Base plate for Festool Domino DF500

[Frank Martin]

Does anyone make a base plate for Festool Domino 500? Basically same idea as the Seneca Domiplate, except without any offset to center the mortise on the edge of different thickness stock. Essentially, the references remains as the base of the Domino.

[Paul F Franklin]

Don't think I follow you? If all you want to do is increase the effective thickness of the base, just mill a shim of desired thickness. I prefer to use the base of the domino (either 500 or 700) as the reference, so I use a shim, either under the domino for thick stock, or under the workpiece, for thin stock. It doesn't need to be perfect as long as you always reference off the same surface.

[Frank Martin]

Don't think I follow you? If all you want to do is increase the effective thickness of the base, just mill a shim of desired thickness. I prefer to use the base of the domino (either 500 or 700) as the reference, so I use a shim, either under the domino for thick stock, or under the workpiece, for thin stock. It doesn't need to be perfect as long as you always reference off the same surface.

You got it right that the goal is to use the base of the Domino as the reference, except there are situations where setting it on top of the bench surface isn't as accurate as it could be. Seems like there isn't a pre-made product like this. I will go ahead and make one using a piece of polycarbonate or phenolic plate.

[Greg Parrish]

Not sure I truly follow you but WoodPeckers makes a base plate similar to the Seneca. https://www.woodpeck.com/df500-offset-base-system.html

[Randy Heinemann]

The Dominos are not made to rest on a work surface. The tool is designed to use the fence (top) as the reference surface. It is correct that there are times when resting the bottom of the Domino on a work surface will produce inaccurate placement of the tenons top to bottom. In fact there are times when the location of the tenons will be far enough off center that they won't leave enough space from the top wood surface if the bottom of the Domino is rested on a work surface. The Domino isn't designed to use the bottom as the reference point.

So, when using the Domino the edge of the board where the slot is being cut should hang over the edge of the work surface. Then, whatever is set as the height of the slot will be as desired.

[Paul F Franklin]

The Dominos are not made to rest on a work surface. The tool is designed to use the fence (top) as the reference surface. It is correct that there are times when resting the bottom of the Domino on a work surface will produce inaccurate placement of the tenons top to bottom. In fact there are times when the location of the tenons will be far enough off center that they won't leave enough space from the top wood surface if the bottom of the Domino is rested on a work surface. The Domino isn't designed to use the bottom as the reference point.

So, when using the Domino the edge of the board where the slot is being cut should hang over the edge of the work surface. Then, whatever is set as the height of the slot will be as desired.

There is no inherent problem with using the bottom surface of the domino as the reference. You just put the reference surface of the workpieces down as well. As long as your worksurface is flat there is no issue and the reference surfaces of the workpieces will align perfectly. Of course you have to take into account the location of the resulting mortise, but it is easy to do so with flat shims either under the domino or under the workpiece. Using the larger flat bottom surface of the domino as the reference instead of the fence avoids any chance of tilting the domino and eliminates any issues with "fence creep" that many users have seen. This is especially true when using the 700 on smaller workpieces where the weight and length of the machine make it easy to tilt the machine ever so slightly.

[Randy Heinemann]

There is no inherent problem with using the bottom surface of the domino as the reference. You just put the reference surface of the workpieces down as well. As long as your worksurface is flat there is no issue and the reference surfaces of the workpieces will align perfectly. Of course you have to take into account the location of the resulting mortise, but it is easy to do so with flat shims either under the domino or under the workpiece. Using the larger flat bottom surface of the domino as the reference instead of the fence avoids any chance of tilting the domino and eliminates any issues with "fence creep" that many users have seen. This is especially true when using the 700 on smaller workpieces where the weight and length of the machine make it easy to tilt the machine ever so slightly.

You certainly can use the Domino the way you indicated, but it's not necessary. As for creep, I think that's a technique issue. I've never had a problem with that. I've always believed that tools are made specifically for certain operations. Problems using the 700 with smaller projects occurs because the 700 isn't made for smaller projects. I have both and wouldn't consider using the 700 for smaller pieces of furniture or drawers or anything that the 500 can do. I realize that many can't afford to buy both, but I lived with only the 500 for a long time. It's a much more versatile tool than the 700 until you get to very large pieces of furniture like beds. For most people, the 700 is a more costly tool which really isn't needed for the work they do. I have bought various accessories for the Domino 500 and found that, in the end, the Domino is a tool that really doesn't need accessories. They mostly sit on my shelf in an expensive Systainer since the Domino is a self-contained tool.

[Keegan Shields]

Yep it’s technique as others have noted. Some steps that helped me:

1. Clamp the workpiece down to your bench.
2. Ensure the entire fence has surface to reference off of. On narrow pieces, add stock behind the work piece.
3. Resist the urge to plunge twice. The domino doesn’t need a clean up plunge.
4. Place your plunge hand back at the power cord and use a lite touch.
5. Plunge slowly. Forcing the plunge can shift the unit slightly causing misalignment.

One other thing - I’ve had those spring loaded stops interfere with adjacent mortises and throw things out of wack. I retract them now unless needed.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I use my Sawstop as the reference surface along with the base of my 500. I clamp the work piece down.

I will shim under the 500 base if I need the domino to be at a different position from the reference surface.

[Steve Wurster]

I think many in here are misinterpreting the OP's requirements. Either that or I am misinterpreting them.

The Seneca Domiplate lets the user operate the Domino "upside down", with the base of the Domino facing up towards the user. That is, the Domiplate acts as the "fence" and you don't need to set the height of the fence that is built into the Domino. Because the Domiplate is bolted to the Domino its position will never change no matter how much you "abuse" the tool (thus avoiding the "fence creep" that people apparently have with the built-in fence). Your material in question still has to "hang out in the open" when using the Domino this way, since there's is now part of the tool hanging below the horizontal plane of the material (assuming you're doing that kind of joint).

The OP is looking for a Domiplate that has no offset, so that all mortises are created 10mm from base of the machine. The ones that Seneca sells all have an offset, where by default the mortise is closer than that. So all the OP needs is a flat piece of aluminum or other "solid" material that can be bolted to the bottom of the Domino.

[Mike Gillispie]

Something like the TSO BigFoot work?
https://tsoproducts.com/accessories/...estool-domino/

[Johnny Barr]

And another alternative ...... https://www.leevalley.com/en-gb/shop...e?item=05J1701
The videos show how it works.

The Domino base is screwed to the table and can be shimmed to any height. Woodpeckers also make one but as usual is more expensive and much smaller. I made a home made version which was copied from a Youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP3JGfjUGbM&t=1s ) and was so impressed with its accuracy and ease of use, I bought the Veritas version. I use it for box making, picture frames, face frames etc and love it.

Jig2.jpg

[Frank Martin]

Thanks for all the suggestions for Woodpeckers, Veritas, TSO and other options. They all seem nice options for different things, but none are exactly what I am looking for, which is a simple base plate.

[Kevin Jenness]

Just make one out of plywood, mdf or a stable quartersawn solid wood species.

I've never had any problems using Domino joiners without aftermarket jigs.

[Frank Martin]

Just make one out of plywood, mdf or a stable quartersawn solid wood species.

I've never had any problems using Domino joiners without aftermarket jigs.

Yes, I will just make one myself.
Regarding aftermarket jigs, the only one I have is the Domiplate that I purchased when it was first available. While nice, I would not buy one today. Same for all the others mentioned above. Other than the fence creep problem, the machine with its OEM accessories did everything as intended for me.