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..

[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..

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.]