Dowel Joinery?

[Patrick Walsh]

I have used the small domino for years now. And again honestly I found the machine a bit disappointing mostly regarding alignment. Suggest so much to a domino advocate and you had better look out as the domino seems to be the holy grail. It’s fine enough and useful for general production type work but again it’s just a glorified biscuit jointer with a bit of added strength in the case of the small domino. At least that’s my opinion.

Again I’m a actual joinery guy and not “cope and stick” actual M+T but you know I’m a professional environment nobody is paying for that anymore. You gotta be making one off pieces of furniture for those not concerned with cost. Those people are few and far between imop your very lucky if you find that clientele. Most I know that do work for pennies and somehow someway can afford to.

So this arrived. For years I have wanted to give this machine a go. Back when I first really got into Woodworking I was building some passage doors and the rookie in me fully believed this machine was the only viable answer. At the time I was like many not willing to spend the coin on it. Now honesty it feels quite a inexpensive tool by comparison to most others.

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My impression after making one of the side frames. Well the joinery snob in me hates to say it but this thing is sweet. Mind you I say “sweet” in the context of production work and making actual money to buy the other things I really want and feed myself. I don’t say sweet from a quality or pride in my work and or as a craftsman as any hack dummy could make about anything with a domino.

I still don’t like the amount of end grain glue joint is relied upon for my current application. Add a cope and stick to the joint and these giant dominoes and even I can’t argue that’s gonna be a strong joint even for a exterior passage door that I would think will last multiple decades before it fails with modern glue. It pains me to say so much but that’s my take away.

It’s also screaming fast by comparison to a dowel jig, slot mortiser or table saw setup to cut tenon. And maybe the most important factor to me and my achy breaky carpel tunnel ridden hands is the domino results in almost zero fatigue vrs hand drilling dominoes or dam pockets screws without a dedicated pocket hole machine. So for that alone for making money on someone else’s clock I’ll take it.

Again the craftsman in me that takes the utmost pride in my work and has a true love for Woodworking still has no respect for this machine. But I can’t argue with good enough and that the machine will make me or my boss money to buy me the other stuff I want and or need. The work will stand the test of time and that’s I guess enough to hand]g my hat on. Again I’m cringing admitting so much.

So skip the dowels. Get the full size domino.

Oh and I found it much more easy to operate than the small domino. As a result the alignment of my work pieces was pretty much spot on requiring only the lightest of sanding.

Not bad at all..

[Mike Cutler]

M&T vs Dowels?

I'm sorry, but a properly sized, properly executed, M&T joint is going to be stronger than a dowel joint. The emphasis is on proper size.
Every comparison test I've seen, has always been done using an undersized M&T joint to compare it to whatever other joint, or joinery system,it's being compared to. Dowel, biscuit, Domino, etc. All these "systems" and all of the type techniques have uses, but for strength, the properly sized M&T joint is extremely hard to beat.
The other systems and joints can absolutely make a glued mechanical joint stronger than the wood, or material being used, but if the discussion is about strength alone, the M&T joint wins, as long as it is properly sized and constructed.

[Andrew More]

I'm sorry, but a properly sized, properly executed, M&T joint is going to be stronger than a dowel joint. The emphasis is on proper size.

Okay, now I'm intrigued, what do you consider to be the proper size for a M&T? I've always heard the tennon width should be about 1/3 of the total width of the Mortise piece it's going into, but I'm unclear on height, or depth.

[Mike Cutler]

Andrew.

The rule, as I know it, is the rule of 3's.
A tenon is 1/3rd the width of the mortised member. It's length is 2/3rd's the width of the mortised member. Tenon width is 5 times the thickness of a tenon, before it is divided. The "Japanese" tenon is even longer. Just shy of the full width. of the mortised member.
If I am joining 3" wide, 4/4 stock ,for a cabinet door ,the tenon is 2" long, 1-1/4" wide and 1/4" thick.
There are many variations to the M&T joint to add strength. It is the foundation joint of wood working.