Powermatic 719 vrs Domino

Re: Powermatic 719 vrs Domino *LINK*

Bruce, a MN Galoot

You mean this one?


https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/tls/d/minneapolis-powermatic-mortiser/7379255686.html

Re: Powermatic 719 vrs Domino

Butch...Mn

I’d probably be more interested in a tilting model that is on a cabinet rather than a stand if I were to buy one. I did see that one a few days ago.

Different animals

Ellis Walentine

The Powermatic is a heavy-duty mortising machine that will take hollow chisels up to 1" square and plunge them deeply into wood, designed primarily for mortise-and-tenon joinery in furniture. The tilting table and smaller chisel sizes increase its capabilities. It is not generally suited for loose tenon joinery because of the difficulty of mortising into endgrain rails, so you'll be cutting tenons in a separate operation, probably on a tablesaw or with some kind of router fixture.

The Domino is a portable slot mortiser that is very accurate and offers a range of floating tenon sizes for loose tenon joinery, but nowhere near the size and depth capacities of a dedicated mortising machine. It is well suited to cabinet door construction and light-to-medium duty joinery. Its portability makes it compatible with shop-made jigs and fixtures, for such work as mitered corner joints.

Depending on what you plan to make, you may find both machines useful.

Ellis Walentine, Host

Re: Different animals

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I have both and agree with all that Ellis says. A traditional mortise and tenon is essential for traditional furniture construction. That said, having a Domino has changed how I approach making stuff. I now put raised panel backs in my furniture because it is trivial to do with the Domino, as an example. I have been surprised how much I use it.

You just missed getting a Domino for half price, see classified. It is sold.

Re: Powermatic 719 vrs Domino

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I have two beds underway. The Powermatic made the big mortises for the rails. The head board lattice was made with the Domino.

When using the Domino the "sticks" are cut exact length. Easy to figure the lengths needed. With conventional tenon the stick is cut to fill the space plus the tenon lengths. Then the tenons need to be cut to accurate length. More complicated and prone to error (been there and done that)

Re: Powermatic 719 vrs Domino

Barry Irby

I agree with Bill and Ellis....

I have the 500 model and also have a Grizzly bench top hollow chisel morticer. The Domino gets ten times the usage of the morticer. It is truly a game changer machine.

More versatile also. You can use it to make slots for table top clips. Or screw slots. Knock down fasteners are available. I am constantly amazed at the things I think of to do with it and the stuff I see on YouTube and other sites.

I sometimes wish I had the bigger 700 model But not enough to add one to the arsenal. The added weight puts me off and I ain't getting any younger or stronger, but if I had one I would use it. You can get adapters that allow the big machine to cut the smaller mortices. If I were to do it again, I MIGHT get the bigger one.

Re: Different animals

TomD

"I now put raised panel backs in my furniture because it is trivial to do with the Domino, as an example. I have been surprised how much I use it."

I can't actually see any reason why the domino would produce a better effect in this application than biscuits, or dowels, though dowels require more precision, and can be fussy. Not to knock the domino, it produces somewhat structurally superior joins to bicuits in certain applications, there just aren't any benefits I can see in this application.

It comes down to money. Dominos are functionally overpriced, and inferior to M&T. If one wants something versatile and less expensive, and one believes one needs the M&T machine (I have two, and mostly use the smaller one), then you can get a biscuit machine for a lot less than a Domino. You need a biscuit machine for lots of apps anyway. But money is not the issue in many cases, in which case having all three is indicated. No shop will be without a domino when the price breaks. But that will happen in two stages, and I may not live that long.

Re: Milling machine

TomD

I know that nobody will take this seriously, but for what either machine costs you can buy a milling machine, maybe 2, and then your life really changes... Of course why not have all four. At one point Grizzly got the memo and sold a milling machine specifically for woodworkers. I don't think a lot of woodworkers got the memo though. Larry Williams did.

Re: Milling machine

kneale brownson

I've used my Bridgeport mill to make long dados using the lateral table movement.

Re: Milling machine

John in New Mexico

I've used a mill often, it's a fantastic way of routing.

Re: Powermatic 719 vrs Domino

William Duffield

A PM floor standing mortiser is the only HCM I've ever used that I didn't hate using, and I've used several, including mortising attachments for drill presses. I don't own one any more, but I've had both the DF500 and DF700XL Dominos. After getting the DF500, I sold my biscuit joiner and have never missed it. After getting the DF700, I sold the DF500, because the 700 will do anything the 500 will do, if you have the adapter from Seneca. I agree with everything Ellis and Barry noted, with one minor difference. The DF700, with the biggest, longest tenons gets a lot closer in capabilities to the PM mortiser, but you have to make each joint with multiple mortises and tenons, which can get expensive, especially if you are trying to join 6x6 timbers.

Like a milling machine, the PM machine takes up a lot of floor space in your shop. There is a lot to be said for the portability, the precision and the speed of the Domino.

One Domino shortcoming a lot of people miss, because it is not spelled out in all caps and large print, is that you must have a dust collector hooked up (and running) to use it if you want to make more than one mortise without popping off the head and cleaning it out. Of course, using a HCM, biscuit jointer or router is so distasteful and annoying (not to mention unhealthy) that you would likely only want to use one of those with dust collection.