Peanut Connecting System

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Good post from @Spectric let me clarify a couple of things:-

Hi
I have been looking at different jointing methods and have got some good advice and info regarding the Domino from people on these forums. I use a Dowelmax which produces good strong dowel joints but want something with less hassle for bigger jobs, for example my last cabinet used 132 dowels that required 264 holes. Looking at this peanut it is only suitable for sheet goods, it would not have helped me wheras a domino would have and can also handle the sheet goods. I am not a Festool fan and not loyal to any brand, best quality / suitable tool for the job attitude and my biggest issue with the domino is no competitive machines so no choice.

Domino's a great machine - I've had mine since they first became available, and it remains absolutely the most versatile of all the jointing systems I've used; if you can only have one, and you have the funds, and you can actually find one to buy, then absolutely, Domino, all day long. But as I say in the video, there's no one perfect tool for for every job. The Domino Connect knock-down fittings are pretty clunky, and if that's an area of interest, then there are absolutely better systems out there.

Peter says there is a void between biscuit joiners and Lamellos/dominos but I think they are aimed at different markets. This peanut system cannot be classed as being used to produce high end cabinetry, the end result is a flat pack product wheras the domino and others can deliver a pre assembled cabinet. When I think of flat pack units, the bit that fails is that screw in pin that engages with the cam lock, it breaks out very easily and a flat pack kitchen only gets its strength from good installation and neighbouring units. If you want something to assemble later then I think the domino connectors certainly look stronger and better quality, ok they are £1 each but compared to that plastic peanut pin at thirteen pence, there is no comparison.

What I actually said is that there is a void between eg a good quality biscuit jointer at ~£200-300, and eg the Domino or Mafell doweller at ~£800, and *for carcass construction* they are absolutely aimed at the same market. There are many reasons why you may want to pre-assemble, disassemble for transport/access, then reassemble; I don't know what system @custard uses for his flat-packed yacht fit-outs, but I imagine that his finished cabinetry can certainly be classed as high-end. Take a look at (peanut system inventor) Luke Thomson's commercial website (thomsonbrothers.co.uk) and tell me that isn't high-end cabinetry. Yes, it's flat-packed to get into tricky London locations (Barbican) but flat-packed doesn't mean cheap or inferior. Oh, and if you think the pin on those cam and dowel fittings you've seen on MFI and Ikea flat-pack is a weak point, you're going to love the Domino Connect! Repeat failures of the Domino Connect fittings (at ~£1.80/fitting, btw) are why I bought my Lamello Zeta.

The best thing about the peanut system in my opinion is the actual jig, that looks top quality and probably warrants it's £400 cost and that drill stop collar looks substantial. To conclude, from my perspective at the moment the Domino is the front runner, just line up and push, no clamping work down, no MFT workbench, no collection of parts to swap and change and a wider range of joints can be made.

The jig is very nice quality (as it should be for the price) - and without being too pedantic, it's the starter set that's £400 - the jig alone is a fair bit less, but yes, still a decent chunk of change. But just FYI you won't be without clamps with the Domino - it's just that those clamps come at the end, during the glue-up, unless you're using eg screws to keep it all together while the glue sets. And yes, this jig is aimed at workshop-based fitted furniture makers working mostly in sheet goods, or sheet-goods-thickness natural timbers - not an actual crime - and there's a mini jig coming very soon that I expect to address the cost concerns and possibly, portability.

But I'll say again, there's no one perfect too for all situations and applications; I have no skin in this game, no interest in the success or failure of the Peanut System. I earned my living making fitted furniture though, and I've made thousands of carcasses with the Domino, a fair few with the Lamello Zeta, and with biscuits and dowels, and glued 'n screwed, and knock-down fittings of all kinds, and whilst I've only had the peanut jig and fittings for a couple of weeks, I'd put these 15p plastic connectors ahead of the Domino Connect fittings all day long. No comparison.

Cheers, Peter
 
If you assemble the joint and then take it apart and tighten the screw half a turn, it is self tightening.
I used eight of these last week on some oak vent covers, it's easy and efficient.
I don't want to appear to be against anything new, my son, who is also a trained woodworker, owns a Makita battery operated track saw. I am amazed at the quality and finish of the cut and the battery duration. Deffinatly a tool worth the money.


w
 
If you assemble the joint and then take it apart and tighten the screw half a turn, it is self tightening.
You could also cut the slot for the screwhead on a slight gradient wrt the face of the timber, which is presumably what the peanut jig does.
 
