joe l Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Anybody had experience with this? I am about to pull the trigger on one. Can anybody talk me out of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 I've had mine about 8-10 years now and never use my biscut joiners any more. Wouldn't be without one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe l Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Thanks. Discarded(sold) biscuit joiner 15 years ago. Use a lot of pocket screws, but this, although expensive, seems like the way to go because I have a lot of projects coming up that require many, many mortise and tenon joints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 You must use a vac to run a Domino. I used a Fein tool triggered small shop vac with it for years. You do have to figure out adapters for whatever machine you have and the dust port on the Domino. I never use most of the accessories. Years later I bought the Festool CT26 vac/dust extractor and it's a powerful & quiet machine. Plus it has HEPA filtration and works well with sanders. But they are kinda expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Are you getting the 500 Q Domino Joe. Its the model Im thinking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe l Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 500 q is what I am looking at. Also considering a woodpecker add-on fence and ht. Adjustment. I have a Fein vac that I will use. And am going to get the sustained with more tennis and bits, seems like a good addition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 I was looking at the Kit with bits also but I may need to go easy. I guess I have to check out what the add on fence ht adjustment is all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe l Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Go to woodpeck.com, it looked like a worthy addition. As with all woodpecker tools, it is expensive. I have many woodpecker tools, they are dead accurate and worth every penny, you get what you pay for. I just bought their cross dowel kit. Haven't had a chance to practice with it yet, but looks like worthy addition to shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wdwerker Posted January 4, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Hold off on the Woodpeckers fence until you have gotten used to using the Domino. There is an aftermarket accessory called the "Domiplate " that is very useful with 1/2" and 3/4" lumber & plywood. That accessory fence seems way to unwieldy to me, not to mention the price ! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe l Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Thanks.was planning on that. Always like to try a new tool out before adding (expensive) "fixes" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 Like others, I find after a short learning curve that many of the add-ons are not really doing enough for me to fool with them. YMMV. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bleedinblue Posted January 5, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 They're lousy and everyone hates them. I've tried giving mine away but no one will take it, so I'm just going to keep it. Forever. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 I ordered mine along with the vac one night on line, probably under the influence and when I got to work the next day, they had acknowledged my order. There was this OH S#*T moment, what the heck did I do. After learning some of the set ups, mostly from folks on here as the instructions are vague at best, I find it to be one of the best “luxury buys” that I’ve made! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 Do you guys think the Trim Stop or the Cross Stop are something necessary? I also no the Festool vac is the way to go but Im hoping my shop vack and a Boch 16.4 FT 35mm V0C005 that @Chestnut talked about on another thread will work for now. One last thing please,, I think the 5mm bit it comes with is can be used on 3/4 stock . What size 5mm Tennon,s would be good to start with? I think I can just cut them if they are two long.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 I thought I'd use the stops a lot but I really dont. I dont have a festoon vac, I just use my Ridgid with that vac attachment kit from Rockler. Works fine. In all seriousness, I dont use my Domino a lot, but when I do use it, it is as advertised. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 hour ago, mat60 said: Do you guys think the Trim Stop or the Cross Stop are something necessary? I never use them. I just hit a pencil line and use the medium width on one side to give some side to side slack. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 hour ago, mat60 said: Do you guys think the Trim Stop or the Cross Stop are something necessary? I also no the Festool vac is the way to go but Im hoping my shop vack and a Boch 16.4 FT 35mm V0C005 that @Chestnut talked about on another thread will work for now. One last thing please,, I think the 5mm bit it comes with is can be used on 3/4 stock . What size 5mm Tennon,s would be good to start with? I think I can just cut them if they are two long.. I have used both a time or two. My decision was to buy the 500 set which included the following: "Combination set includes: Domino DF 500-Plus Joiner, DOMINO cutter D 5mm, Support Bracket, Operating Tool, Trim Stop, Cross Stop, Plug-It Power Cord, and T-LOC Systainer #2 storage container." For about $1k this gets you everything you might need to get started and carry well forward IMHO. I added a 4, 6 and 8mm bit from CMT and they perform equally to the Domino bit. I make my own domino stock from scrap, cut them into about 200 mm blanks and store them in a drawer. I cut them to length at the time of use. These are mortise and tenon joints so a good fit is desired. A little experimentation at the router table and your imperial round-overs will turn out tight fitting Domino stock. A