was a one time buy and would be with me through my journey.  So I have drawing up plans for a bench for along the wall to have sliding drawers to place some sustainers ( about 6 weeks ago I bought the track saw and a CT36).  The outlay of money did hurt but once again - for long term I figure I only cry once.

 

[ElCabong]

Welcome to the FOG jmac80

As a hobbyist, my first purchase was the TS55REQ and CT-Midi. I then went to a Festool Demo at a Woodcraft store - specifically to review, ask questions and then purchase a MFT-3. During the demo, the Festool representative pulled out the Domino (DF-500) and that was all she wrote. I couldn't believe what was happening in front of my eyes and the endless (and EASY) possibilities of wood joinery. Needless to say, I don't have an MFT-3 (yet :'() but I do have the DF-500 set  ;D. I have since sold my biscuit joiner, Delta Mortiser, and BeadLock loose tenon jig. If I have to do a traditional mortise and tenon, I'll use my table saw however everything else is with the Domino. One more thing I learned from the fine people here on the FOG. It would be worth it to also get a Kreg pocket jig. This works well with the Domino for clamping purposes (if you don't have a myriad of clamps). You won't be sorry with the Domino. A great investment in the long run.

 

[EricT]

My work has a domino 500, and man do I ever love that thing.  Once you learn the little tricks on using it, it's fantastic.

Before I had my CT midi I had it hooked up to the shopvac with one of those hose attachments that looks like it telescopes (but doesnt).  If you really want to trick it out that way, there are a few places you can find tool power up circuits, plug the tool and vac into it, turn on the domino, it will power up the vac.  Or just you know, use your fingers to flip the switch!  I bought one of those circuit things from sears for 20$.  Theyre rumored to be terrible and die quickly, mine hasn't yet though.

However I did get a CT midi and it's way nicer to work with. I highly recommend it!