Festool Domino 500

[petebucy4638]

Last week I walked into Klingspor Woodworking Store and purchased what one of my woodworking friends calls "the most decisive tool in woodworking today," the Festool Domino 500 joiner. He is probably the only woodworker that I know well who owns one and who uses it for most of his projects. Never having owned any Festool products, mostly because I could not justify paying triple, or more, for a till that I already owned, that was built by Bosch, Makita, a long list of other reputable tool manufacturers. However, in the case of the Festool Domino joiners, no one else makes a comparable tool. Which seems to almost justify Festool's very high price for their Domino joiners.

For years, I have used both models of Jessum's very high quality doweling jigs. They are built like tanks, rugged, and accurate. If you are using a lot of dowels in a project, you will quickly find that they are not particularly fast. Clamping, drilling, unclamping, reindexing, and drilling again can become tedious faster than you might think. For some time, I wanted something that was faster.

I bought a biscuit joiner. While fast and accurate, it became apparent to me very quickly that the biscuits main advantage was alignment without the biscuit adding any appreciable strength to the joint. Dowels do add strength in addition to aligning the joints. The biscuit joiner has been sitting in a tool box for years.

The Domino 500 joiner looks a lot more complex than its. After watching a few YouTube videos, and experimenting with it on some scrap wood, I was very comfortable using it. The basic principle of use is very much like my Jessum doweling jig when it comes to laying out the work. The Domino joiner is far faster, requiring much less effort than a doweling jig. The Domino joiner also lets you adjust the width of the mortise, allowing tight mortises for alignment, and wider mortises in the field, allowing easier assembly. The Domino joiner, especially the latest revision of the 500, is a well-engineered, functional tool. Other than the relatively high cost of the tool, and its tenons, I can't see any downside to this tool. (My friend makes his own tenons, most of the time.)

 

[Wilsoncb]

Great post. I doubt there are many people who make things that use M & T or dowels that have not considered going to the Domino. I think if time is an issue it’s pretty easy to justify. I don’t have one mainly because I have a Leigh M & T jig that works well for me but wouldn’t say I would never get a Domino.

 

[Henry W]

Agreed Pete. The Domino is often hotly debated, and I am not ty to debate at all; I like my Domino and would be very hesitant to give it up, even if I have other options on how to do loose tenon joinery (horizontal router table).

I took the plunge a 5-7 years ago, when I was doing client work, and it has worked well for me. I do like the simplicity. Placing dominos in the middle of a 'field' (like for a shelf in a case piece) is something I have to think through, but I am convinced I can do if I decided that was the approach I needed (i.e. a light duty shelf, not for a bookcase). I have even done (deliberately) non-perpendicular joints as I recall, on the stretchers of a desk where the legs were tapered (if interested search site for me and Covid desk; not sure there is a a lot of Domino detail there to be fair).

Overall even though it is not frequently used, when I use it (on the few projects I manage to work on), I appreciate the function, the utility and the simplicity.

The value is a personal decision; this is the single most expensive tool in my shop. I have a collection of used TS, BS, DP, planer, belt/disk sander, dust collector, etc. In fact if you add in the cost of the package of Dominoes I bought with it, the Festool $ may add up to more than I have paid for the entire lot of my stationary tools not accounting for inflation (i.e. I am a frugal tool buyer!). I still do not regret the Domino purchase.

 

[drw]

I have owned a Domino for 10+ years and have used it many, many times on a wide variety of projects. I have found it to be one of the most useful tools I own. It is costly, but I am very glad that I have one.

 

[petebucy4638]

Agreed Pete. The Domino is often hotly debated, and I am not ty to debate at all; I like my Domino and would be very hesitant to give it up, even if I have other options on how to do loose tenon joinery (horizontal router table).

I took the plunge a 5-7 years ago, when I was doing client work, and it has worked well for me. I do like the simplicity. Placing dominos in the middle of a 'field' (like for a shelf in a case piece) is something I have to think through, but I am convinced I can do if I decided that was the approach I needed (i.e. a light duty shelf, not for a bookcase). I have even done (deliberately) non-perpendicular joints as I recall, on the stretchers of a desk where the legs were tapered (if interested search site for me and Covid desk; not sure there is a a lot of Domino detail there to be fair).

