Protecting Dominos from Changes in Humidity

[Stone Message]

Hi Everyone

I have read in various places on the FOG that users have experienced problems with dominos expanding in humid conditions. I used to suffer from the same problem with my biscuits but now I have got rid of my old Lamillo and bought the brilliant Domino machine. So, in order to protect my dominos I keep them in clear plastic bags and use some of those clever plastic clips that people use for resealing freezer bags - I bought mine from Ikea. They are easy to use and, as you can see, they even come in green although it looks rather light in the picture!

Here is a picture.

Peter

 

[Tezzer]

Grab some muslin cloth and put rock salt in it, tie it up and plonk it in your Domi systainer. That will do the trick.

 

[ajones]

Hi Stone

Its quite clear you are just not using them at a fast enough rate if they have time expand  [big grin] [poke]

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Festoolfootstool,

I do have a life beyond my Domino and anyway you might not know how damp it is around here!

Peter

 

[ajones]

Hi Festoolfootstool,

I do have a life beyond my Domino and anyway you might not know how damp it is around here!

Peter

Where are you then the broads? the fens?

I run a dehumidifer in the shop all the time set on low keeps everything nice don't want the posts on my of1010's rusting away. [big grin]

 

[Stone Message]

Actually there is no issue with damp around here as the workshop is built to the full spec of a modern house. However, not all of us use up all of our dominos quickly and humidity changes can be a nuisance. Putting a plastic clip on a bag is a simple way of ensuring that no harm will come to those rather expensive little doms.

Take care.

Peter

 

[Rick Christopherson]

One thing to keep in mind is that biscuits and Domino tenons are not equally susceptible to moisture changes. Biscuits are made from compressed laminations of wood, so when they absorb moisture, they expand a lot more than regular wood will. Domino tenons are not specifically compressed (except for the embossing), so their expansion should be more consistent with any other wood you maintain in your workshop.

My workshop is relatively dry (inside the house), but I still always had to keep my biscuits in sealed containers. For Domino tenons, I just keep them in their systainer and not worry about it very much.

 

[Kevin D.]

I don't have Domino expansion/humidity problems, but for my biscuits, I store them in old metal cookie tins and throw in silica bags I come across when you find in packaging of variious things I buy.

I'll repeat what I've read here more than a few times though, that cooking your Dominos in the microwave will remove their moisture apparently.

 

[joinery45]

First I'm lucky I live in Northern California where the relative humidity is very low, I does go up in the winter or if when have a Foggy summer (Hint where I live). Biscuits are compressed when they are made and the adhesive, if it's water based, swells the biscuit for a better mechanical hold.
I protect my biscuits by double bagging the Lamello Box and only removing 50 or so at a time, or as many as I'm going to use in a week or so. I also save all those little desiccant bags I get from food products, tool boxes etc. Remember the ones that say "Not Food. Don't Eat" In four language's. I guess dumb is available in three different languages. These I put in my ready bags, new 4mil. industrial zip close bags. To protect my Lamello Stash I bought large bags of desiccant from McMaster-Carr and every year or so I bake them at home until the color changes back to 'dry'. If a batch does swell, I cut the biscuits slot, raise the blade om my Lamello one click and re-cut the, it's tedious but what can you do. Sometimes I save overly fat biscuits for that one sloppy hole I cut when I'm going to fast.

Domino's are not compressed and don't rely on water to make a tight fit. That's why I prefer domino's and epoxy over biscuits and yellow glue.
I still protect my Domino's with the same procedure as biscuits. Each size is bagged in the systainer with bags of desiccant. So far no problems.
Being a Fan of Americas Test Kitchen and a bit anal I used a Micrometer on a box of The exterior 10x50 domino's; the average was less than 10 (around 9.965) and one in 20 miked over 10, maybe the Germans Already though of that too.