Price of dominoes

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Good day all:

Why would larger dominoes be so much cheaper than the smaller ones? Large are available in bulk and not small, and the price per domino is way cheaper. This is except the largest one, which suddenly becomes way more expensive. (Same price for 500 as for 1800 of one slightly smaller.)

442452

[Jim Becker]

I buy the 750mm long "cut to your own length" stock for the 10mm, 12mm and 14mm Dominos I use most of the time and will soon do the same for the 8mm when my "assortments" run lower. Not sure on the price thing you ask about...I never looked at it, honestly.

[Andrew Hughes]

I only buy the little ones. The other sizes I make up for a perfect fit. Tight or loose what ever I need

[Jim Dwight]

I haven't purchased any although I got some 12mm with my domino (it was gently used). I often use wider loose tenons and find it easy to make tenons out of scrap. I also don't have space to store multiple sustainers full of tenons.

[John TenEyck]

Yes, make them from scrap from your project wood. In addition to costing nothing but a few minutes of your time the tenons will have the same seasonal expansion/contraction as the parts they are glued into.

John

[Prashun Patel]

I buy the taytools knockoffs for the 5mm. Only because it’s a pain for me to plane and shape stuff that small and I use them for cabinets where I may need so many, the time saved is worth it.

For big ones I make my own. I shi I had as many projects as I did nice qs scrap that is really used for nothing else but making loose tenons.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

This is actually my first time to buy them other than those that came with the kit. I have been making my own and I admit to mixed results. I always seem to be a few microns too thin or too thick, but eventually I get it right. It also is not safe for students to make them at their skill level, and lately I am too swamped to do it after class. In the past two months we have built 12 large shutters (8 and 10 feet tall), 10 mahogany tables, a mahogany bar, 10 pine tables, and 10 picnic tables, all with one less trainer than usual, and fewer trainees. I broke down today and said, “Let’s just order these things!” I am surprised at the cost.

[Prashun Patel]

I know this really negates the benefit of using dominos for joinery, but I don’t care; it works for me.

I make my tenons just a shade thick. made a tiny planing atop bench hook and use a block plane to tweak my tenons. I also roundover the bigger ones on a router table (I have the 700). But for the small ones up to the max size of the 500, I just bevel the ends and shoot them to width on a shooting board.

This is al if I’m making for myself. If you are doing scads, check out Taytools....

[Dave Sabo]

Always make me scratch my head when guys shell out $1000-$1500 on a tool that saves time/labor and then worry about the cost of consumables.

But, you say, 40-50 cents for a little piece of wood is a bit excessive?

May be, but isn’t a grand plus for a glorified drill / router also excessive?

[Jim Dwight]

I there was a competitor that would make mortises as easily and quickly yet accurately - and was cheaper, I would have bought it instead. All the bits I bought are CMT. It isn't just cost, it is also storage space and a desire for wider tenons than are commercially available. But if I did this for a living - time is money - I might buy them. I might still buy some little ones sometime, they are more of a pain to make. With a table saw, planner, and router table they are silly simple to make, however.

[glenn bradley]

Yes, make them from scrap from your project wood. In addition to costing nothing but a few minutes of your time the tenons will have the same seasonal expansion/contraction as the parts they are glued into.

John


This is what I do. I have so much scrap around, a couple minutes setup and I can make more dominoes than I will use all year. I put them in sandwich bags and toss them in a drawer. At some point I finally get low and run another batch. As to the original question, look at many of our supplies. You will find the more common sizes priced lower than larger sizes. Why are 1/4" spiral bits cheap and 5/16" spiral bits expensive?

[Dan Cameron]

Yes, make them from scrap from your project wood. In addition to costing nothing but a few minutes of your time the tenons will have the same seasonal expansion/contraction as the parts they are glued into.

John
Since most domino joints involve one side which is cross grain, the best choice of material is one with the lowest available expansion/contraction, not the project wood. Thus the choice of beech for dominos.

[Dave Sabo]

Thank heavens Festool invented the Domino.