If you assemble the joint and then take it apart and tighten the screw half a turn, it is self tightening.
I used eight of these last week on some oak vent covers, it's easy and efficient.
I don't want to appear to be against anything new, my son, who is also a trained woodworker, owns a Makita battery operated track saw. I am amazed at the quality and finish of the cut and the battery duration. Deffinatly a tool worth the money.


w

Not quite the same thing as self tightening though it is, yours is more "make it too tight and then force it to fit" as opposed to used a tapered hole that pulls things in as the joint is fitted.
 
I assume it's only designed to be assembled/disassembled a few times? as each occurance of the wedgeing action will compress the material and be less secure the next time around?
 
As PCB1962 has suggested,if you are using a router and keyhole cutter a slight slope would tighten the screw. ( I think a panhead would be suitable)I've only ever drilled a hole and cut a slot with a chisel and found that a countersunk screw works well. It's obviously not a method suitable for taking great loads,
 
I assume it's only designed to be assembled/disassembled a few times? as each occurance of the wedgeing action will compress the material and be less secure the next time around?

I would think that most uses will be assembly and disassembly in a workshop, then reassembly on site. The majority would probably not need to be disassembled beyond that.
 
I'm still thinking it looks quite useful but have just watched @petermillard video again and think it might not do what I wanted it for.

I was hoping to use it for putting uprights in mid shelf if making for example something in the style of an Ikea Kallax unit but it looks like the jig has to reference off the edge of the material?

Maybe this is something the new mini jig will do?
 
I'm still thinking it looks quite useful but have just watched @petermillard video again and think it might not do what I wanted it for.

I was hoping to use it for putting uprights in mid shelf if making for example something in the style of an Ikea Kallax unit but it looks like the jig has to reference off the edge of the material?

Maybe this is something the new mini jig will do?

Unless I am totally mistaken the idea is that it references from the edge if you want the edges flush, as it has a fence. However you can remove the fence so as long as you measured very carefully and clamped the jig in place there is no reason you couldn't use this in the middle of a board.

EDIT: At 11.48 in Peters video he shows them being used in a "non-edge" situation.
 
Can someone, (Peter) expand on the weakness of the domino connect fitting? I suspect it is not so much the fitting but the amount of material removed from the board to get the fitting in place.
 
Can someone, (Peter) expand on the weakness of the domino connect fitting? I suspect it is not so much the fitting but the amount of material removed from the board to get the fitting in place.
No, it's absolutely the fitting, in my experience. May I point you to this video - "Clamex or Connect" where I go into the niggles I have with them generally. I actually made this video before I had my worst experiences with them and was very glad for the Lamello/Clamex option; in all honesty I don't think I've touched the Connect fittings since then.
 
Hi

Very interesting, the lamello is much cleaner, only leaving two small holes compared to the large openings that need covers with the Domino. I saw a video where the guy used what looked like plastic connectors in two domino holes that were at 90° using the 700 and thats why I thought it was failure of the material as a lot was removed. The cost of the domino connect fittings is a real negative but I can see where the knock down fittings may be needed, if I went for the Domino I would not require these type of fittings so not an issue for myself but if I really needed them then the Lamello definately looks the better option. You could always take the components to the job and then assemble onsite using wooden dominos if space is an issue for getting built units in because once assembled thats probably it until they are ripped out to be replaced in many years time so they should be called knock up fittings not knock down.
 
...You could always take the components to the job and then assemble onsite using wooden dominos if space is an issue for getting built units in because once assembled thats probably it until they are ripped out to be replaced in many years time so they should be called knock up fittings not knock down.
Yes you could, but a large part of the appeal of knock-down fixings is to avoid that, to be able to pre-assemble the piece, hang the doors, get everything fitting nicely - then take it apart knowing that it will go back together *exactly the same* onsite. That’s either something you need, or not; if you’ve invested in the Domino, and you have the need, then the Connect is your only option afaik. There used to be another fitting (dominofix maybe?) but haven’t seen them promoted for a while.

And just to be clear, I’m talking about the Connect fittings for the DF500; the ones for the 700 are a different animal altogether. 👍
 
There used to be another fitting (dominofix maybe?) but haven’t seen them promoted for a while.

Do you think Festool might have bought them out Peter, I looked for them a while ago, they used to follow me on Instagram but I couldn’t find them on there.
I then had a look on FOG, plenty of threads about them & their products with links but they were either broken or dead when I clicked on them🤷‍♂️
 
^IIRC, they stopped making them not too long after Festool came with their DF500 connectors. They also changed their name to Taiga Tools. The owner (Wim Pauwels) is fairly active on the Fesdrool facebook group.
 
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