What does this mean? (from the Festool Domino manual)

JSJ

Jeff
Corporate Member
I may just be a bit "slower" than the average guy, but I am trying to learn to use my new Festool Domino Joiner by making some cabinet cases, and this is quoted in the Festool supplemental manual:

Because the mortises are registered from the base of the Domino (fixed 10 mm distance), the direction that you tip the shelf (eithertoward the top or toward the bottom) depends on how thick the shelf is. Use the following guidelines:
► If the shelf is thick (greater than 20mm), tip it down with the top-side facing up.
► If the shelf is thin (less than 20mm), tip it down with the bottom-side facing up.
Can someone please explain what "tip the shelf" means?

Thank you in advance!

-Jeff
 

Phil S

Phil Soper
Staff member
Corporate Member
I would love to help but I am confused. I have the small Domino and just reread the manual trying to find the referenced directions - I cannot locate anything that mentions a shelf. Could you send a link for the manual
 

Dave Richards

Dave
Senior User
If you look at the illustrations on the page, they show laying the shelf down on the case side at the line of the shelf. Note the comment in the previous column: "To help you remember how to position the shelves for mortising, simply stand the shelf up vertically between the pencil lines, and then gently tip it over so it is laying flat against one pencil line."
 

Bas

Recovering tool addict
Bas
Corporate Member
I don't have a Domino, but I was curious. The supplemental manual is here (page 17) -> Domino Supplemental Manual by Rick Christopherson

The word "tip" is somewhat confusing. "Position" would be a better word. I've done the same thing when creating biscuit slots. You put the shelf perpendicular to the side, draw a pencil line where you want it, then "tip" (angle) the shelf down so it's now parallel/ on top of the side. You'll be using the shelf to position the machine against. The only reason you want to mortise the shelf from the bottom (vs the top) is when it's thicker than 20mm, or the shelf will be over the pencil line, i.e. your shelf height will be less than expected. This is because the domino won't be centered in the stock.
 

cyclopentadiene

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User
I gave up on the directions. The best way to learn to use it is to take some scrap and one of each size domino and just play with the settings. If you make one with each setting on two different pieces of wood, you can match them up to identify how they fit. Once you have done each of the combinations, everything makes sense . The first few times you use the unit, you can just pull out the pieces and match up the settings to the joint you are building. eventually you can make joints without thinking about them.
 

Billm0066

Bill
User
I gave up on the directions. The best way to learn to use it is to take some scrap and one of each size domino and just play with the settings. If you make one with each setting on two different pieces of wood, you can match them up to identify how they fit. Once you have done each of the combinations, everything makes sense . The first few times you use the unit, you can just pull out the pieces and match up the settings to the joint you are building. eventually you can make joints without thinking about them.

Thats what I did. Love the domino!
 

drw

Donn
Corporate Member
Festool user manuals, are very difficult to follow. Consequently, I agree with Cyclopentadiene. I do go through the manual to gain a basic understanding, but it isn't until you have tried using the tool that you fully appreciate the information the manual is trying to covey.

Soap Box Ramblings: Technical writing is becoming a lost art. In some cases, it appears that writers totally unfamiliar with the equipment and its operation are trying to tell you what to do; in other cases someone who may be too familiar, and therefore presumes too much foreknowledge, leaves out a lot of important/useful info, and at other times it may be a language barrier (e.g., German to English). The best manual I have ever encountered was the one for the SawStop.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I agree it is fully possible and possibly best to just use the tool and figure out how to do what you want. I am very much still learning but so far the things that didn't go like i was thinking were all recoverable.

I have not used mine for casework including no shelves so far. I am not sure I will use it for that. But the issue is what do you use to guide the domino when cutting mortises well away from the edge of a piece. You need something to align the base and the shelf can be used for that. But so could any straight guide positioned 10mm from the middle of the mortises you want to make.
 

cyclopentadiene

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User
I typically use a piece of stock the same thickness of my cuts if the domino is near the edge of the board. If I am cutting a domino in the middle of a piece I clamp a piece across the piece and and use it to hold the domino in place during the cut. I just measure the distance from the bottom to the bit to ensure that I get the placement correct for the support block. The key is measure three times before cutting. The first couple of times I did this, I conducted some practice cuts on scrap to make sure I had the measurements correct.
 

UncleJoe

Joe
Senior User
I love my domino but I was confused at first and got inconsistent resultants. What really helped me in the beginning was to mark the reference side,(the side the the domino fence will reference against) before starting. I know it may sound silly but it is easy to get confused early in the game. I now am very comfortable with it and no longer need to use this technique but it helped me get perfect joints in the beginning.
 

Jeremy Scuteri

Moderator
Jeremy
Don't overlook this part (right before the confusing statement in question):
1572705580631.png


I think this explains why they are saying "tip".
 

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