Shelf pins with the domino

[nclemmons]

I ran across this video on Youtube and was impressed with the simplicity of accurately spacing Dominos for shelf pins.  

Watch through to the end and Terry also shows how to make the shelf pins as well.  i think this might be a great new use for the 4mm dominoes.

Thanks to Terry Fogarty at Ideal Tools in Australia for coming up with the idea.

neil

video

 

[johnsonri]

Very neat ideas there. Thanks for posting Neil.

Rey

 

[GreenGA]

Thanks for posting that video link.  I was thinking of something similar, but never touched on anything as simple as the jig Terry came up with.  

Where I wanted to go was to cut slots in the sides of a bookcase using the Domino, as Terry showed in his video.  Then use another slightly different jig and shim setup to cut Domino slots on the undersides of the shelves going into the bookcase.  The slots cut into the underside of the shelf would be located just at the surface (bottom) of the shelf and match up with the slots cut into the sides.  Then you could flip the shelf over, place it in the bookcase and the shelf would "drop in" over the Dominoes placed into the bookcase side.  This would allow the shelf to look like it's floating in the case.

Depending on the look one was after, the Dominoes could be painted or stained to match the shelf, which would move them into the background, or painted or stained a contrasting color so they would stand out and become part of the look.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I really like the idea behind the jig, the idea of Domino mortises as shelf pin holes I'm not wild about.

...Where I wanted to go was to cut slots in the sides of a bookcase using the Domino, as Terry showed in his video.  Then use another slightly different jig and shim setup to cut Domino slots on the undersides of the shelves going into the bookcase.  The slots cut into the underside of the shelf would be located just at the surface (bottom) of the shelf and match up with the slots cut into the sides.  Then you could flip the shelf over, place it in the bookcase and the shelf would "drop in" over the Dominoes placed into the bookcase side.  This would allow the shelf to look like it's floating in the case....

Someone on the FOG already did that, couldn't find the thread.

 

[GreenGA]

What bothers you about using the Domino mortises as shelf pins?  They appear to have good to great shear strength.

As a test, I clamped onto a 5mm version with two sheet-metal vise grips, one on each side, and simulated a shelf bearing down on the Domino acting like a shelf pin.  The Domino gave up but not after a good fight.

I really like the idea behind the jig, the idea of Domino mortises as shelf pin holes I'm not wild about.

Thanks for the tip.  I'll try looking around myself.

Someone on the FOG already did that, couldn't find the thread.

 

[CharlesWilson]

Someone on the FOG already did that, couldn't find the thread.

I guess that was me.  The link is:

Slide Together / Apart Bookcase

 

[Brice Burrell]

Yes, thank you Charles.

What bothers you about using the Domino mortises as shelf pins?  They appear to have good to great shear strength.

No it's not an issue of strength, like you said they'd be plenty strong. The mortises are far to large and detract from the piece, one might go as far as to call them ugly.

 

[johnsonri]

No it's not an issue of strength, like you said they'd be plenty strong. The mortises are far to large and detract from the piece, one might go as far as to call them ugly.

...then put lipstick on them  [laughing]

Brice, I agree. The dominos would probably stick out like a sore thumb...would probably want small recesses in the shelf to cover them.

Rey

 

[GreenGA]

Ahhh... The old "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" trick?   [huh]  

No it's not an issue of strength, like you said they'd be plenty strong. The mortises are far to large and detract from the piece, one might go as far as to call them ugly.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

RE beauty in the eye of the beholder, you could make your own domino equivalents out of a contrasting wood if you wanted to show off your wooden shelf supports.    You could also create blind slot the ends of your shelves so they encase the dominos when the shelves are slid into position.  This would required the sides of the bookcase to not have any front (face) frame that extended to the insides of the sides of the bookcase.

Dave R.