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  1. #1
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    Nov 2018
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    Default Modifying the Domino 500 fence for 4mm dominos

    This is not a new idea - there's an ancient thread over on the FOG about it, sadly now missing any pictures.

    I believe that this is not an issue with the newer (cheapskate!) DF500 with the plastic fence lugs, which can be removed to allow the fence to move lower.

    The Problem: when the domino originally came out, the smallest cutter available was 5mm, implying a minimum wood thickness of 15mm (based on a 'tenon width x 3' equation. Lots of us do plenty with 12mm or 1/4inch ply, and ideally we'd like to play with our shiny domino with this as well.

    Fe$tool later brought out a 4mm cutter and 4mm x 20mm dominos, which meant that 1/4inch ply was now a possibility... but there are two issues with the 10mm cutter:

    First is that it's 10mm shorter than the other cutters, so you have to remember to subtract 10mm from your plug depth settings - eg if you set the machine to plunge 15mm, it'll only plunge 5mm with the 4mm cutter. Maths - just what the Domino sets out to avoid.

    Second, and more importantly, is that the fence won't move low enough to accomodate 1/4inch ply and centre the tenon:

    original fence.jpg. original cutter height.jpg

    and even though the fence markings go all the way down to 5mm, the fence will only go down to around 7mm (so it will mortise in the middle of a 14mm piece)

    original fence height.jpg

    I suspect that Festool know that we woodworkers are a dumb lot, and if the fence could move any lower, someone would forget, load a big 8mm cutter, and plunge it straight into the fence. As it comes out of the factory, the fence cannot move in front of the cutter slot. But ye canna do wee dominos like this, captain.

    One solution is to use shims, or Seneca Domiplates or similar jigs. My current shim:

    domino with shim.jpg

    I'm waiting for a domiplate to arrive from Trumpsville, and the shim method introduces another piece of maths, which I will frequently forget (tests have shown).

    The other solution is to modify the Domino fence.

    The issue is that the fence contacts the body of the machine on each side, and so cannot move down further:

    fence contact points.jpg contact points.jpg

    The solution is to file the contact points on the fence carefully until the fence can drop down to where you need it to go - my cheap '12mm' ply is closer to 11, so I need to get down to 5.5mm. I've read of people using a dremel to do this, but I'd worry that the smallest slip would take a great big gouge out of the loominum. I just used the edge of a flat file and carefully filed away, with frequent checks on the depth marker to gauge progress:

    filing the spots.jpg filed area.jpg

    And the result? New lowest fence position:

    new fence position.jpg

    Perfect for 11mm ply. I could keep going, but this way I just drop the fence to its lowest point, and it's good to go for the large amount of cheap '12mm' ply I have.

    new cutter position.jpg

    If I do end up going further to deal with even thinner material, I'll 3D print another depth stop to replace the plastic depth stop do-dah on the side of the machine.

    Of course, the fence is now dangerously close to the cutter slot, so I must smack myself upside the head frequently to make sure I don't stick the big cutter in there without moving the fence up again, and ruin my toy.

    plastic insert danger.jpg

    And then, we must test the mods (usually resulting in 'feckit, I didn't think of that' and similar cursings, but not this time):

    testing 4mm domino.jpg

    although some of us can muck up even the most fool-proof systems

    plunge tearout.jpg

    And this is the real beauty of the Domino: that an absolute hack like me can produce a perfect edge join:

    test assembly.jpg

    (the other bit of math needed for 12mm ply and 4mm Dominos is that you need unequal plunge depths - you don't want to plunge 10mm into the face of the 12mm board, leaving you with 2mm, so I've been using 5mm into the face, and 15mm into the edge)

    Pretty simple mod, and well worthwhile.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Warragul
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    Default

    I have just bought a domino 500 and absolutely love it and I have had a play with 12mm ply and had no problems doing butt joints but when I tried bevels I either have to cut the tenons in half or end up doing a mortise right through the timber. You have to mortise in the lowest position of the bevel to use a tenon of an appropriate length. I'm hoping Bernmc has as good a solution as he has posted above. I wonder if anyone's done this.
    I have ordered the Seneca Domiplate and shims which will help with all butt joints using the base as a reference but no help with bevels where you have to use the fence.

  4. #3
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    Default

    I haven't played with dominos and miter joints of any sort yet. There's some advice over on the festool owners group, and the supplemental manual has this

    domino miter joints.jpg

  5. #4
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    Default

    I just put a bit of thin ply under the fence and stuck it with masking tape. It works.

  6. #5
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by riverbuilder View Post
    I just put a bit of thin ply under the fence and stuck it with masking tape. It works.

    Do you have to shorten the domino's and is the material you've tried this with 12mm or 12.7mm (exactly 1/2")?

    Bernmc, on the F.O.G. there are a few jigs and tips on how to join 1/2" (12.7mm) material and still not have to cut the 4 x 20 domino's except most of the ply I've used is 12mm. That 0.7mm shorter makes it much harder. I've found that the actual width of the bevel surface has to be about 19mm (3/4") for this to work and this isn't the case with 12mm ply.


    I'll experiment with shims and report back.

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