Understanding the Domino DF500

[Stone Message]

Hi Everyone

I have had a number of people asking me about various things to do with the Domino DF500 and especially from new users. So, I put together a video to help the newcomer to this excellent machine. I bought my machine a while ago but little has changed since then.


Peter

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

Awesome!! It can certainly be daunting to use it from the start! Thanks for sharing!

 

[sancho57]

[member=11196]Peter Parfitt[/member]

Great job double P. I found it a very good refresher on the domino . reminded me of quite a few things that I forgot and I think others would have forgotten to if they dont use it every day.

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Ron

I hope you and the family are all okay.

The two of us used to meet at the D&M show and I doubt whether we will see any woodworking shows (certainly in the UK) for some time to come. So, I have created the idea of a "Virtual Woodworking Show" and am working on ways of getting something on video.

When making this video I had that concept in mind and tried to think about how a demonstrator might go about it. My amateur efforts are nowhere near as polished or as crisp as guys that you and I used to see each year but at least it is a start. I do hope that I get a chance to meet Frank Jaksch again - he is such a nice guy.

Peter

 

[JimD]

Peter,

Thanks for the video, I watched it this morning and enjoyed it.  I've only had my XL for less than a year so it was a good refresher. 

Jim

 

[Doug H]

Wonderful. Thanks for the great demonstration for new or infrequent Domino users.

 

[Stone Message]

I will try and do something for the DF700 showing its unique features.

Peter

 

[Bugsysiegals]

How often are you using the 500 vs 700?  I bought the XL 700 assuming I'd only be able to have one but wonder if I wouldn't have been better with the 500 for cabinetry work.  Do you find it any more accurate than the 700?

 

[Stone Message]

How often are you using the 500 vs 700?  I bought the XL 700 assuming I'd only be able to have one but wonder if I wouldn't have been better with the 500 for cabinetry work.  Do you find it any more accurate than the 700?

It will vary from person to person depending on what they make. I think that I am using the DF500 for about 90% of my domino work. However, were I still making big doors or even another barn then the DF700 would take on most of the work.

Peter

 

[Mike Goetzke]

How often are you using the 500 vs 700?  I bought the XL 700 assuming I'd only be able to have one but wonder if I wouldn't have been better with the 500 for cabinetry work.  Do you find it any more accurate than the 700?

I'm not a pro but always busy building something  .  I went full circle on this. I bought a 500 when they just came out but had issues with the slipping fence (that was fixed) so didn't have 100% confidence in it nor did I take the time to use it efficiently so I sold it. Years later I was building a crib for our granddaughter and thought a Domino would be perfect for all the slats and went looking and found a slightly used 700. After the experience of this project I used a Domino on almost every project. I liked the grip of the 700 better but the weight, larger cutter centerline distance from the base, and fact I never used above an 8mm bit convinced me to purchase a 500 and sell the 700. I love it - don't know what I missed the first round I had with it.

 

[Bugsysiegals]

Not having been able to use my 700 for any cabinetry work, I was just thinking about a limitation of the 700.  With the 500, you can put a shelf mid panel, mark a line on the side of the board, lay the board down, align it to the line, and plunge both panels.  With the 700, the bit height is to high for this, and you'd have to find some other method, correct?

 

[Stone Message]

Not having been able to use my 700 for any cabinetry work, I was just thinking about a limitation of the 700.  With the 500, you can put a shelf mid panel, mark a line on the side of the board, lay the board down, align it to the line, and plunge both panels.  With the 700, the bit height is to high for this, and you'd have to find some other method, correct?

I am not sure what you mean as the fence arrangement is very similar on both machines. The distance from the bottom of the fence to the centre line of the cutter is 10 mm in both cases. The DF700 fence height does go way beyond that of the DF500 but I am pretty sure that it can be set just as low. The plunge depth on the DF700 is far more adjustable than the DF500 and goes a lot further (up to 70 mm).

