To domino DF 500 experts. Partly as an experiment, partly for fun I built a cedar door for my garden shed. The door is 36” wide x 68” tall. Stiles are 5 ˝”wide as are top and middle rails, bottom rail is 10”. Door thickness is 1 3/8”. Center panels are glued up and raised on both sides, also 1 3/8” thick. The panels float in place in ˝”thick by ˝” deep grooves in the rails and stiles that I routed out using a slot cutter. I secured the rails and stiles using three 10 x 50 mm dominos each in the top and middle rails and 6 in the bottom rail. Everything I read says using these smaller dominos shouldn’t be working or holding the door together, but after one year, there are no cracks in the joints and the door is still level and plumb even though the door is outside with temperature (98°F - 31°F) and moisture swings and being rained on. So here is my real question. I want to build some interior doors, most of which will be 24” wide using paint-grade popular. I will use a 1 over 2 raised panel design with probably 5” rails and stiles. The method I used to make the shed door was easy, fun and fast. Is there any reason this technique using the 10 x 50mm domino’s won't work and hold up for an interior door? And if not why is my garden door still in good condition? Thanks for your consideration and discussion.
Eric