Rounding out the saga, I have used the MFT/3, TS 55, OF1400 and LR32 system to make the parts for a prototype built-in cabinet. The only issue that remains is how to put it all together what is the next step in the chain or should I say domino effect? If you guessed the Domino then congratulations you Amazing Kreskin!
The domino entered my workshop as I had no means to make a mortise and tenon except through the judicious use of chisels. Enter the 21st century and all of the new joinery methods: biscuits, pocket screws, dowels, and the domino. Lots of options and with Festool fever the choice seemed obvious. There are several unique advantages to the Domino over the other methods that made the Domino the winner. These are essentially covered off in the Pros section below.
Pictured here is the Domino at the start of my project, note Rick’s supplemental manual in the background!
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Pros
-The biggest benefit for me was the simplified layout. All I need to do is to put the two pieces of wood together and mark the spots where I want the joints to go. I was surprised that it was as simple as lining up my pencil marks with the mark on the Domino but it was that easy! (If you look in this picture hard enough you can see the pencil marks that I used, that is if you can look past the ugly orange bag.)
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-The mortise and tenon is a traditional joint that provides great strength for joinery of two pieces of wood at an angle. The great thing about the Domino is how easy it is to do this joinery in pieces regardless of the angles required. This includes angles along both the x and y axis.
-There are multiple options for the Domino joints, including quickly setting up mortise widths wider than the dominos. This means that breadboard style joinery can be done if required.
-The settings for the Domino are quick and easy to understand. The aforementioned mortise width, depth and setting on the workplace can be set up in less time than it took to type this sentence. (I am not sure if this speaks highly about the Domino or casts my typing in a bad light.)
-Some router based options require bringing the wood to the tool. Not so with the Domino. You bring the Domino to the work. This makes it easier to work where required and given my shop size this is important.
-I don’t mind sounding like a broken record because the cleanup really is a snap with the Festool dust extraction!
-The availability of Sipo wood tenons for outdoor applications. These are just the thing for garden benches and gates that I have planned.
Cons
-The dust extraction hose is a little too close for my hand. With extended use I will have to find a way to grip the domino better to get a more comfortable grip. To offset this, I do not plan on holding the Domino for extended periods of time. My usage pattern means that between each Domino joint that I put it down and set the next joint up.
-I will likely be buying Ron Wren’s after market accessory for working with thinner stock. The ability for the Domino to do this out of the box would make it suit all of my M&T needs.
Conclusion
The Domino has resulted in huge productivity increases for me. The prototype built-in cabinet below was built inside of an hour. (This includes cleanup, stopping for pictures and figuring out the LR32.) The Domino itself simplified the joinery to such an extent that it was probably the easiest part of the project. The layout for the joinery was demystified and done in less time. Even better, a ruler wasn’t necessary.
[attachthumb=#]
Now I just need to finalize the design and I am off to build the real deal. (BTW, the CFO was impressed that I could do so much in less than an hour. She now expects this much productivity from me all the time!)
The domino entered my workshop as I had no means to make a mortise and tenon except through the judicious use of chisels. Enter the 21st century and all of the new joinery methods: biscuits, pocket screws, dowels, and the domino. Lots of options and with Festool fever the choice seemed obvious. There are several unique advantages to the Domino over the other methods that made the Domino the winner. These are essentially covered off in the Pros section below.
Pictured here is the Domino at the start of my project, note Rick’s supplemental manual in the background!
[attachthumb=#]
Pros
-The biggest benefit for me was the simplified layout. All I need to do is to put the two pieces of wood together and mark the spots where I want the joints to go. I was surprised that it was as simple as lining up my pencil marks with the mark on the Domino but it was that easy! (If you look in this picture hard enough you can see the pencil marks that I used, that is if you can look past the ugly orange bag.)
[attachthumb=#]
-The mortise and tenon is a traditional joint that provides great strength for joinery of two pieces of wood at an angle. The great thing about the Domino is how easy it is to do this joinery in pieces regardless of the angles required. This includes angles along both the x and y axis.
-There are multiple options for the Domino joints, including quickly setting up mortise widths wider than the dominos. This means that breadboard style joinery can be done if required.
-The settings for the Domino are quick and easy to understand. The aforementioned mortise width, depth and setting on the workplace can be set up in less time than it took to type this sentence. (I am not sure if this speaks highly about the Domino or casts my typing in a bad light.)
-Some router based options require bringing the wood to the tool. Not so with the Domino. You bring the Domino to the work. This makes it easier to work where required and given my shop size this is important.
-I don’t mind sounding like a broken record because the cleanup really is a snap with the Festool dust extraction!
-The availability of Sipo wood tenons for outdoor applications. These are just the thing for garden benches and gates that I have planned.
Cons
-The dust extraction hose is a little too close for my hand. With extended use I will have to find a way to grip the domino better to get a more comfortable grip. To offset this, I do not plan on holding the Domino for extended periods of time. My usage pattern means that between each Domino joint that I put it down and set the next joint up.
-I will likely be buying Ron Wren’s after market accessory for working with thinner stock. The ability for the Domino to do this out of the box would make it suit all of my M&T needs.
Conclusion
The Domino has resulted in huge productivity increases for me. The prototype built-in cabinet below was built inside of an hour. (This includes cleanup, stopping for pictures and figuring out the LR32.) The Domino itself simplified the joinery to such an extent that it was probably the easiest part of the project. The layout for the joinery was demystified and done in less time. Even better, a ruler wasn’t necessary.
[attachthumb=#]
Now I just need to finalize the design and I am off to build the real deal. (BTW, the CFO was impressed that I could do so much in less than an hour. She now expects this much productivity from me all the time!)