I don’t know whaT some of you would do without it.

Fast, strong, easy and cheap joints can be made with a variety of tools. I guess some have never considered a plunge router and a jig? Leigh has one if you love buying tools. Prob. a lot of stationary mortise machines sitting idle and collecting rust too. Several drill jigs out there to use with your hand held drill and dowels. Your drill press, forstner bit, and a good sharp chisel is pretty darn fast if you’re even reasonable talented. No rizontal mortisers have been around for like 50 years too.

Lots of ways to enjoy this hobby. Like I said, I just find it curious that some will spend big money on a tool, the be a skinflint on consumables. If fiscal sensibility is priority, why not buy an regular priced tool and consumables and have time and money left over. Man is a funny animal though.

[Jim Becker]

Not sure why any of us who have chosen the Domino method for joinery should be chided for that choice/preference but I'll agree that one should always consider consumables when making that choice. That goes for the hobbyist as well as folks doing work for money as well as for any kind of tool or method.

[Jacob Mac]

Here's why I make them, I forget I ran out of a certain size, and I don't want to wait. Then after I made enough to get done with the project, I promptly forget I need to order some. Wash rinse repeat. Scrap wood, resaw a little thick, swipe with a block plane and keep on moving.

[Jim Dwight]

For me the key tool for making lose tenons is my little lunchbox planer. I get the thickness dialed in and I have good sticks of tenon material. I check after the first piece so I don't waste all the pieces by making them too thin. I table saw width then round edges on the router table. Takes less time than driving to the store to buy some. If I had to hand plane them or depend on cutting to exact thickness on the table saw I'd probably buy them.

[Jeff Heil]

You all are making me feel guilty for just buying dominos instead of making them myself. I bought the assortment kit with my domino and just try to keep them in stock. In my mind, the dominos are a consumable like biscuits used to be when I used the biscuit jointer more frequently, and like glue brushes, rubber gloves and other shop supplies. I appreciate the insight into the different methods that have been described to make them easily.

[Jim Becker]

That's how I am, Jeff. I bought the assortments to get started and as I noted in my original reply to this thread, I now buy the 750mm long stock for the sizes I use the most because it gets me what I need at a better unit cost for these consumables and also delivers some length flexibility that has come in very handy for certain projects. Biscuits, dowels and other types of fasteners all cost money, too. And I'd rather be working on my projects than mass producing tenon stock. Some of the reasons I chose Domino was because of speed and accuracy. Making my own stock kills the speed factor. I would do that, however, if there was a project specific reason, for example, such as wanting a visible exposure of the end of the tenon to be of a particular species.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Always make me scratch my head when guys shell out $1000-$1500 on a tool that saves time/labor and then worry about the cost of consumables.

But, you say, 40-50 cents for a little piece of wood is a bit excessive?

May be, but isn’t a grand plus for a glorified drill / router also excessive?


I work for a non-profit that teaches woodworking to at-risk youth. This one was donated to the shop. I love it because of the safety factor. It is not impossible, but doggone hard to injure yourself with it. It is simple to use, and the students learn about tenoned joinery with it.

After getting to use it, I plan to buy one for my personal shop. Time is money. Yes, I think it is over-priced, but since they have the patent, this is the only option. I build a lot
of doors and it pays for itself really quick.

[John TenEyck]

Since most domino joints involve one side which is cross grain, the best choice of material is one with the lowest available expansion/contraction, not the project wood. Thus the choice of beech for dominos.

And the other side is long grain to long grain, where mis-matched expansion/contraction will occur with any species other than the wood used for the project. Traditional M&T joints have always had cross grain wood, yet somehow they survive. Using a more stable wood for loose tenons may improve the cross grain side situation to the detriment of the long grain side. I think if you stay within the generally accepted size limits for M&T joints it matters little which wood is used.

John

[mreza Salav]

I am surprised I am in the minority (buying them instead of making) even though I'm not a pro. I mostly use the 5 and 6mm ones and I buy them in large quantities (still have a lot left from the 1800 package I bought a few years ago for my cabinet project). The rest of the sizes I rarely use (rare enough that the amount came in the package of assorted domino sizes is still there).

