Domino, now what?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Apparently I've spent too much time in front of the computer today....

Just bought a Festool Domino, the little one, and a pile of extra stuff. Just curious what you guys use yours for? My wife asked why I needed one, which I stalled on, I could use some ideas before she asks again please...

[John TenEyck]

Wow, if you don't know what you're going to use a Domino for you should just have it shipped to me. Seriously, I would use it for about every mortise and tenon type joint I make. I built a router driven horizontal mortising machine for use with loose tenons, and it does almost everything I need. But if I had a Domino I think I would pick it up first for most applications. If you don't build things that use M&T joints you probably don't need a Domino.

John

[Sam Murdoch]

Ditto to John's comments. It is an excellent and versatile tool. The "little one" is no compromise. I use it to build doors and panels from cabinet size to full exterior doors and for other rail and stile connections. Accurate enough to build cabinet doors to exact finish dimensions. That's another post. I use it for alignment for nearly all my panel, shelves, cabinet sides or table top glue ups. Not as a joint but for the alignment. I am building a sofa today and my leg assemblies are all domino connections. Exterior and interior work too. Drawer boxes - with good Blum undermounts why build drawer boxes with dovetails unless you just want to see the joint? Etc. etc. You will find many uses for the domino that will make your wife proud :).

Speaking of which, I've got some more Dominoing to do. Enjoy your new tool.

[Brad Rucker]

I love mine. So far, bathroom cabinets, a large picture frame, an enormous Barbie house (7' by 4' by 2'), a dog ramp, as well as many other projects -- and I just purchased the Domino XL that I'm using to make all the joints for an updated trestle table out of oak which will have a 4' by 9' top.

[eugene thomas]

I don't think you will have trouble finding uses for itonce get. I used it last few days with the 4mm dominos to strengthen corners inpicture frames was making. few months ago used it to help line up 8' longpanels for glue up in entertainment center made. I would make sure have goodshop vac for when get. not work good without the vac attached to...

[Carl Beckett]

Maybe a nice jewelry chest. With drawers, doors,lid, and sides all put together with it

'here you are honey, one example of why I 'need' this....'

[Steve Rozmiarek]

an enormous Barbie house (7' by 4' by 2')

Wow! That ought to make a little girl happy!

Thanks guys, this is helping... Think I'll start by telling her how useful it will be for her new kitchen.

[Carl Beckett]

. Think I'll start by telling her how useful it will be for her new kitchen.

Sounds dangerous.....

[Alan Lightstone]

Panel alignment - for sure. Loose tenon joints on case goods. Everywhere I used to use the Kreg pocket screws. etc....

Look and the uses will multiple.

BTW, I just added the Seneca Woodworking Festool Domiplate to mine and love the addition. Really speeds up some operations.

Not associated with the company, though I think someone here is.

[Gordon Eyre]

Just tell your wife "he who dies with the most tools wins." :D

[Mike Henderson]

I don't use mine on every piece of furniture I build, but I use it a lot. It's like a portable horizontal slot mortiser. In fact, even when I do traditional mortise and tenon joinery, I'll often make the mortise with the Domino. I then make the tenon in the traditional manner.

Mike

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Mike, that is clever!

You guys got me thinking in new directions, and I actually found a very in depth article on Marino's site about using the thing. I now wonder how I made it this long without one...

Carl, I already committed to the kitchen, it's how I got her to help me on the woodshop construction. I actually think I'm getting the better end of that deal!

[Mike Henderson]

Mike, that is clever!

You guys got me thinking in new directions, and I actually found a very in depth article on Marino's site about using the thing. I now wonder how I made it this long without one...

Carl, I already committed to the kitchen, it's how I got her to help me on the woodshop construction. I actually think I'm getting the better end of that deal!
Yep, the limitation to the Domino is that you can only make certain size mortises and only certain depths, but one of them will almost always work for my needs. Then, you just make the tenon to fit - and that's what we usually do with M&T joinery anyway. I always make the mortise first and then make the tenon to fit.

Mike

[Rick Christopherson]

Make sure you download the updated manual. The manual that shipped with your joiner is based on my previous manual, but does not contain all of the information (such as the questions you are having in this thread). The Supplemental manual (written by me but owned by Festool-USA) explains many of the applications you will use your joiner for, especially your kitchen cabinetry project. You can download the manual here (http://festoolusa.com/service/manuals/).

[Matt Meiser]

There are two aftermarket accessories I really like for mine. The first is the Narrow Stock Spaces sold on eBay by Tool Improvements. Unfortunately those only work on older Dominos with the pin-stlye alignment as opposed to the paddles on the current one. If yours is pin-style, make sure you buy theirs rather than the imposters that have shown up recently. Second is the Seneca woodworking Dominplate which accurately centers for 3/4" and 1/2" material every time.

[Larry Fox]

Short answer is that it will be your go-to tool for M&T type joints. I am currently building desks for my kids and pretty much all the joinery is done with the Domino. Most of my Festools are kept in their systainers when not in use but the Domino never seems to make it back to it's for very long - if at all. Do yourself a favor though - take a couple of handfulls of each size Domino that you use and run them over a piece of sandpaper a few strokes on each side. Mark these and set them aside as your "dry fit" Dominos because they are sometimes buggers to get out of their mortises and it can be a pain to keep extracting them when dry fitting. You will love the tool.

[Mike Henderson]

Make sure you download the updated manual. The manual that shipped with your joiner is based on my previous manual, but does not contain all of the information (such as the questions you are having in this thread). The Supplemental manual (written by me but owned by Festool-USA) explains many of the applications you will use your joiner for, especially your kitchen cabinetry project. You can download the manual here (http://festoolusa.com/service/manuals/).
It's a very good manual. Congratulations for it's quality, Rick.

Mike

[Alan Lightstone]

Make sure you download the updated manual. The manual that shipped with your joiner is based on my previous manual, but does not contain all of the information (such as the questions you are having in this thread). The Supplemental manual (written by me but owned by Festool-USA) explains many of the applications you will use your joiner for, especially your kitchen cabinetry project. You can download the manual here (http://festoolusa.com/service/manuals/).
So true. A huge improvement in manuals, Rick. Thx. I've relied on your supplemental one.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Thanks again guys I'm off to read a manual! Wish the UPS truck would show up today, know he won't, but it is Christmas eve...., hey, I remember feeling like this as a kid!

[Rick Christopherson]

So true. A huge improvement in manuals, Rick. Thx. I've relied on your supplemental one.You think that's an improvement? You should see the original 7-year old factory manual before they re-wrote it using my manual as a basis. The second generation Domino is the first time Germany had used one of my manuals (which they own) to rewrite the factory manual that goes through the full UL listing process. The two versions are now a lot closer than they used to be. I was very pleased to discover that Festool-Germany had taken most of my graphics and text when they issued the 2nd generation manual.

[Rick Christopherson]

There are two aftermarket accessories I really like for mine. The first is the Narrow Stock Spaces sold on eBay by Tool Improvements. Unfortunately those only work on older Dominos with the pin-stlye alignment as opposed to the paddles on the current one. If yours is pin-style, make sure you buy theirs rather than the imposters that have shown up recently. Second is the Seneca woodworking Dominplate which accurately centers for 3/4" and 1/2" material every time.I have to be careful here. It is one thing to mention a free (factory authorized) manual, but it is another thing to mention a product that I manufacture for sale. Those stock spacers were supplanted years ago for all models. You don't even need to do a specific Google search. Pretty much any Google Domino search will find them, especially if it includes "Rick" as part of the search.