Overall even though it is not frequently used, when I use it (on the few projects I manage to work on), I appreciate the function, the utility and the simplicity.

The value is a personal decision; this is the single most expensive tool in my shop. I have a collection of used TS, BS, DP, planer, belt/disk sander, dust collector, etc. In fact if you add in the cost of the package of Dominoes I bought with it, the Festool $ may add up to more than I have paid for the entire lot of my stationary tools not accounting for inflation (i.e. I am a frugal tool buyer!). I still do not regret the Domino purchase.

The woodworker who convinced me to invest in the Domino 500 makes a lot of projects where the tenons are not concealed. I sometimes did that with dowels. He frequently makes his own tenons out of a variety of exotic wood. One of his projects that I really liked was a large coffee table where he used teak tenons along a split in the table where someone else might have used bowties. One of his tricks is to cut the mortise with the Domino joiner on its widest setting, then use tenons that fit perfectly for that width. He has plans to purchase the 700 model later this year so that he can have access to larger tenons for some of his door projects. It will be interesting to see what artistic applications he will find for the 700.

I have a quite a few expensive tools. Some of which get a lot of use, others not so much. (I really need to sell the tools that are just collecting dust.) I think that the Domino joiner is going to get a lot of use. I have had a few ideas on how to use decorative tenons with my wood turning projects. The fact that I have not seen a single woodturner try something like that should probably me wonder, why not.

 

[Rwe2156]

I thought the Domino was the one Festool I would buy, at that time having the same aversion to such expensive tools, and a perceived “snob factor” that came with it. Since then I have drunk the kook aid and have 2 sanders, a dust extractor, track saw and circular saw.

The sanders and the tracksaw were definitely game changers for me, but the Domino was not. What I found was I had either an expensive alignment tool or an “ok” joinery tool. I had constant problems with alignment, which I could never solve. I tried holding it different ways, checking the fence for square, but the best results I got were not using the fence, but rather the base registered on the bench top. I soon discovered the Domiplate, that seemed like a solution to the alignment issue.

One thing I thought would be good for is face frames. But I’d been doing them using pocket screws and that is much faster.

So, I ended up selling it during the pandemic and making $250 on it since production was shut down.

I wish you better luck than I had, but I concluded a mortiser is cheaper ans a biscuit joiner worked just as well for alignment. Again, this is just me personal experience. Obviously it’s a serious tool that thousands of people use with excellent results. I just think it’s something you might pay attention to once you start using it.

I did experiment with Dominoed drawers and that was kinda fun.

 

[Echd]

I had a 500 which I traded up for a 700 with the upgrades for using the 500 bits.

It is a great tool but i'll be honest, I almost never touch the thing. But when I need it it sure is nice. That said i used the 500 only a handful of times and the 700 maybe a half dozen.

 

[starfireww]

I was just longing for my domino 500 today when I was laying out joints for a stand. I sold it when I got a job at a shop. Now they cost twice as much now! Oh well, I just whipped out a router. Not quite as fast for sure.
Yes! Through dominos was my favorite way to make drawers. I think it looks pretty nice.

 

[JimD]

I have a 700 with the seneca adapter so I can use the small bits too. I have never purchased a tenon. It is much too easy to just make your own out of scrap, especially if you have a planner to get the thickness right. I like to make 3 foot sticks of tenon stock and then cut them to length based upon the project. I also make wider tenons a lot of times. I see no reason not to make overlapping holes so I can have any thickness or width of tenon the project needs. My kitchen table and all 10 chairs have domino loose tenon joints (except for the top rail on the back, that is a conventional tenon due to the curved shape of the top rail). The 6 back slats of the 10 chairs also fit into domino mortises. I Imade a dresser with all domino joints including for the drawers. I prefer machine cut dovetails for drawers, with a jig on the bench lower shelf it is just too easy to pull it up and cut the joints but domino joints for drawers is fast too and somewhat decorative. I've also made a gate with domino joints and may make myself a front door some day. I have no concerns about the domino joints, my fear on the door is getting wood that stays reasonably straight.