[Jim Becker]

mreza, I don't believe you are actually in the minority on this one...other than, perhaps, responders to a particular thread.

[Alan Lightstone]

I would do that, however, if there was a project specific reason, for example, such as wanting a visible exposure of the end of the tenon to be of a particular species.

LOL. Every time I've had a visible exposure of one was because of a mistake. :(

I just buy them. No way I would take the time to cut them.

That being said, I bought the original assortment and still haven't needed to buy any additional ones, so my use certainly isn't massive.

[Dan Cameron]

And the other side is long grain to long grain, where mis-matched expansion/contraction will occur with any species other than the wood used for the project. Traditional M&T joints have always had cross grain wood, yet somehow they survive. Using a more stable wood for loose tenons may improve the cross grain side situation to the detriment of the long grain side. I think if you stay within the generally accepted size limits for M&T joints it matters little which wood is used.

John

But the two sides of the joint are,in a sense, in series. So to strengthen the weaker side at the expense of the stronger is in the right direction to satisfy the "weakest link" consideration. Orienting the grain of a loose (floating) tenon at 45 degrees to its length would be optimum from an expansion/contraction standpoint.

[Prashun Patel]

I can't help but think this is an academic discussion. I've never had a domino joint fail. Always figured they're so small in the end - even on the DF700 that it just doesn't matter. When doing large, traditional M&T, some recommend splitting the tenon and doing 2 both to strengthen the mortise and to split the expansion of the tenon.

I've used softer wood tenons on harder wood projects and vise versa. Never had an issue.

[Brian Holcombe]

Personally I despise dominos :D but if things are sized properly I can’t see where there would be much issue, the cross grain side will likely fail before the long grain side and if that is going to be an issue then set aside some if the job material to make floating tenons.

[Jim Dwight]

If you use dominos the size produced by one plunge of the tool they are quite small - around an inch on the big ones and less on the little ones. Expansion/contraction over this sort of distance will be Very small. I see no reason to worry about grain orientation or mismatch of wood species. Even for typical bigger tenons of 3-4 inches, I do not worry about it. We do for breadboard ends but those are measured in feet.

[johnny means]

I'm usually using dozens of Dominoes for a project. To me, cutting them myself is just that many more unnecessary risks cutting small pieces. The price is negligible, and my time does have a value, so I just don't think making nor cutting my own has much of an upside.

[Frank Martin]

I was into floating tenon joinery before Domino came out. I was making my own tenons back then. I purchased a Domino when it first came out. One of the upsides of this was not having to make my own tenons. Compared to overall project costs, domino tenons are negligible. I also do this as a hobby. So, for tasks I don’t enjoy (which includes making tenons) I prefer to spend the money rather than my time.

[Albert Lee]

I feel very guilty now looking at you guys making your own domino.

my Domino supplier(also the biggest in New Zealand) told me I bought so much Domino that the amount I've bought is more than the next 5 guys combined. having said that, if I use so much Domino, do I really have the time to make them?

I wont make my domino for the 6mm or the 8mm Domino, but seriously considering making the 14mm domino.

[Jim Becker]

Albert, making the 14mm is likely a bit easier than the smaller stock, honestly. Material that thick is a bit more stable when you're cutting and milling it. But I personally prefer to just continue buying the 750mm long stock and quickly cutting to length at the bandsaw for an individual project. Fast and efficient.

[Jim Dwight]

I made a little sled to cut dominos to length for my new bandsaw yesterday. I've been doing it on the table saw but I don't like cutting little pieces on that tool. Bandsaw seems safer. I mostly store 3 foot pieces of prepared stock. That is the width of my assembly table where I store the sticks.

A big reason I make them is the desire to use "normal" sized tenons.

[Albert Lee]

Albert, making the 14mm is likely a bit easier than the smaller stock, honestly. Material that thick is a bit more stable when you're cutting and milling it. But I personally prefer to just continue buying the 750mm long stock and quickly cutting to length at the bandsaw for an individual project. Fast and efficient.

