Is this a good project for using a Domino

[MavDog]

I am building some display units for a customer and am wondering if this would be a good project for the Domino.  I don't own one yet but it seems like it would work well for this application.  Is there a way to make all the mortises (for the slats) equal spaced without have to mark and measure each one?  Is it easy to make the mortise in each slat also?  How much of a learnign curve is there with the Domino?

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[DavidCBaker]

That would be a great project for the domino. You'd need the "trim stop" which comes with the set, or you could buy it separately ($50). It would actually take you more time to mark it out than to cut the dominos.

The key to good dominos (I learned this in a recent class) is how you hold it. It's a great machine.

 

[Kevin D.]

That would be a great project for the domino. You'd need the "trim stop" which comes with the set, or you could buy it separately ($50). It would actually take you more time to mark it out than to cut the dominos.

The key to good dominos (I learned this in a recent class) is how you hold it. It's a great machine.

I agree that it would be the perfect tool for that application.

David, I'm fairly new using the Domino myself, when you mention the "way you hold it", what was it they specified, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Brice Burrell]

I think you'd still need to mark for the mortises on verticals pieces.  The good news is you'd only need to carefully measure out one and you could use it as a story pole to mark the others. 

 

[DavidCBaker]

David, I'm fairly new using the Domino myself, when you mention the "way you hold it", what was it they specified, if you don't mind me asking?

You put all the weight on the front handle, and merely use the other hand to push the domino into the engaged position. Like this:

 

[Wood_Junkie]

I don't know what the specifications are for the projects, in terms of *quality* and clean mortises and what-not.  Do the slats need to be more squarish, or is a full bullnose roundover acceptable?

The Domino seems to be ideal for that project if you need true mortise and tenon joins.  It would also seem to be much more elegant.

Pros and cons

Domino approach:  
560 mortise slots   (28 slats; 10 joint points.  One slot for the vertical support, one on the slat = 28 * 10 * 2 = 560)
If you cut on slot every 10 seconds (ambitious) that's still an hour and a half of slot cutting.

Keep in mind, that is also 280 Dominos to glue and insert individually.  Let's assume 4mm Dominos for minimal cost.  So that's only $7.75.  Not bad at all

And finally, the best reason NOT to use a Domino for this:  You would have to assemble each rack set at the same time, lining up ALL of the Dominos and slots on the second side, in order to hammer it home and let the glue dry.

NOW, if you custom make the slats to the same size as a Domino tenon, you only have to do 280 slots and just cut the slats to length and glue them in  (they *are* the Dominos, essentially).  

However, you'd save a TON of time if you cut (router or tablesaw...) a dado into the vertical supports the same width as your horizontal slats (assuming they stay square or are just barely eased).  Then just cut a bunch of identical small spacers (gang cut them) to put between each slat.  Glue slats and spacers in place.  Voila.

Pros and cons:

Spaced slat approach:
An extra 1/2" of material for each slat (1/4" on each end) * 28 slats * 5 racks = 70 extra inches.  Those look like 2" slats, probably 1/2" thick?  So that's a mere 0.48 extra board feet of material.  Plus the material for the spacers, which would be 1/4" x 1/2" x whatever length (6 feet?)... pretty negligible.

You would still have to put the whole rack set together at pretty much the same time, but you can put each slat and spacer in sequentially, then do the next one, etc.  They don't all have to line up at exactly the same moment to drive the parts home.

 

[Notorious T.O.D.]

The Domino should be great for this project. I would glue the dominos into the end mortises of the cross pieces and then glue the cross pieces to the vertical pieces later after the tenons/Dominos are dry in the cross pieces. Should make glue up and alignment easier that way.

Best,
Todd

 

[MavDog]

Wood_Junkie I think you are trying to talk me out of getting a new tool  [wink]. 

I appreciate your details of the work involved with using a Domino.  I was originally thinking of doing it the second way you mentioned with the slats in a dado with spacers between.  I was making it more complicated though and though I would cut tenons in each side of the slats so that it was flush with the side rails.  I like your idea better.  I like the idea of using a 1" piece for the sides and 1/2" for the slats.  That would be a lot quicker.  Looking at this picture from another site it seems like that is how they did it.  I could come up with a price for both ways and see which one the customer wants.  I want to get a Domino but want to make sure the project warrants the cost of it.  I am thinking that maybe this one does not.

 

[atomicmike]

If those slats are oriented in a vertical line, you could use the cross stop (included with the Set) to index off the previous slot, so you wouldn't have to do much measuring and layout.

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Wood_Junkie I think you are trying to talk me out of getting a new tool  [wink]. 

Oh, no no no.  Not at all.  You should definitely get one.  The Domino is a fantastic machine and one of my absolute favorites to use.  But I just am of the opinion it's not necessarily the best solution for this particular project.

If you chose to use the Domino for this project you would get loads of practice.  ;-) 

As atomicmike points out you could use the cross-stop pins so you wouldn't even have to measure... BUT, from your picture it looks like they're too close together.  If you had a Domino with pins you could reference on the closer or further end of a given mortise.  But you can't buy those new anymore... 
This does make for measure-free mortising. But I gather from your photo that the purpose is to have the slots close enough together than a shelf fits snugly into the space.  So your mortise distances would have to be based on the slat-to-slat distances, etc.. it's unlikely it would be 37mm or 37mm minus mortise width.

Anyway, just though I'd present an opposing opinion, again related to this specific project.  If you were doing anything without quite so many mortise and parts I would be all for it.  But this type of project, with tons of slats, is *most efficiently* done with spacers.  That is not to say it's the best method, just the most efficient.

 

[ccarrolladams]

I believe in the Domino for floating mortises. In fact, I own my original Domino, one of the first delivered in Los Angeles with the index pins. More recently I bought a second Domino with the flip stops. I think I own all the accessories. I have built several fixtures for different projects.

Candidly, despite years of woodworking experience, I needed considerable practice to effective use a Domino. Of course there has never been a tool like it. I mean, while a TS55 is better than other circular saws, its use is so similar I was productive as soon as I removed it from its Systainer, trimmed the guide rails on a sacrificial sheet of plywood and made my first production cut.

That photo up-thread is excellent showing how to control a Domino while absorbing the vibration. There is strategy involved. The part being mortised needs to be supported. For a project like the one in the Original Post I would build a fixture for the long pieces and another for the slats. As in the picture I prefer to use my Domino parallel to the ground so I can press down on the front knob with my left hand while plunging the tool with my right hand. In my shop I plug the power cord into a foot switch, which is plugged into a CT22. This way I do not need to shift my grip to activate the local power switch on the Domino.

 

[Wood_Junkie]

In my shop I plug the power cord into a foot switch, which is plugged into a CT22.

That is brilliant!    [thumbs up]

 

[Tim Sproul]

Wood_Junkie I think you are trying to talk me out of getting a new tool  [wink]. 

But I just am of the opinion it's not necessarily the best solution for this particular project.

I disagree.

Mill out the rails (pieces parallel with the shelves) to fit into the domino mortise.  Rip and roundover (or bullnose to speed up the process) and then crosscut to length.  Fairly easy stuff.

Mortise the legs for the rails.  The part about the cross stop?  Forget it.  Get a decent divider.  Walk off the center of where you want each rail.  As you walk it off, leave a little dimple as your mark.  Align the domino to each mark and mortise until your heart is content.  This isn't a piece of fine furniture.  You could make the entire thing from plywood.