What's the best way to fix this oops??

[Alan Lightstone]

I've actually done this twice recently. The last one was easy to cutoff and fix, but this one is more an issue.

I'm building a wood tabletop for the LOML, and it's a 1" thick, 32" round sapele top. It's composed of 4 boards, domino'd together. I've just completed routing its round shape and profile, but here's where I discovered my mistake.

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Yup, I put two dominos too close to the edge, and now they are exposed.

What's the best way to fix this?

Dye the domino's and add filler? Perhaps paint on a little grain?

Drill or chisel out the dominos, fill and put a small sapele piece on top of it and sand to the same round profile?

Another option?

[Fred Falgiano]

I’d consider re-cutting the domino out using the domino cutter. Then you could square up the mortise and fill it with a chunk of sapele.

It would be a cool “feature”

[Jim Becker]

I’d consider re-cutting the domino out using the domino cutter. Then you could square up the mortise and fill it with a chunk of sapele.



This is what I'd do...use the tool to create a clean recess and fill with a sapele plug. If you are careful with your creation of the plug with regard to grain direction, you should be able to get a pretty good grain match that will keep the visibility down. Using any kind of filler will make it stand out like a flag!

[Kevin Jenness]

Clearly an opportunity for inlays.

[Mark Bolton]

Im with Kevin. I would order a router bit and plow a shallow dado around the entire edge of the top and machine a thin inlay wide enough to cover the mistake and lay it in around the entire perimeter. Nice opportunity for a creative accent that you of course planned all along.

https://www.toolstoday.com/v-14133-49342.html with the large bearing would give you a 3.5mm deep dado for the inlay.

[Christopher Giles]

Any chance your 32" diameter top can become a 30 1/2" diameter top?

[Alan Lightstone]

Any chance your 32" diameter top can become a 30 1/2" diameter top?

Boy, I wish. No chance.

You know, this is the second time I have done this kind of screwup in the past two weeks. How far from the edges do people typically place the dominos. I wanted them relatively near the edges (2") so that there wouldn't be any gaps between boards after glueup, but twice I've somehow messed that up and had them too close.

[Alan Lightstone]

Im with Kevin. I would order a router bit and plow a shallow dado around the entire edge of the top and machine a thin inlay wide enough to cover the mistake and lay it in around the entire perimeter. Nice opportunity for a creative accent that you of course planned all along.

Really an interesting idea. Not the design she was going for, but, hmmm.... maybe with some convincing..:cool:

[Alan Lightstone]

This is what I'd do...use the tool to create a clean recess and fill with a sapele plug. If you are careful with your creation of the plug with regard to grain direction, you should be able to get a pretty good grain match that will keep the visibility down. Using any kind of filler will make it stand out like a flag!

Really interesting idea. Never thought of that. That's why I ask smart, experienced people here.

Might get kinda interesting cutting a domino on a curved surface. Never even remotely thought of, or tried that before.

[Mark Bolton]

Really an interesting idea. Not the design she was going for, but, hmmm.... maybe with some convincing..:cool:

Perhaps an inlay with the same material. Wouldnt show up too much. Any type of plug/patch at each domino location is going to stick out like a sore thumb

[Jim Becker]

How far from the edges do people typically place the dominos. I wanted them relatively near the edges (2") so that there wouldn't be any gaps between boards after glueup, but twice I've somehow messed that up and had them too close.

It's kind a visual path problem....lay out the boards dry, draw a circle that represents the boundary of the table-to-be, then mark out for your Dominos. I'd keep them 5-6" from any edge, personally, regardless of table shape.

[Derek Cohen]

...
You know, this is the second time I have done this kind of screwup in the past two weeks. How far from the edges do people typically place the dominos. I wanted them relatively near the edges (2") so that there wouldn't be any gaps between boards after glueup, but twice I've somehow messed that up and had them too close.

Alan, firstly, you do not need dominos to connect the boards. There is no need for extra strength. Glue is enough. So you are using dominos to align boards - in which case align the centre, and then use cauls at the outside. Now you are safe from this situation.