sloppy fitting Domino suffers from the same strength issues as a sloppy fitting tenon. That being said, the Domino makes it easy to leave over sized mortises in strategic positions to allow for movement. I live in an imperial world so I just glued a strip of measuring tape in inches over the Fence Height Gauge. If you also work in imperial you will find you can quickly adapt the metric Domino to your needs. The mortises are referenced to a surface very similar to how my Mortise Pal works. It may be my years of use with that jig that make the Domino so easy to adapt but, I doubt it. I think it is just that easy ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 I use the Domino 500 on just about every project, and I love it. I also bought the kit with the 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 mm cutters and tenons. I've used all the sizes, so it was worth it for me. I do not have a Festool vac, but my Rigid shop vac works fine with it. I have not tried any of the Woodpeckers or Seneca accessories. I do use the RTS Engineering Self Centering Guide ( http://www.dominoguide.com/ ) all the time for centering on the width of narrow stock or aligning mortises on pieces. It does not look like it is still available, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Mc Jones Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 There is a learning curve. the main one is the plunge speed. Go very slow. Be sure to mark the domino faces. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 Thanks guys. I think we all no what its like to want something you just half to have. Im trying to hold off until I finish a large job I am working on but it would be so easy to do what Cooper did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted January 5, 2019 Report Share Posted January 5, 2019 I 8 hours ago, mat60 said: Do you guys think the Trim Stop or the Cross Stop are something necessary? I also no the Festool vac is the way to go but Im hoping my shop vack and a Boch 16.4 FT 35mm V0C005 that @Chestnut talked about on another thread will work for now. One last thing please,, I think the 5mm bit it comes with is can be used on 3/4 stock . What size 5mm Tennon,s would be good to start with? I think I can just cut them if they are two long.. I bought the Q set and have not yet used either of the attachments it came with. The Woodcraft here only stocks the Q set so that made the decision for me, since I didn’t want to wait for one to be shipped. You can can use the 5mm on 3/4 plywood. They only sell one length of 5mm tenon(30mm), but you can make longer ones or wider ones yourself to match the ‘wider’ and ‘widest’ settings on the domino. Take the time to do test cuts, and think about reference faces and depth of cut before making cuts in your project material. For tenons into the face of 3/4 ply you will need to make the mortise shallower so that you don’t cut all the way through, then make the mortise into the joining edge deeper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 6, 2019 Report Share Posted January 6, 2019 I used 5 mm dominos with 3/4 ply for years. Then I finally got a 6 mm bit for a certain job. The 6 mm tenons come longer than the 5 mm ones do. Also 3/4" ply is actually very close to 18mm in the real world so a 6mm tenon is 1/3rd of the thickness. I get a little bit stronger /stiffer joints using the 6mm ones. I use 5mm tenons with 5/8" Baltic Birch for my basic drawers. It's actually just under 15mm thick usually. The "Domiplate" by Seneca centers perfectly on 3/4" and 1/2" plywoods ( it has 2 sides set up for the purpose) . I made a shim out of scrap plastic laminate pieces that centers the bit on the 5/8" Baltic. You have to make shallower mortices when you cut into the face of ply then make the cut in the edges deeper to fit the length of the Dominos you are using. I always have my metric Paolini Pocket rule (Woodpeckers) handy when I'm laying out for dominos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post joe l Posted January 6, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 6, 2019 I pulled the trigger on the domino this am. Also got the kit with tenons and extra cutters. Should be here Monday or Tuesday. Also ordered the domiplate since the majority of my work will be 3/4 ply. I intend to spend time practicing on leftover before real work. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwk5017 Posted January 7, 2019 Report Share Posted January 7, 2019 Ah, damn, im too late. You guys need to buy from holbren, the cutters are like 50-70% the cost of the festool branded ones. Also, Amazon.de is a lot cheaper to buy the domino assortments from, i think. I advocate for the 700 big time, but if you do most of your work with 3/4" ply then i think the 500 is better. The only time the 500 beats the 700, in fact. 500 resting on its base almost centers the mortise in 3/4", i believe. The 700 leaves about 1mm of material above or below the mortise when referencing off the base. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted January 7, 2019 Report Share Posted January 7, 2019 7 hours ago, Pwk5017 said: Ah, damn, im too late. You guys need to buy from holbren, the cutters are like 50-70% the cost of the festool branded ones. Also, Amazon.de is a lot cheaper to buy the domino assortments from, i think. I advocate for the 700 big time, but if you do most of your work with 3/4" ply then i think the 500 is better. The only time the 500 beats the 700, in fact. 500 resting on its base almost centers the mortise in 3/4", i believe. The 700 leaves about 1mm of material above or below the mortise when referencing off the base. I been thinking about the CMT cutters. Holbren as you said has some great prices and a nice website. Thank you. Im taking in all the info I can before I get my Domino so hopefully I get what will work best for me. Its allot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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