On a lot of joints a plunge router with a spiral cut bit can do pretty much the same thing but it is terribly slower. If a project takes a really long time I have trouble maintaining interest. Moving it along quicker with the domino is a big help. It is much, much quicker and the joints it makes are very accurate. I wish it was not all French dimensions (metric) but I can convert when I have to.

My only other festool is a hand sander that can be hooked to a shop vacumn. I like the Festool system of having the power cord separate but it costs too much to use their connectors so I use computer cord connectors instead including on the Domino power cord. My Bosch sander is every bit as good as a Festool Rotex. I am no huge Festool fan, in other words, but the Domino is indeed a game changer. Simple to use, quick to use, and very accurate. It was a splurge but I am blessed to have the money and I am glad I spent it to get one.

 

[Martin Roper]

I did experiment with Dominoed drawers and that was kinda fun.


View attachment 244186

I did this by necessity once. I made a shop cabinet and did the glue-up out of order and realized I had no way to put on the back panel. I ended up doing just as you did here and boring right through the outside of the carcass then tapping in the dominos from the outside.

 

[AllanD]

I find the Domino a great tool when doing cabinets or other casework with panels. When attaching sides to the top and bottom use the retractable pins to make the fronts flush without any measuring. On the domino closest to the front set the cutter for a tight fit and use the pin to make both mortises exactly the same distance from the front face. Then make the other mortises a little wider. You only will need pencil marks for the ones in the middle but since they are cut wide it's not critical. It's a wham wham procedure.

 

[John Jimenez]

I’ve been on the fence of buying one so many times and have been back on the fence recently. I keep thinking the patent will expire and the market will be flooded with less expensive copy cats but hasn’t happened yet. I’m one weak moment at rockler away from procuring one

 

[JimD]

When I am waivering on spending money I often look at my checking account balance. When it is much much larger than the expenditure I am considering and I know no big bills are on their way, I often proceed. But if the money is not there waiting, I definitely wait. I like my 700 but I don't think it's worth going into dept to buy any tool (or toy).

 

[Martin Roper]

I’ve been on the fence of buying one so many times and have been back on the fence recently.

Used ones come up for sale regularly. Most have light hobby shop use.

 

[Echd]

Used ones come up for sale regularly. Most have light hobby shop use.

Honestly though, more than 20% off new on festool stuff is almost unheard of on the secondary market. Maybe if its part of a package deal or someone is selling an estate. Their equipment really, really holds value, and their reconditioned website is normally pretty close to what you'll find used in price.

 

[Rwe2156]

I’m seriously thinking of building this just to see if it really works.

 

[Al Olme]

I have a premade aluminum version that takes my DeWalt compact router. It works just fine and cost about $150. If I was a heavy user of dominos I would probably upgrade to a "green one" but for occasional use this does just fine. One word of caution, these tools come in two sizes, one for Makita barrel size (and similar) and another for the bigger DeWalt barrel size.

 

[Henry W]

I’m seriously thinking of building this just to see if it really works.

That video is impressive (I have not viewed the entirety).
What I really love in the Domino is the ability to work on a variety of sizes, miters or other angles pieces, and especially on smaller trim pieces. If that shop made tool (or the Al purchased one) does have capability to attach guides for smaller pieces, then this looks like a very useful tool (assuming build quality and precision holds up).

 

[petebucy4638]

I’ve been on the fence of buying one so many times and have been back on the fence recently. I keep thinking the patent will expire and the market will be flooded with less expensive copy cats but hasn’t happened yet. I’m one weak moment at rockler away from procuring one

I was on the fence for years, too. I think that it will become one of my favorite tools.

 

[John Jimenez]

Coincidentally, just saw this. Looks promising at half the cost. I’d hate to add another battery system to my shop. I also wonder if other manufacturers are going to make their version and drive the cost down.

Kreg Edge Loose Tenon Joiner

Kreg Tool

www.kregtool.com