I know. But I gave all my hardwood “scraps” to a woodworking friend a couple of weeks back.... tools and timber, you will need it the week after you got rid of it...

[Dave Sabo]

A big reason I make them is the desire to use "normal" sized tenons.

:confused: what do you mean by normal ? :confused:

The cutters are still metric size diameters and the plunge is still limited by the machine, so ??????

[johnny means]

:confused: what do you mean by normal ? :confused:

The cutters are still metric size diameters and the plunge is still limited by the machine, so ??????

I took this to mean wider. I sometimes use multiple cuts with the Domino machine to make regular traditional mortises, then mill an actual tenon into the mating part.

[Andrew Hughes]

I do the same as Johnny. It’s a nice accurate way to make mortise and tenon joinery something not know till one owns a Domino. It’s not the only perk the woodworking artisan has with the domino. But a good one.

[eugene thomas]

i would not make thr small dominos but the 12 mm and 14mm dominos are pricey so can spend hour or 2 on making and save couple hundred dollars.

[Dave Sabo]

I took this to mean wider. I sometimes use multiple cuts with the Domino machine to make regular traditional mortises, then mill an actual tenon into the mating part.

Ok, I see what you mean now.


I do the same as Johnny. It’s a nice accurate way to make mortise and tenon joinery something not know till one owns a Domino. It’s not the only perk the woodworking artisan has with the domino. But a good one.

Is it accurate ?

How do you precisely control the width; make a jig ? but, then is that adjustable ? Or-are you just utilizing the max oscillation setting on the domino and making that your "wider' ?

My horizontal mortiser has stops that control the width up to the max of the table travel. I like my Domino, but the second I need or want to step outside its limited size range, its value quickly diminishes.

[Brian Runau]

Good day all:

Why would larger dominoes be so much cheaper than the smaller ones? Large are available in bulk and not small, and the price per domino is way cheaper. This is except the largest one, which suddenly becomes way more expensive. (Same price for 500 as for 1800 of one slightly smaller.)

442452


I would suspect it based on the volume they manufacture by size. When they make more stuff in a run it is cheaper. Thanks Brian

[Jim Becker]

Dave, it's easy to cut wider mortises with the Domino/DominoXL. it merely requires placing a mark that is exactly half the width of the physical Domino tenon stock assiciated with the cutter size being used from the ends of the intended mortise, cutting those two ends with the machine on the "tight" setting and then moving the machine laterally to hog out the material. If there are multiple to do, one can make a simple little marking gauge to speed up making those two pencil marks that define the mortise ends. Think of the tool in this context as a very portable horizontal mortiser. And yes, I have done this with my DominoXL on two projects. (I've also used a biscuit machine in the same way to make a slot for splines...)

[Dave Sabo]

I’m not questioning easy or possible. I’m questioning “accurate”


requires placing a mark that is exactly half the width of the physical Domino tenon stock associated
tells me all I really need to know, and does nothing to convince me it is as accurate and repeatable as a physical stop like a pin or paddle. Pencil layout kinda defeats the speed associated with the design too. Part of the orig. beauty/benefit of domino is it’s not necessary to do mark out for use.

Yall’s technique possible ? Sure. And I recognize that something that works for you may not for me or others.

[Jim Becker]

Dave, the marks are necessary during normal use so that the mortises are lined up on both sides of the joint. But you can use physical stops with the Domino (and it has provisions for pins built in) if you want to index the holes that way. Don't underestimate how accurate the mortise placement is by placing the cursor on the mark, however. Yea, if you use a fat construction pencil, you're hosed, but if you use a fine line, it's going to be right where it needs to be for woodworking purposes. I've done a line of them all on the "tight" setting (inadvertently) and had zero issue putting things together.

But clearly, this may not be the tool for you and that's ok. There are a bunch of ways to do loose tenon joinery and other forms of M&T. Use what you prefer. But those of us that use a different method are merely using a different method. It's not better or worse.