Secondly, gaps are not prevented by using dominos or biscuits (which, by the way, I'd rather use a biscuit for aligning edges - they are longer). Gaps are prevented by the quality of your jointing. A slight spring joint is good.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ron Selzer]

"Might get kinda interesting cutting a domino on a curved surface. Never even remotely thought of, or tried that before."

don't have and have not used a domino machine. I believe if you took a cut off piece and hot melt glued it back on carefully you would have a square edge to cut the domino recess with, remove the cut off piece with alcohol and then insert your plug and carefully blend the surfaces together
Good luck
Ron

[glenn bradley]

"Drill or chisel out the dominos, fill and put a small sapele piece on top of it and sand to the same round profile?"

Another vote for this method. How you mortise out the space is up to you. A longer rectangle or other shape of a contrasting wood set a bit proud might be nice. Add them at 4 or 5 locations spaced around the outer edge and make them a definite design element. Mistake? Why no. That is a design element. ;-)

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[Mike Henderson]

Alan, firstly, you do not need dominos to connect the boards. There is no need for extra strength. Glue is enough. So you are using dominos to align boards - in which case align the centre, and then use cauls at the outside. Now you are safe from this situation.

Secondly, gaps are not prevented by using dominos or biscuits (which, by the way, I'd rather use a biscuit for aligning edges - they are longer). Gaps are prevented by the quality of your jointing. A slight spring joint is good.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I agree with Derek. I don't use dominoes or biscuits when gluing up a panel. One approach I use is glue up in pieces, perhaps starting with two boards, then adding additional boards after the glue sets on the first two. That way I can give more attention to that one glue joint and make sure there's alignment.

The other way, when I glue up many boards at a time, is to use cauls to force the boards into alignment. It takes some time and setup to use cauls so that's why I sometimes glue in sections, as described above.

A friend of mine used to use biscuits often in his panel glue ups and had the exact same problem you had - he cut through a biscuit. I decided to avoid the problem by not using biscuits or dominoes for alignment.

Mike

[And as far as strength is concerned, you can't beat a long-grain-to-long-grain glued joint. The glue is stronger than the wood.]

[Doug Garson]

+1 on the contrasting inlay. Always better to make a flaw a feature rather than trying to hide it.

[Jim Becker]

I do use Dominos for thicker panels...for alignment...and with as few as necessary to accomplish the task. For big stuff, it's also helpful when working alone for that job.

[Mark Bolton]

Alan, firstly, you do not need dominos to connect the boards. There is no need for extra strength. Glue is enough. So you are using dominos to align boards - in which case align the centre, and then use cauls at the outside. Now you are safe from this situation.

Secondly, gaps are not prevented by using dominos or biscuits (which, by the way, I'd rather use a biscuit for aligning edges - they are longer). Gaps are prevented by the quality of your jointing. A slight spring joint is good.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I definitely agree that the domino's shouldnt be needed on a long grain glue up that said that concept really comes from the biscuit world and biscuits are abysmal for alignment because they are so sloppy. Without a doubt a well jointed and prepared long grain joint is not really going to benefit from a biscuit/domino/dowel however if you are working with material that is pretty close to its final dimension or you dont really have the means or desire to do a lot of work after the glueup a tight fitting domino or for us, dowels, can leave you with a very close to flush top surface that is far more easy to cleanup if you have to use hand tools. I would also argue that if your parts, or your material, are not perfect the dowel or tight domino, will most definitely help you with regards to a glue joint ever opening up at the ends (which is where you will always have a problem).

Anything we can surface through the planer/sander/cnc where we have plenty of thickness to spare gets glued up straight in the clamps no dowels no nothing and then gets flattened after the fact. But if we have some material where there is little to spare or a situation where we really want to protect the ends from possibly opening up, we use dowels. Domino's would be great but I havent been able to con myself into buying one.

[Bill Dufour]

I like misson style with exposed through tenons. Make a brass or silver piece to cover it and at least 3 or 4 to match. Inlaid glass or mirror, tile etc.
Looks like the start of a Green& Greene thunderbird inlay design to me
Bil lD.
Images for ideas.

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/stickley-book-rack-stickley-plans/

https://rhpwood.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/portfolio-stickley-esque-coffee-table/

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/381680137169663438/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Greene-Greene-Inspired-Hall-Table/

[Alan Lightstone]

I do use Dominos for thicker panels...for alignment...and with as few as necessary to accomplish the task. For big stuff, it's also helpful when working alone for that job.

I did use it for alignment, as the final panel was wider than my wide belt sander. And it was very effective. Just very light sanding, and the center joint is not noticeable by feel, or sight.

True, I could have avoided them on long grain (and I probably should have), but since I knew I couldn't sent it through the wide belt, I picked it up and used it.

