Festool Domino Review
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Similar to the biscuit joiner the Festool Domino Joiner ( www.biscuitjoiner4u.com/festool-domino-df500-q-review/ ) has become a staple of the active carpenter. In terms of joinery, you might have two basic kinds. On one hand you've got the conventional, strong and time-consuming joints (think dovetails). On the other hand, you've got the joints which are quickly to create but are frowned upon by purists (feel biscuits or pocket screws). With the release of the Festool Domino DF 500 Q program, those old rules have just been chucked into the dumpster. The Domino is really a hand-held tool that cuts ideal mortises inside your function. Somewhat glue along with a loose tenon (which resembles a domino) completes the joint. In my 14 years of working wood, it truly is the fastest, easiest and most accurate method to cut this classic joint that I've ever employed (and I’ve utilized them all).
The Domino is as swift as a biscuit joiner but makes joints as powerful as you can ever want. The trick is the machine’s bit and how it moves when the tool is on. The bit (that is obtainable in 5, 6, 8 and 10mm diameters) spins at 25,500 rpm and moves left to right as it plunges into the work. A single four-second plunge creates a mortise that is perfectly sized for one of the beech Dominos, which come in five sizes at press time.
Loose-tenon joinery is nothing new, but what's diverse about the Domino DF 500 Q is that you can do such a standard and powerful joint with little (or no) marking on the work. And you can function anywhere on a board and at any angle. Plus, due to the fact the Domino is hand-held, you are able to take the tool towards the function (usually my preference) rather than moving large workpieces over a tiny cutter in a table saw or router table. Plus it is possible to put a mortise in places no biscuit joiner can go, including into the finish of a 1"-wide rail.
For carpenters who are accustomed to creating their very own tool boxes (I'm one of them), the systainers might seem hokey at first--like most plastic boxes. But these 'kits' are the most effective strategy to organize your Festool tools and accessories, particularly the tenons for the Domino. I'm holding the largest cutter, sized for 10mm tenons (much more on tennon sizes in a minute).
With the Domino, rest one of the retractable registration pins against the long point of the miter. The other pin will retract. I've the fence tilted up so it's easier to see the pin on the lengthy point of the mite, but when producing the cut, usually lower the fence so that the base of the tool isn't resting on a worktable. Soon after creating the very first cut, move the tool and engage the pin against the far shoulder of the first mortise. Do exactly the same on the second leg of the miter.
You will find a couple of accessories that come using the joiner, including a stabilizing support that attaches to the baseplate. This support keeps the joiner from tipping when you are producing a vertical cut. And there’s also a little wrench included to separate the motor from the baseplate for access to the bit. This same wrench is also utilised to remove and install the bit inside the tool. On the next page you’ll uncover some fundamental tips for putting this tool to work inside your shop.