Domino and built-ins

[chippy1970]

I'm about to get a domino 500 and I reckon a lot of the work it will do will be making 18mm carcasses. I've used biscuits before and I've also got a kreg jig. I've been surfing trying to read as much info as I can but would like to know how other people construct carcasses with dominos.

I know you can set up with shelves clamped to sides as you would when biscuiting and I've seen the domiplate. What I'm curious to know is how many dominos do you use say over a 600mm deep unit and do you just use carcass screws or do you use pocket hole screws.

As I say I've got my methods pre domino but would like to hear how you existing domino users go about it.

Chris

 

[custard]

For cabinet construction I tend to use a domino at the same interval I'd use a biscuit, namely every 100-150mm.

However, with both a biscuit jointer and a domino I have to say I generally use biscuits for preference on cabinets, mainly because there's more less precision required for the layout which speeds up the operation.

 

[petermillard]

I usually use 4 dominos on a ~ 600mm deep carcass; Spax M-cut screws for the faces that don't show, glued and clamped for the faces that are visible. You could use pocket-hole screws for a belt-and-braces approach, but I've never found the need; obviously if you need to shift the carcass around a lot after construction then that'd be a different story.

FWIW I use 30mm x 5mm dominos pretty much exclusively on 18mm carcasses.

HTH Pete

Edited just to say that I found the DomiPlate *massively* increases the accuracy of the Domino, and makes it a pleasure to use.

 

[chippy1970]

Yeah that's what I thought , I like those spax mdf screws they self sink and leave a tiny hole.

 

[chippy1970]

For cabinet construction I tend to use a domino at the same interval I'd use a biscuit, namely every 100-150mm.

However, with both a biscuit jointer and a domino I have to say I generally use biscuits for preference on cabinets, mainly because there's more less precision required for the layout which speeds up the operation.

I've just sold my jointer to go over to dominos, one reason was to have the accuracy. There's always a bit of play with biscuits but from what I've seen on the net the dominos don't have any play up and down and if you want play side to side you can add that easily. I want something that will self align the cabinet front edges nice and flush , which the domino does.[/quote]

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well as a domino fan and owner of a very good BJ (Mafell) I can say that I would use the Dom for face-frames but the BJ for the carcases. It's horses for courses.
S

 

[JonnyD]

I prefer doms for Carcases myself I find it quicker than the biscuit jointer and the pins give you good alignment of parts.

Cheers

Jon

 

[chippy1970]

That's the one I've just sold on here Steve , a mafell lnf20 lovely tool very well made but I didn't use it much.

 

[Peter T]

Just donated my DeWalt B/J to my son.

I got a Domino about a year ago and haven't used the B/J since!

 

[Giff]

+1 for the Domiplate for 18mm carcasses and jointing . Very acurate and quick. Geoff

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

sorry to dredge this up....Anyone know if the domiplate is retailed in the UK?

 

[kostello]

Don't think so international shipping is $17 though.........

 

[Giff]

I don't think so, but you can buy it direct from Seneca http://www.senecawoodworking.com and mine did arrive quickly. Geoff

 

[custard]

sorry to dredge this up....Anyone know if the domiplate is retailed in the UK?

I looked in the UK but couldn't find a distributor so ordered from the US. Same story for the MGS and SCG

http://www.dominoguide.com/

And also for these narrow spacers (although when I got them they were manufactured in aluminium)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Festool-Domino- ... 3f1fd583d9

 

[chippy1970]

Why don't you make your own plate, peice of cake

Made mine out of phenolic plastic I had laying around.

 

[petermillard]

Neat job Chris. If you use a flat plate (I just used a piece of MDF for a while) the doms will be at a fixed height (10mm centre, I think??) whereas the base of the DomiPlate is milled so that it centres the domino in either 18mm or 12mm thick material, depending on which way round you attach it. That said, I don't think I've ever used the 12mm side other than to try it out, lol!

Pete

 

[Giff]

The spacers wouldn't work with the "new" Domino 500 with paddles would they. Or are there 2 types ?

 

[custard]

The spacers wouldn't work with the "new" Domino 500 with paddles would they. Or are there 2 types ?

No the spacers don't work with paddles, only with the original pins. If you've got a paddle model 500 (or the XL which never had a pin version) then one option is the MGS multi position stop from RTS engineering,

http://www.festoolproducts.com/RTS-Engi ... s-20-d.htm

I've got an earlier Domino 500 with pins but I use the MGS on an XL Domino (despite it having a bank of six paddles, they never seem to be exactly where you want them!) or on the Domino 500 if I need a very specific layout that can't be achieved with the pins or with the slip on discs.

 

[Giff]

Thanks for the link Custard, I had seen those before but forgotten about them. Do you know if they fit the 500 and 700 ? Geoff

 

[chippy1970]

Neat job Chris. If you use a flat plate (I just used a piece of MDF for a while) the doms will be at a fixed height (10mm centre, I think??) whereas the base of the DomiPlate is milled so that it centres the domino in either 18mm or 12mm thick material, depending on which way round you attach it. That said, I don't think I've ever used the 12mm side other than to try it out, lol!

Pete

Pete it doesn't show in the photo but I did take 1mm off the other face with my router and a sled. It then registers 9mm off the centre of the cutter.

Chris