Dominos for cabinetry

[Tom Cancelleri]

This weekend I'm going to be starting on a new project, walnut bathroom vanity. I'll be using 3/4" walnut plywood. I plan on using my Domino to assemble all the cabinet panels together. The cabinet is going to be 78" long and 1 massive piece versus smaller more modular sections. 

I could use 5x30mm dominoes and set the depth of the cutter to 15mm so I don't plow through the face of the ply. Or I could set to 15mm and use 6mm on the face of the ply and then set the depth on the end of the ply to 25 so I can use 6x40mm dominos. My concern is that I'll forget to set the depth and ruin a panel. I guess I could make tenon stock and cut it to length myself, but honestly that's a lot of work I don't really want to do when commercial precut pieces are available. 

Does anyone see a reason why 5mmx30mm dominos every 3"-4" wouldn't be strong enough?

[shaneymack]

This weekend I'm going to be starting on a new project, walnut bathroom vanity. I'll be using 3/4" walnut plywood. I plan on using my Domino to assemble all the cabinet panels together. The cabinet is going to be 78" long and 1 massive piece versus smaller more modular sections. 

I could use 5x30mm dominoes and set the depth of the cutter to 15mm so I don't plow through the face of the ply. Or I could set to 15mm and use 6mm on the face of the ply and then set the depth on the end of the ply to 25 so I can use 6x40mm dominos. My concern is that I'll forget to set the depth and ruin a panel. I guess I could make tenon stock and cut it to length myself, but honestly that's a lot of work I don't really want to do when commercial precut pieces are available. 

Does anyone see a reason why 5mmx30mm dominos every 3"-4" wouldn't be strong enough?

I think the 5's will suffice Tom. Maybe if you were using melamine you would want the extra plunge depth in the cabinet sides but the 15mm depth with hold well in ply. Or if you really want to go the 6x40 route just be very cautious. Do you have the double plunge stops on the df500?

[Tom Cancelleri]

I think the 5's will suffice Tom. Maybe if you were using melamine you would want the extra plunge depth in the cabinet sides but the 15mm depth with hold well in ply. Or if you really want to go the 6x40 route just be very cautious. Do you have the double plunge stops on the df500?

Double plunge stops, no. Are you talking about the plastic rod on the 700 that you can use to get shorter plunges?

[shaneymack]

Double plunge stops, no. Are you talking about the plastic rod on the 700 that you can use to get shorter plunges?

No. You can block the plunge at 2 spots. I do it on the 700 when I'm in that situation using 2 different plunge depths. I set one of the stops at 15 and one of the stops at 25. Less chance of a screw up. I guess now you have a reason to buy the 700. When you go pick up the 15+3 grab a 700 while you're at it :D

[Woodenskye]

Tom

The 5 mm dominos will be plenty strong enough, especially if you are spacing 3-4". 

[CessnaPilotBarry]

Suggestion, when using offset tenons, cut all the shallow slots first...

 

Edited August 4, 2015 by CessnaPilotBarry

[Strasberry]

OK, I hate to claim ignorance, but what is the difference between Domino and regular biscuits? I've never used either, we always doweled stuff together!

[wdwerker]

Mark all the cuts then go thru stack and make all the face plunges with the depth set to 15 . Then go back thru the pile and make all the edge cuts with the depth set at 25. Only make the switch once. It's safer that way.

Sometimes I will mark a quick crude circle on the face or edge to keep me from cutting in  the wrong places.

I use 5 mm dominos to assemble drawers using 5/8 Baltic which is actually closer to 9/16 thick. So I offset the depths all the time . I glue both mortices then always insert the domino into the edge (deeper) part, spread out and squeeze out and tap the joint closed. I also cut the edge mortices on the narrow width and the face cuts on the #2 width. This keeps the dominos sticking straight for assembly and the extra width lets you tap the front edges to be perfectly flush.

If you are edge-banding make sure the banding is perfectly flush. Anything left sticking out even slightly will get torn up or leave gaps when you assemble.     Iron on or solid banding react the same. I break the edgebanding corners after assembly so the joints are square and fit tighter, less gaps in the corners.

Face frames  I usually domino the inside of the bottom flush and use micro pins on the rest. Careful gluing and using masking tape where squeeze out would be hard to clean up.

[Tom Cancelleri]

OK, I hate to claim ignorance, but what is the difference between Domino and regular biscuits? I've never used either, we always doweled stuff together!

A biscuit is a shallow joint connected using thin oblong pieces of wood that swell when glued. They are decent for registration but the strength offered isn't that great. Dominos are a loose tenon that is available in longer and bigger varieties to allow use in many applications. 

Dowels and dominos are fairly similar except dominos are shaped like dominos and won't spin and offer better registration for pieces to square up easier. 

[Strasberry]

Thanks Tom!

[mat60]

Thanks from me also Tom.

[Trip]

==>Only make the switch once. It's safer that way.

Ahhhhh... You've done that one to...

 

I can now claim ownership of three through-mortises -- once into my bench top... once into my tablesaw top...

[rodger.]

I often use offset dominos, and I must admit that I have plunged through the face of my workpiece in the past.

Steve has a good suggestion - make the switch only once and DO NOT put your fingers/hand behind the exit hole of the cutterhead!  If you mistake a workpiece or depth stop, it would be disastrous!