Domino's are great

[Stan Krupowies]

Until you use them to join cherry panels for a raised panel door and they happen to be placed right where the panel gets trimmed :mad:. This is the second time
I used Dominos to join panels and right at the end of the panel I have 2 Dominos showing their ugly heads. I thought about trimming the panels and gluing a
new piece on but it's end grain and that wouldn't work well. Besides, the grain would be off and it would look like crap. So it's off to the lumberyard again to
get a couple new cherry boards to start over.

[Mikail Khan]

I have never used dominos for panels or tabletops. From what I have read the glue joint is strong enough.

MK

[peter gagliardi]

Yes Mikail, just glue has been good enough for at least the last few centuries ! Luckily, it continues to be. Dominoes and biscuits are unnecessary, and more trouble than they are worth, other than an alignment aid for very large or multiple piece glue-ups. I run a professional shop, and yes I do have and use a Lamello machine, but sparingly, and not for panels because you now know why.

[eugene thomas]

i never use discuits or dominos in panels for doors. but did once make a big chest for customer and had through dovetails . used dominos to line up the glue ups for sides. one board had some dominos showing at end. so had to do some fine chisel and patch work... but for a few minutes the blood pressure sure was up their.

[Jerry Miner]

You really don't need biscuits or Dominos in a long-grain joint like a panel glue-up. A well-made glue joint will be stronger than the wood itself---no reinforcement necessary.

You may be able to salvage your panel with a couple of "Dutchmen". Carefully cut out the exposed Dominos and patch in a couple of plugs as shown below. If you have a couple of scraps from the original panel pieces, you should be able to get a good grain-match. And cheer up. Fixing mistakes is half the battle. I spend half my time fixing my mistakes :p

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[Patrick McCarthy]

I did ths same thing with Lamello biscuits. Then i used a glue joint cutter on the shaper . . . the serrated edge gives a curly que thingy in the same location. Next time only glue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rick Markham]

Would you PM me a picture of the panels? I may have an operational solution for you so it doesn't happen again, but you need to describe your order of operations and specifically how you are using the Domino to line up the glue ups. I understand that this probably falls into the category of making you feel sick to your stomach, but a description of your order of operations might help prevent another woodworker from encountering the same pitfall.

I would agree that it's overkill in a edge joint, but it sure is a tempting device to line things up :)

[Sam Murdoch]

Layout! The dominos help achieve alignment very easily and are more useful for that purpose than for adding to the strength of the joint but as you now know - you need to pay attention to the big picture and plan the placement of the Dominos or biscuits as they relate to future milling operations. I've done the same mistake :( but I'm still a big fan of the Domino.

[Rick Markham]

I've been exclusively using the Seneca woodworking jig that they make for nominal plywood for the domino. I haven't used it for this specific task yet, but it's part of my game plan for some operations. You use the domino upside down, but you use the factory calibrated centerline indicator. you will line the reference surfaces up and they will match perfectly, just simple pencil marks between the boards where you want to join them. Very handy. That being said, if you are doing long stock and then cutting them to doors, it still requires you to think a bit about placement, but you aren't limited by using the cross stop. All you worry about is depth of the cut :) Works every dang time too! No adjustments to drift, great for assembling casework too :) best tool since the domino LOL. It makes it almost idiot proof... not sure what that says about me :rolleyes:

[Joe Cowan]

I use my domino for panel glue ups. It makes the vertical alignment very precise and makes the needs for my drum sander to level the surface to some degree.