[Derek Cohen]

I definitely agree that the domino's shouldnt be needed on a long grain glue up that said that concept really comes from the biscuit world and biscuits are abysmal for alignment because they are so sloppy. Without a doubt a well jointed and prepared long grain joint is not really going to benefit from a biscuit/domino/dowel however if you are working with material that is pretty close to its final dimension or you dont really have the means or desire to do a lot of work after the glueup a tight fitting domino or for us, dowels, can leave you with a very close to flush top surface that is far more easy to cleanup if you have to use hand tools. I would also argue that if your parts, or your material, are not perfect the dowel or tight domino, will most definitely help you with regards to a glue joint ever opening up at the ends (which is where you will always have a problem).
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We are venturing a little off topic here - I will add mine for the OP in a while.

Mark, I understand and largely agree with you. I am curious about you saying that your biscuits are sloppy. I have a Dewalt, and, although I do not use it much for this, it cuts tight and accurate slots - as tight in the vertical as the Domino 500, which I also have. Those boards I joined with the Dewalt have zero alignment issues. I guess that I predicated my comment on the basis of this.

I would not use dowels. The advantage of the biscuit and domino is that there is room for lateral movement, which permits fitting. Dowels have no lateral adjustment. They must be spot-on otherwise they cannot align.

99% of the time I align without anything other than a few cauls. This is especially so with table tops or cabinet tops. However, this is hand tool thinking, not machine thinking. In hand tool work, one only needs one flat and finished surface - the one that will be seen. If you look at the inside of vintage cabinets, or the underside of vintage tables, you will often see the rough work that was ignored to save time when manufacturing a piece ... why waste time on something that will never be seen? Further, in the absence of a wide planer or belt sander, the use of hand planes makes it easy enough to level and finish a top surface after the boards are joined. Often one just joints edges, glues up, and only then planes top and (if you need) the bottom. It is only the skirt/area at the boundaries that needs to be coplanar.

It is evident that modern times, with all the machines available, have changed this process. Now we begin with finished boards, and there is a need for perfect alignment at the start (as you noted). In my own work this has become the case as well. However, I do not mind taking a jointer plane to the glued top to level, which means I will purposely leave the thickness a couple of mm over the end dimension.

Back to the OP's original issue.

I would rout out the domino. There are two choices: one is to simply add a filler ("Dutchman"). This is tricky unless you can fit seamlessly and match the colour and grain. Fitting a wedge is the way to get a tight fit. The second is to route to depth all the way around, and fit a band (ala inlay). You choice here is wide. Personally, I would go with the same wood as I do not like "GT stripes" in furniture.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dave Sabo]

I definitely agree that the domino's shouldnt be needed on a long grain glue up that said that concept really comes from the biscuit world and biscuits are abysmal for alignment because they are so sloppy.

Ive heard this before, and in that instance it was because a cheap and out of adjustment machine was being use with crappy biscuits from the dollar bin. Use Lamello biscuits with a well tuned machine like a Lamello, Porter Cable or DeWalt and there will be no alignment problems.

I totally agree , none of this is necessary. But then again, lots of the tools we all have are not necessary.

[Michael Drew]

+1 on the contrasting inlay. Always better to make a flaw a feature rather than trying to hide it.

+2

But I say that, with zero experience in doing that...... I'd still try it. Experiment on something else first, to learn how to do it.

[Alan Lightstone]

So, I took advice above and used the Domino to remove the Domino loose tenons, and replaced them with pieces of sapele, with the best grain match I could find. Came out decent. Didn't mention the issue to the LOML, and she hasn't noticed them, so I guess that's a success.

Here's what the repair looked like when finished:
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[Jim Becker]

That was a really good fix, Alan! And should anyone notice it, it's just a "construction mark". :)

[Tony Shea]

Came out great! I would just say they are just a fancy way of holding the glue-up together for years to come. Exposed joinery!

[Zachary Hoyt]

Your fix looks good. I had to make a repair like that but smaller (since it was a biscuit) when I cut into a biscuit slot on a 58" round cherry dining table. If you had put a band around the outside as some suggested it would have come loose in a year or two, it is not practical to do that on a solid wood top due to expansion and contraction with seasonal humidity changes, unless your house is fully climate controlled and the wood has already reached equilibrium with it.

[Fred Falgiano]

Wow! It looks great!

Nice job.