Opinions about Festool Domino?

The making of mortise and tennon joints

Bill Tindall, E.TN

>The M&T joint is the best joint for many aspects of case good joinery. Unfortunately, there isn' t one best way to make this joint and Festool has recognized this fact to provide yet another choice. For whom does this new choice make sense?

The answer depends on the number and variety of M&T joints made in a year. It costs a bundle of money for the machine, and tenons, compared to any alternative and I don't see that it offers any improvement in speed or function worth the additional price for the number and variety of M&T joints I make in a year.

I see hollow chisel mortisers in many professional shops. For all the theoretical reasons why they might not be best, they certainly have withstood the test of time for making successful joints. Any version of this approach is cheaper than Festool. I have not used the dedicated bench units but I see no reason that they would not work well. For many years I used this approach by adding the adapter to my drill press. While this is a very cheap approach, the installation takes some time to install and uninstall to return to normal drilling. So I recently installed the hollow mortise adapter on a used drill press. This combination is cheaper than a dedicated new bench unit and it is more robust. This route to M&T is the most versatile. I have made tiny 1/4" tenons on small things and I just completed some big 3/4" M&T's for a bed.

Bead-lock is another approach that uses a drill to make the mortises and beaded stock for the loose tenon. This approach is very cheap, about the price of a dowel jig. (I think dowels are a nearly useless joint.)

In never found a biscuit joiner sufficiently versatile for cabinet work.

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

Thomas S Stockton

>Helen,

I have one and really like it. It's not much harder to use than a biscut joiner and much more versitile. I also have a multi-router and I find that the dominos are cheaper than what it costs me in time and materials to make loose tenons. Yes it is expensive but it is not that much more than a top of the line Lamello biscut joiner. The one thing to know is that you need to use a shop vac with it, any one will work and the hose from my Porter-Cable sander fits the tool just fine although if you use non festool acceseries your breaking away from their "system", which is like breaking a chain letter or something of that sort.

Bottom line is yes it is worth it.

Tom

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

wrf

>This is a wonderful tool. I too "broke the chain" and use it with a pc hose and a fein turbo3 vac. It doesnt seem to care. This is mentionable because the dust collection is SO GOOD. You dont need goggles or mask or even post use shop cleanup after using this thing.

Seriously.

The tool is a wonderful time saver, I find it easier to use than a biscuit joiner and much more versatile, does the job of the biscuit joiner better than the biscuit joiner and does many other jobs as well.

Excellent for light duty M/T apps, end, coffee, side tables etc; are at the assembly stage in no time. They are not classic joinery in the sense of a hand chopped mortise etc, but if I had this tool when i was starting out, like after table saw, jointer and bench planer, i would probably have made at least twice as many furniture products arond the house. Hobbyist again ofc.

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

Clint Searl, at the base of Haycock Mtn

>If you're thinking of giving it as a surprise present, you may want to consider how the recipient feels about the thing and his attitude about receiving something that someone else presumes he wants. I get along fine with a Dewalt biscuit joiner for laying up panels, and the table saw, bench top mortiser, router table, and chisels for mortise-and-tenons. If I received one from even my loving wife, I'd return it as not being worth the cost. Now if she wants to give me a 20" spiral cutterhead planer, that's a different story.

Clint

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

Jim Dillon

>Helen,

I LOVE mine. And there is NO comparison to a biscuit joiner IMHO, which I have used quite a bit. I just completed a small G&G style end table made completely with 40+ Domino mortises, even the breadboards. Imagine doing breadboards in two minutes! I even used it to cut the slots for ebony inlays. And I couldn't believe the accuracyof the mortises when I glued up a small tabletop and ended up with a completely flat surface. But I gush on. I'm sold. Like others, I just hooked up my PC vac to the exhaust port of the Domino. Although a tight fit, it works super. It is a very, very solid, well engineered tool that is actually heavier than it looks. I bought mine through Bob Marino. The manual that comes with it is limited, but there is a more extensive manual available on the internet written by Rick Christopherson, as well as a large instuctional manual, with real-world examples, written by Jerry Work. No question, it is not a small investment, and loose tenon joinery can be done in other FAR cheaper ways, not to mention normal fixed tenon/mortise joinery, but not with the ease and speed of the Domino. Hope this helps. I would be happy to answer any additional question you have, either here or to my e-mail address.

Jim

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

bob marino

>Helen,

Since I sell Festool tools, I will not comment on whether or not it's "worth the money" or even if it's a good tool. But I can tell you I have sold several hundred Domino joiners and have had only one returned. And that was one that the customer returned because the project he bought it for never materialzed.

Bob

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

DickL in Tampa

>The previous posters have hit the high points. I love mine. Wouldn't trade it for anything. If you do decide to buy one, consider purchasing from Bob Marino - prompt and excellent service.

Just another satisfied customer.

Dick

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

Bart Leetch

>I went to see & play with a Domino & a Kapex absolutely wonderful tools & wonderfully priced for Festool's bank account. For the professional & the rich or spendthrift hobbiest or hobbiest that will work the living daylights out of these tools to be able to justify the cost they are just fine but for someone that is a hobbiest that is only going to use it once in a while Festools are not worth the cost. Plus in general I don't like proprietary tooling. I want to be able to go down town & buy a blade or bit on a moments notice & not have to depend on the manufacture of the tool to get the tooling to me.

Sorry Bob. If I was in the market I would probably buy through you though.

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

Helen Kuhl

>Just wanted to thank everyone for your great feedback. Your comments are all just what I was hoping to hear. I appreciate your sharing your expertise! Happy Thanksgiving. Helen

Re: Opinions about Festool Domino?

Bob Entwisle in NJ

>SOooooo, I hope Ellis and WC gets a stipend from Vance publishing for our helping with their research.....????????