Domino or not domino

[JanneKi]

... a Domino. I want one. Very badly. But, considering it would be approx. 1100 £ here, i think i better get up to speed with the beadlock stuff... :-(

So Norway is probably the only place that's more expensive than Finland. Have you considered ordering it from f.ex Germany? Or is it the tax + customs that then raise price to that level?

 

[woodbloke]

Yet, I would like a Domino!

The observant amongst you will note that I've said nothing thus far - Rob

 

[Dibs-h]

I am actually considering buying one, with my recently received annual bonus (no I am not a banker). Just deciding if its the thing that gives the most bang for the buck.

I think its misleading that they always get compared to biscuit joiners because whilst there is some crossover they seem to me to be different tools.

Ed (who likes Facom screwdrivers)

I'm in the same boat - so am umm'ing and ah'ing about getting a domino (especially this weekend at Harrogate).

Also does it make sense buying the systainer full of dominoes - or buying the sizes you actually need?

Dibs (who has Halfrauds professional - 'cos they have a lifetime warranty, are open on a Sunday & are 10 mins down the road!)

 

[BradNaylor]

Also does it make sense buying the systainer full of dominoes - or buying the sizes you actually need?

Like Simon, 90% of my work is with 19mm board and I use 5mm doms.

I also have a 10mm cutter and 50mm long doms which I use for tables. We recently made an oak dining table with them and it was every bit as strong as if we had used M&Ts.

I wouldn't bother with the systainer of doms - just stick to a couple of sizes appropriate to the work you are doing. Keep some spare cutters, though. They do wear out, particularly if you hit a nail!

DAMHIKT!

As for attachments, I use the 90 degree bolt on thingy a lot for when I'm assembling carcasses, and also the jobby for centring the slot on the end of a face-frame rail.

I'm not big on technical terminology!

Cheers
Brad

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you are concerned about the cost of the dominoes themselves, it's an easy matter to run off a few metres of stock from the scrap box and cut off what you need, when you need it. A pro wouldn't use his time to do this, but any hobbyist who counts the pennies rather than his time would probably consider doing this.

S

 

[Mattty]

I am actually considering buying one, with my recently received annual bonus (no I am not a banker). Just deciding if its the thing that gives the most bang for the buck.

I think its misleading that they always get compared to biscuit joiners because whilst there is some crossover they seem to me to be different tools.

Ed (who likes Facom screwdrivers)

I'm in the same boat - so am umm'ing and ah'ing about getting a domino (especially this weekend at Harrogate).

Also does it make sense buying the systainer full of dominoes - or buying the sizes you actually need?

Dibs (who has Halfrauds professional - 'cos they have a lifetime warranty, are open on a Sunday & are 10 mins down the road!)

Dibs- Your more than welcome to pop over and try mine. Though it will only confirm what you already know..

 

[Dibs-h]

Dibs- Your more than welcome to pop over and try mine. Though it will only confirm what you already know..

Cheers for the offer Mattty.

Out of curiosity can they be used to make "big" stuff. Say window frames? (not huge ones - say 4'x3' ones).

 

[BradNaylor]

If you are concerned about the cost of the dominoes themselves, it's an easy matter to run off a few metres of stock from the scrap box and cut off what you need, when you need it. A pro wouldn't use his time to do this, but any hobbyist who counts the pennies rather than his time would probably consider doing this.

S

Funnily enough, I was thinking of having a cutter made for my spindle moulder with a series of half-round profiles - one for each size dom.

Then I could set the block in the machine at the appropriate height for the dom size I need. One pass on each edge of a correctly sized strip of wood and job's a gudden!

I probably won't bother, though. All our scrap wood now goes in the workshop stove!

Cheers
Brad

 

[Dibs-h]

Just run up my local dealer -

Domino + Cross stop + 2x1400 Guide Rails & free case (for my TS55) + 2 connectors = £736 (in vat)

with domino packets at £8.33 (in vat)

Has offered to throw something in - so would either get a cutter (or 2) or some packs of dominoes, I suspect. Probably whichever costs the dealer the least.

Hmmmm..

(damn shame no longer VAT registered).

 

[Mattty]

Dibs- Your more than welcome to pop over and try mine. Though it will only confirm what you already know..

Cheers for the offer Mattty.

