Just bought a Domino...

[MMUK]

is there much imperial ply in the uk? i have only ever seen 12mm and 18mm, even if advertised as 1/2" and 3/4"

Never seen it myself either, I just calls it that cause' as you say, its advertised as that.

The only place I can find metric ply is B&Q or Wickes. TP, Jewsons, GBS, et al are all imperial

 

[Giff]

I agree with everything Custard says as I also have a Domino 700 and a 500. I bought the 700 first for windows and doors after seeing a demo. A good point its that the cursor may not be set up accurately . This video is really good and after checking this found that my 700 was spot on but the 500 was out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLAfpRxihqw he has lots of other Domino / Festool videos as well. On the point of Domino humidity... I have found this as well and as my workshop is unheated when I am not in it I keep the Dominos inside in a heated area. Geoff

 

[Eric The Viking]

On the humidity thing: I'm assuming there's a good reason why you can't keep a bag of thinned-down ones for dry assembly, then use normal ones for the actual glue-up, but I can't guess what it is.

I keep my jointer biscuits on the boiler, after a whole bag became useless after being stored in the garage/workshop. It seems to work, and happily the ones I lost were horribly cheap ones from Toolstation, not the decent Trend and Makita ones I now use. Could you keep Dominoes in a dry warm place, too, or is it too impractical?

E.

 

[MMUK]

I still can't see what makes a Domino better than a biscuit jointer. Looks like a lot more pissing about to set up a Domino, surely that is counter-productive.

 

[Giff]

You can use planed / sanded ones for dry assemble. I do. The Domino is a completely different machine to a biscuit jointer. ….and you can't get 140mm biscuits !

 

[Grahamshed]

I keep all my biscuits in a screw top plastic container ( a shop sweet had ) It seems to stop them swelling so should do the same with dominoes.

 

[Woodmonkey]

I still can't see what makes a Domino better than a biscuit jointer. Looks like a lot more pissing about to set up a Domino, surely that is counter-productive.

Try making a chair with a biscuit jointer and see how long it lasts!

 

[chippy1970]

I still can't see what makes a Domino better than a biscuit jointer. Looks like a lot more pissing about to set up a Domino, surely that is counter-productive.

Have you used a domino ?

There's loads of reasons they're better and a few reasons biscuits are better too. Biscuit cutters are faster but only register in one direction. Dominoes are slightly slower but lock the joint in two directions so when building carcases the front edges will automatically allign which in my book saves time. Dominoes are much stronger than biscuits too.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[MMUK]

I still can't see what makes a Domino better than a biscuit jointer. Looks like a lot more pissing about to set up a Domino, surely that is counter-productive.

Try making a chair with a biscuit jointer and see how long it lasts!

No, I'd use proper mortice and tenon joints on anything load bearing like a chair :wink:

 

[Woodmonkey]

No, I'd use proper mortice and tenon joints on anything load bearing like a chair :wink:

Exactly, a domino produces a mortise and tenon joint (albeit a loose tenon), whereas a biscuit jointer doesn't :wink:

 

[MMUK]

No, I'd use proper mortice and tenon joints on anything load bearing like a chair :wink:

Exactly, a domino produces a mortise and tenon joint (albeit a loose tenon), whereas a biscuit jointer doesn't :wink:

But I would never expect a biscuit joint to replace a mortice and tenon joint :? I've never been a fan of loose tenons, I like to use the least number of mechanical joints as possible to keep strength.

 

[Woodmonkey]

But I would never expect a biscuit joint to replace a mortice and tenon joint

That's the whole point, you're right, you wouldn't, that's the difference between the biscuit jointer and domino.

With regards to strength, if we accept that most wood glues are as strong or stronger than the wood itself then there's no reason to suggest a loose tenon would be less strong than a conventional one, as long as the tenon is a perfect fit, which the domino is every time.

I'd recommend seeing if you can get your hands on one and have a play, it's easy to be skeptical before you've tried something out 8)

 

[Ali]

Just bought a Domino too (DF500), never thought I would but after seeing some of the benefits and the good deals out there at the moment I thought it is worth a shot.

Appreciate the good advice here, regarding the humidity issue, I wanted to ask if it's better keeeping the dominos indoors at room temperature rather than the cold and damp workshop? I bought the systainer set with lots of dominos and bits and don't think I will use them all for a few months.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

To be safe I would keep it inside

 

[MMUK]

I'd recommend seeing if you can get your hands on one and have a play, it's easy to be skeptical before you've tried something out 8)

Anyone fancy lending me one for a week or two then? :wink:

 

[chippy1970]

I'd recommend seeing if you can get your hands on one and have a play, it's easy to be skeptical before you've tried something out 8)

Anyone fancy lending me one for a week or two then? :wink:

Get your local festool rep round to demo one for you. You might even get a money off voucher.



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[custard]

Just bought a Domino too (DF500), never thought I would but after seeing some of the benefits and the good deals out there at the moment I thought it is worth a shot.

Appreciate the good advice here, regarding the humidity issue, I wanted to ask if it's better keeeping the dominos indoors at room temperature rather than the cold and damp workshop? I bought the systainer set with lots of dominos and bits and don't think I will use them all for a few months.

I know a few woodworkers with unheated workshops who keep dowels, biscuits, and dominos in their houses.

 

[custard]

With regards to strength, if we accept that most wood glues are as strong or stronger than the wood itself then there's no reason to suggest a loose tenon would be less strong than a conventional one, as long as the tenon is a perfect fit, which the domino is every time.

I agree, I think there are some downsides to the domino system, but joint strength isn't one of them. Furthermore, unless you're meticulous it's easy to make a traditional M&T joint that's just a bit too loose, where as virtually every domino will be at optimum strength.

Incidentally I did once read an analysis that said applying glue to both the domino tenon and the domino mortice increased total joint strength by something like 30%.

 

[heimlaga]

Loose tennons just aren't good enough for many applications. I have seen too many failed glue joints and failed short tennons in window and door joinery to ever trust a factury made loose tennon in those places. Nowadays when I make the odd window I need at work I try to avoid glue as far as possible. Only because glued joints don't last very long in window sashes.

For the price of a Festool Domino one could buy a decent secondhand hollow chisel mortiser of industrial quality. I realize that the Domino is an excellent solution for someone who works in a very cramped shop without room for dedicated floor standing machinery but i don't think it could do anything that I cannot do as well or often better using my 65 years old hollow chisel mortiser and my 55 years old spindle moulder with tennoning table.

There is no machinery solution that fits everybody and I am getting tired of the domino hype on the net.

Just my personal oppinion..............

 

[shed9]

Heimlaga, I'm not sure where the space argument comes in, I know plenty of people who have sold their trusty old hollow chisel mortisers since acquiring a domonio.

They are not to everyone's taste and that's fine - they will not replace certain aspects of M&T's but for a cost effective tool that appears to pay for itself in time critical applications I think it doesn't need to defend itself.