Domino 500: Digital Readout?

[Izzy Charo]

The Domino is a great tool, but would be even better if there was a fine adjust for setting the fence height. The vertical scale is very crude, and even with the tool separated, is difficult to set precisely. I'm wondering if anyone has rigged up a jig to hold their digital caliper to dial this in more precisely... Thanks!

[Michael Burnside]

Precision isn't as critical as repeatability and the domino works great for the latter. This is especially true when one mortise is cut with setting 2 or 3 instead of the tightly fitting 1. If you require precise height adjustments of fixed values I highly recommend taking a look at https://www.senecawoodworking.com/ which have several plates and shims to achieve a fixed depth. I use these most of the time not just because of the fixed depth but because they feel more stable in the hand.

[Richard Coers]

I've never felt like I needed absolute dead centering on my mortises. Just mark the wood for best side and keep that common on all cuts.

[Izzy Charo]

To clarify, I understand that mortises don't need to be exactly centered, and agree with all of the above comments. Given the precision that the Domino has built into it, I just find it surprising that the vertical scale/adjust is crude... I often mill wood to 3/4 thickness, and am trying to find a way to easily center a Domino on that thickness (even though I will still keep the "show" side as the reference face for all mortises)... I did purchase the Seneca Imperial Thickness Gauge...and unfortunately found that it was pretty far off. After installing it per instructions (including cleaning all surfaces on the Domino casting), and setting it to 3/4, the reading I got from the bottom of the fence to the center line mark indication on the casting (top of the notch) was 0.343, and not 0.375. I am in contact with Seneca about this, but also trying out ways to get my Wixey digital caliper set up to set the fence height precisely... hence the Post asking if others have tried this. Thanks for all responses!

[Kevin Jenness]

To clarify, I understand that mortises don't need to be exactly centered, and agree with all of the above comments. Given the precision that the Domino has built into it, I just find it surprising that the vertical scale/adjust is crude... I often mill wood to 3/4 thickness, and am trying to find a way to easily center a Domino on that thickness (even though I will still keep the "show" side as the reference face for all mortises)... I did purchase the Seneca Imperial Thickness Gauge...and unfortunately found that it was pretty far off. After installing it per instructions (including cleaning all surfaces on the Domino casting), and setting it to 3/4, the reading I got from the bottom of the fence to the center line mark indication on the casting (top of the notch) was 0.343, and not 0.375. I am in contact with Seneca about this, but also trying out ways to get my Wixey digital caliper set up to set the fence height precisely... hence the Post asking if others have tried this. Thanks for all responses!

For exact vertical positioning use shim blocks to set up the adjustable fence. Use the caliper to measure the blocks.

[Michael Burnside]

Hmm, weird on the Seneca measurement. Mine is dead on. Will be curious what they say.

[Michael Rutman]

Get the bridge city CS-3 center scribe. You can set the middle, top and bottom quickly and then use the arrows on the Domino to line it up anywhere you want. Yeah, I splurged and bought it and consider it a must have. Other center scribes exist and I've used them, but the CS-3 is just awesome.

Woodpecker makes the DF-500, which has precision shims for most standard sizes. Despite liking to buy expensive tools, I have never considered getting this as pointed out, needing dead center with a tenon means I'm doing something wrong.

[Charlie Jones]

I love the domino but I agree the fence adjustment could be better. My old Dewalt biscuit joiner has a much better fence system. I use the Seneca Domiplate whenever possible.

[Jim Becker]

The cruder, but fixed stops, provide repeatability which is key to the tool, as someone has mentioned. If you make things variable, you're introducing a whole lot of smiles to "Murphy", IMHO.

[Derek Cohen]

The Domino is a great tool, but would be even better if there was a fine adjust for setting the fence height. The vertical scale is very crude, and even with the tool separated, is difficult to set precisely. I'm wondering if anyone has rigged up a jig to hold their digital caliper to dial this in more precisely... Thanks!

Hi Izzy

You are overthinking this. To work to the middle of an edge, first mark this with a pencil. Do it by eye (eyes are good). Then align the scribed line on the side of the Domino with this line. Done.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dave Sabo]

Izzy - it's easy and very fast to precisely set the domino to a precise depth - as long as it's one of festool's choosing. Or one of a myriad of online 3D printers that have come up with tabs of different depths.

The system was never designed to be infinitely variable , and I think it'd lose its simplicity and easy repeatability. Festool has always been a bit of a closed system (like Apple) and you either like what they're doing / offering or you don't. That's a bit simplistic, but it's kinda the way.

[Randy Heinemann]

If you want exact centering at standard wood thicknesses, like 3/4", 1", 1 1/2", as well as corresponding mm thicknesses, try the Woodpeckers Domino Offset Base. They offer a full set of precisely milled spacers to install on their offset base which will exactly center the dominos. The problem is that exact can be a somewhat relative thing. As long as you have a way of milling your boards to very precise, exact thicknesses, the Woodpecker Offset Base will do what you are asking. In the end, though, while this accessory works well and can center dominos in wood thicknesses, it really isn't necessary. The Domino functions as it is designed without any third party accessories. Accurate joinery with the Domino doesn't require any add-ons to turn out professional style furniture or cabinets with essentially perfect joints.

[Derek Cohen]

There is an issue which is being missed here. In furniture making, one learns - especially when using hand tools - to make careful note of reference sides. Always work with a reference side. That way it does not matter whether a mortice (for example) is centred or not. When everything is measured off a reference side, it will line up.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Alan Lightstone]

There is an issue which is being missed here. In furniture making, one learns - especially when using hand tools - to make careful note of reference sides. Always work with a reference side. That way it does not matter whether a mortice (for example) is centred or not. When everything is measured off a reference side, it will line up.

Regards from Perth

Derek

+1
I use the Seneca offset base, but really don't care within limits where it is, because I am meticulous regarding the reference side.

Couldn't have said this better myself, Derek. Must be the Aussie accent.

[Jay Houghton]

Well...I had the Seneca Domiplate for a while and used it quite a bit. It was awkward because the tools is upside down, but it was OK in making standard cuts in standard material. I managed to snag a Woodpeckers Offset Base system for the DF500, with a set of metric and Imperial spacers and really really like it. It's big, it's precise and the balance of the machine is nice because you're using it right side up. Notwithtanding what they cost if you come across one at a good price I'd go for it. I admit it's a bit of a luxury item but it does take a lot of the guesswork out of the equation and along with everything else Woodpecker it's extremely well made.
Jay