Out of curiosity can they be used to make "big" stuff. Say window frames? (not huge ones - say 4'x3' ones).

They do sell the external use dominos so yes probably. I certainly wouldn't make an external door using dom's though.

 

[Mattty]

Just run up my local dealer -

Domino + Cross stop + 2x1400 Guide Rails & free case (for my TS55) + 2 connectors = £736 (in vat)

with domino packets at £8.33 (in vat)

Has offered to throw something in - so would either get a cutter (or 2) or some packs of dominoes, I suspect. Probably whichever costs the dealer the least.

Hmmmm..

(damn shame no longer VAT registered).

 

[wizer]

Doesn't the Domino give you the option to have a greater amount of the domino in on side of the joint? If so, then I guess you could mill a deep hole on both sides of the joint and use your own dominoes in cases where you need a more substantial joint, such as beds, dining tables. No? I realise the pro's might not bother doing this. But it's make good use of the miles of timber I can't bare to chuck away.

 

[Oryxdesign]

The plunge depth of the machine is still the same though Tom. Of course you can stack sets of dominos for greater strength, you aren't limited to one per joint.

 

[Mattty]

Doesn't the Domino give you the option to have a greater amount of the domino in on side of the joint? If so, then I guess you could mill a deep hole on both sides of the joint and use your own dominoes in cases where you need a more substantial joint, such as beds, dining tables. No? I realise the pro's might not bother doing this. But it's make good use of the miles of timber I can't bare to chuck away.

Yes it does.

 

[BigMac]

Max plunge is only 28mm I think so still not terribly deep in say 50mm stock.

It does have the "waggle" adjustment though so if you're making your own dominos you could make wider 10mm dominos, but you're stuck with 56mm length dominos unless you wanted to start enlarging your domino holes with a different device (which kind of defeats the ease of use bit).

 

[woodbloke]

Max plunge is only 28mm I think so still not terribly deep in say 50mm stock.

It does have the "waggle" adjustment though so if you're making your own dominos you could make wider 10mm dominos, but you're stuck with 56mm length dominos unless you wanted to start enlarging your domino holes with a different device (which kind of defeats the ease of use bit).

If you think about the 'rule of thirds' though, 28mm ain't far off 33mm approx. How effective would the Dom be though, in a leg that's 60mm thick?..ie in a 60mm leg you'd normally set the mortise to a depth of 40mm which clearly the Dom don't do - Rob

 

[JoinerySolutions]

In many workshops that I have worked in door and window frames have been morticed and tenoned then two 100mm screws were put in each joint.
Therefore the m & t is being used to line up the joint, as an apprentice frames were put together with paint rather than glue.
So domino joints and good quality modern glue and a few threaded metal dowels and your window or door frames are sorted. ( In fact Festools video shows a door frame being just glued and domino'd) no long sash cramps required. :wink:
The other added bonus, thinking slightly tangentally, is that there will be no end grain poking out of the cill bottom to soak up water when the mastic or cement pointing/DPC etc fails. Ever had to repair any rotting jambs where the cills are still okay?

Domino is on my wish list and if I get the job for twenty radiator boxes, based on a Chippendale design, it will be ordered before the ink is dry :lol:

 

[wizer]

Could they gain more depth simply by adding a longer cutter? Or would the machine itself have to be modified? I guess if it was a simple as a longer cutter then domino would have cashed in on that by now. i.e longer cutters + longer dominoes = more folding stuff in their corporate back pockets. Maybe they deemed longer cutters to be fragile with the waggle action. I do like a bit of waggle action... 8)

I'd love to see some destruction testing on larger joints using dominoes against trad m&t's.

 

[JoinerySolutions]

Wizer, the cutters are a set length dependant on the dia' of the cutter.
They are designed specifically for the tool.
Rob.

Edit: P.S. I know a girl who thinks 'waggle action' is sexy :lol:

 

[petermillard]

I certainly wouldn't make an external door using dom's though...

Well, different strokes for different folks of course, but I have. First job I used the Domino on was for a couple of pairs of (admittedly) small-ish French doors, one internal and one external.

Purely by chance I was at the customers house yesterday, and they were holding up just fine ~3 years on (the doors, not the customers, lol) so it's entirely do-able as long as you're prepared to put your faith in modern adhesives.

HTH, Pete