small jig for domino miters

[JimD]

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]I was building the base for some new night stands today and wanted to reinforce the miters with dominos.  I put my 6mm cutter on the Seneca adapter and adjusted the depth to 15mm, the XL minimum.  But then I went to set up the fence and decided I needed a jig of some sort.  So I picked up a scrap of cherry and made this little 45 degree block that is screwed to the domino fence using the triangular holes on the top of the fence.  Worked fine.  I clamped the XL to an old Workmate and then plunged the cutter into the center of each piece starting about at the inside edge of the miters.  I pulled them from the clamps a few minutes ago and the joints seem fine.

How would you have done this?

 

[ForumMFG]

I just picked up a domino so i can’t comment on this but is a jig needed to do cuts on a angle, i thought thats what fence is for, you can adjust it to any angle?

 

[Svar]

... is a jig needed to do cuts on a angle, i thought thats what fence is for, you can adjust it to any angle?

Yes, you can use the fence set to 135 degrees to do miters (it adjusts from 90 to 180). I'm not sure why OP did it, but it is little easier to positively register your piece if the angle is 45, that the jig provides. Less chance of misalignment, or slipping.

 

[Russty]

I think i know why he did it; i have the df500 and that is a smaller machine and it gets a bit achy doing repetitive stuff, especially small miters. i dread to think what it is like to hold that thing for any length of time, although with the human sized handle it is probably more ergonomic than the 500!

 

[JimD]

I could have set the fence to 135 degrees but I could not get the mortise where I wanted it without something attached to the fence due to where the bit comes out on the 700.  It might have worked on the 500.  But, I also like the 45 degree opening for the reasons already stated.  The workpiece is kind of trapped this way so it is easier to hold steady while you plunge.  I made a similar piece for an old biscuit joiner years ago for the same reason. 

With this attached, it was easy to get the mortise in the workpiece were I wanted it. 

 

[fshanno]

I could have set the fence to 135 degrees but I could not get the mortise where I wanted it without something attached to the fence due to where the bit comes out on the 700.  It might have worked on the 500.  But, I also like the 45 degree opening for the reasons already stated.  The workpiece is kind of trapped this way so it is easier to hold steady while you plunge.  I made a similar piece for an old biscuit joiner years ago for the same reason. 

With this attached, it was easy to get the mortise in the workpiece were I wanted it.

Did you try a flat shim on the fence?  I've done that on miters into thin parts.  The closer you get the mortise to the inside face of the miter the deeper the mortise can be.

So you stick the piece in there and push.  Are you holding just the workpiece?  Pressure on the workpiece alone plunges the donino? 

 

[Rick Christopherson]

You can also drill a couple mounting holes in the supplied support bracket.

[attachimg=1]

 

[JimD]

Yes, I just held the workpiece in position on the fence and pushed it slowly into the bit.  It is about 3 inches wide so it was pretty steady.  I like the idea of using the right angle fence.  In effect it is the same idea.  It converts the 135 degree angle to 45 degrees.  I have not looked at mounting that fence this way.  If it can be easily done it could be easier. 

My little "jig" was easy to cut from scrap on my table saw.  Attachment was a couple screws in existing holes.  So the fence attachment would have to be really easy to be easier to implement.  But if you don't have a table saw, that would be a good way to go.