Peter

 

[Cheese]

I am not sure what you mean as the fence arrangement is very similar on both machines. The distance from the bottom of the fence to the centre line of the cutter is 10 mm in both cases.

Peter, I think Bugsy is referring to the distance from the base of each tool to the centerline of the cutter, 10 mm for the 500 & 15 mm for the 700.

 

[Stone Message]

I am not sure what you mean as the fence arrangement is very similar on both machines. The distance from the bottom of the fence to the centre line of the cutter is 10 mm in both cases.

Peter, I think Bugsy is referring to the distance from the base of each tool to the centerline of the cutter, 10 mm for the 500 & 15 mm for the 700.

Gosh, is it 15 mm on the DF700? That shows how often I have used the DF700 in the last 2 years.

I will now have to do the "Understanding the DF700" video if only to get things right in my own mind !

Cheers.

Peter

 

[Bugsysiegals]

Yes, this is what I’m referring to. Since it’s only 10mm in the 500 and 3/4” plywood is ~19mm you can do the plunge the way Festool shows you but with the 700 you cannot. I’ve not done any panels like this as I’ve not used my domino but is an important point for anybody looking for a domino for making cabinets.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Svar]

... Since it’s only 10mm in the 500 and 3/4” plywood is ~19mm you can do the plunge the way Festool shows you but with the 700 you cannot.

Just use a spacer. What's the problem?

 

[ChuckM]

... Since it’s only 10mm in the 500 and 3/4” plywood is ~19mm you can do the plunge the way Festool shows you but with the 700 you cannot.

Just use a spacer. What's the problem?

Say, you use a spacer to mortise a 19mm shelf board, roughly at the center of the shelf board (8.5mm) from its edge. The DF700, however, will cut the domino on the mating side board at 15mm from the shelf board. When the shelf board is attached to the side, the shelf position won't be the same as the shelf positions you mark out on the side boards, as is the case with using the DF500.

 

[Svar]

... Since it’s only 10mm in the 500 and 3/4” plywood is ~19mm you can do the plunge the way Festool shows you but with the 700 you cannot.

Just use a spacer. What's the problem?

Say, you use a spacer to mortise a 19mm shelf board, roughly at the center of the shelf board (8.5mm) from its edge. The DF700, however, will cut the domino on the mating side board at 15mm from the shelf board. When the shelf board is attached to the side, the shelf position won't be the same as cutting them with a DF500.

Offset shelf board while mortising by the same amount as the spacer.

 

[Bugsysiegals]

... Since it’s only 10mm in the 500 and 3/4” plywood is ~19mm you can do the plunge the way Festool shows you but with the 700 you cannot.

Just use a spacer. What's the problem?

Say, you use a spacer to mortise a 19mm shelf board, roughly at the center of the shelf board (8.5mm) from its edge. The DF700, however, will cut the domino on the mating side board at 15mm from the shelf board. When the shelf board is attached to the side, the shelf position won't be the same as cutting them with a DF500.

Offset shelf board while mortising by the same amount as the spacer.

It seems this would work but as mentioned requires to have some shims and assumes the user knows how to use some squared timber, etc. to line up the plywood perfectly on top of the shim since it's not directly on the line any longer.  While feasible, is opportunity for error, and maybe something to point out so people understand what they're getting into or how to do it correctly with minimal error.

 

[Doug S]

... Since it’s only 10mm in the 500 and 3/4” plywood is ~19mm you can do the plunge the way Festool shows you but with the 700 you cannot.

Just use a spacer. What's the problem?

Say, you use a spacer to mortise a 19mm shelf board, roughly at the center of the shelf board (8.5mm) from its edge. The DF700, however, will cut the domino on the mating side board at 15mm from the shelf board. When the shelf board is attached to the side, the shelf position won't be the same as the shelf positions you mark out on the side boards, as is the case with using the DF500.

You need to work and mark out for a thicker shelf which is actually the thickness of the shelf plus spacer if that makes any sense, then when you lay the shelf down to do a vertical plunge the spacer has given the correct offset. Hard to explain, easy to do.