Domino inconsistent depth

[Thomas Crawford]

Can someone let me know what can cause the varying depth in the picture below? It was off every other cut. This is a 10mm bit. I switched to 8mm and it was spot on, then switched back to 10mm and I went slow and methodical and now they are lining up. I’d just like to know what I was doing wrong so when I get to the workpiece it doesn’t reappear. It doesn’t seem like I angled the cut. Does speed of cut matter? It’s not as simple as a loose depth knob, I did that once and figured that out right away before this.

430724

[Jamie Buxton]

Maybe you turned the plywood over when you cut the middle hole?

[David Bassett]

Chip under the fence? (Though that doesn't really explain why it's every other hole.)

[Tony Joyce]

Alignment pin stuck in the hole beside it.

[Jay Michaels]

I bet the two outside ones were cut with the edge of the plywood hanging over the edge of the workbench (like shown in the photo), so the fence of the domino could properly register on the top surface of the plywood . . . but when the middle hole was cut, the plywood was not overhanging the workbench and instead of the domino registering off the top of the plywood, the bottom of the domino rested on the workbench, thus was displaced the top fence (and the hole) up a mm or two . . .

(Don't ask me how I know this can happen).

[johnny means]

I bet the two outside ones were cut with the edge of the plywood hanging over the edge of the workbench (like shown in the photo), so the fence of the domino could properly register on the top surface of the plywood . . . but when the middle hole was cut, the plywood was not overhanging the workbench and instead of the domino registering off the top of the plywood, the bottom of the domino rested on the workbench, thus was displaced the top fence (and the hole) up a mm or two . . .

(Don't ask me how I know this can happen).

The middle mortise being dead center of the plywood is the tell.

[matt romanowski]

I had this happen and it was the way I put the Domino on the piece of wood. The depth fence can have a little bit of a lip between it and the cutter reference fence. If you put it on the cutter face and then slide down, you can get an inconsistent depth. If you put it on the depth fence and then slide in, you don't have a problem. Or at least that is how I screwed things up.

[Thomas Crawford]

I bet the two outside ones were cut with the edge of the plywood hanging over the edge of the workbench (like shown in the photo), so the fence of the domino could properly register on the top surface of the plywood . . . but when the middle hole was cut, the plywood was not overhanging the workbench and instead of the domino registering off the top of the plywood, the bottom of the domino rested on the workbench, thus was displaced the top fence (and the hole) up a mm or two . . .

(Don't ask me how I know this can happen).

I definitely did this at first and happened to figure that out before I posted.

[Thomas Crawford]

I had this happen and it was the way I put the Domino on the piece of wood. The depth fence can have a little bit of a lip between it and the cutter reference fence. If you put it on the cutter face and then slide down, you can get an inconsistent depth. If you put it on the depth fence and then slide in, you don't have a problem. Or at least that is how I screwed things up.

Thanks I'll check into this

[Thomas Crawford]

My best guess at what happened:

I noticed I was standing directly behind the Domino and holding it too far back and maybe even putting my thigh into it a bit. I can't explain why it was every other one, but as I've slowed everything down and focused in with consistent technique its been producing the results I'd expect.

[Matthew Hills]

Are the holes straight? (Insert some dominoes and look if some are tilted)

[Jim Becker]

My best guess at what happened:

I noticed I was standing directly behind the Domino and holding it too far back and maybe even putting my thigh into it a bit. I can't explain why it was every other one, but as I've slowed everything down and focused in with consistent technique its been producing the results I'd expect.

Yea, I found that rushing is absolutely a "no-no" when using a Domino or even a biscuit jointer, but Domino is more sensitive because the holes are supposed to be precise. I've learned to place the machine and actually check it twice before pressing the cutter into the workpiece. But even then, it's easy to maintain a decent pace.