Domino coming to the US

[Groggy]

Bob,

you failed to correctly note the "release" date - 01 April 2007.


You're the victim of a cruel and early April fool's hoax, sorry to break the news to you.

Bwahahahaha

[Powertoolman]

Rocker,
No, they are still metric. However, unlike other tools that use metric, I don't really have much of a problem with Domino being metric.

[Lignum]

The best part of this is that I can finally acknowledge publicly that I've owned one for the past six months.

PTM is the Domi you have identicle to one that will be on sale in the States? If so, are their any changes from the Euro/Aussie model and more importantly, how far are the retractable pins from the center of the plunge?

[Honorary Bloke]

Eat your heart out Bob.

I was thinking more along the lines of eating YOUR heart out. Lucky devil.

[Powertoolman]

Lignum,
To the best of my knowledge, there is no change between international models other than voltages. All Dominos are built in the same production line in small groups of 12 to 24 units at a time.

Festool uses the Canban system (from the word "sign board" in Japanese) which fits in nicely with rotating production lines where similar yet different products are built on the same line. Each tool built has a processing order to describe what it is and what parts it uses. This is how I was able to identify my joiner as it was going through the line. The exact number of parts are brought to the small production line (4 to 6 female assemblers working in an assembly bay with 8 to 12 workstations). When the job run is complete, the line halts until the next batch of job parts arrives to avoid overlap.

What's interesting with Domino is that every machine makes two test plunges into a block of wood. A micrometer is used to verify the size and placement of these plunges. The block is then serialized and permanently retained as a reference to the specifications for that particular joiner. So if your joiner is not performing within specifications after you recieve it or use it, Festool can retrieve the original test block and compare its performance to how it functioned when it left the production line.

As for the pin spacing, I believe they are the same. It is about 80 mm center to center (40 mm center to center of plunge).

[nt900]

Hi Powertoolman,

I would love to see the Festool production line one day.

When I was in Japan a couple of years ago I looked through a Toyota plant, and they use a similar system as well. Multiple models on the same production line, and each step quality checked by the next guy in line - yet again, using cards. Also, parts were delivered in a similar way, small enough quantities for some parts that they came by bicycle.

Interesting about the blocks of wood test. I am yet to see a Domino come from Festool (and I inspect them all) with any trace of sawdust in them. So they must give them a good clean before going into their Systainer.

[Powertoolman]

Interesting about the blocks of wood test. I am yet to see a Domino come from Festool (and I inspect them all) with any trace of sawdust in them. So they must give them a good clean before going into their Systainer.

Anthony, Anthony, Anthony...This is Festool, afterall. Dust collection is Everything!

Actually, I don't recall if they used compressed air to blow out the joiners after making the test cuts, but they do connect them to a vacuum for the test.

[nt900]

Ptm - well I did not want to be the first one to point out how excellent Festool's dust extraction really is!

[Rocker]

I can understand how someone would want one Domino joiner; I couldn't resist buying one myself. But why would you want two?

Rocker

[patr]

"I can understand how someone would want one Domino joiner; I couldn't resist buying one myself. But why would you want two?

Rocker"


Elementary my Dear Watson, two possibilities.

One. An extension of Canban efficiency. Left hand Domino do precision plunge whilst Right hand Domino do elongated hole at precisely the same time. Ahso Grasshopper.

Two. In the Wild West two revolvers were always preferred. I think it is a natural progression and in keeping with the heritage of the Nation.

Both possibilities will be at the forefront of the Festool US Domino advertising campaign and Domino holsters will be the biggest selling accessory. It is thought that the delay in introducing the Domino to the US market was not due to the approval of power lead connectors and other safety related issues but to a decision on hip slung or under shoulder holsters.

Pat and Deputy Dawg

[Powertoolman]

I can understand how someone would want one Domino joiner; I couldn't resist buying one myself. But why would you want two?

Rocker

I didn't say I wanted more than one, just that I was getting more than one. What is even worse is that last night I got an email from the shipping center notifying me that a 3rd Domino plus Systainer of Domino tenons and accessories is already on its way. It would be too difficult to cancel the shipment, so I will deal with it later.

Pat actually has a good idea. After I finish the new manual, I will probably set up each domino for a specific task.

Speaking of which, now that I can ask this publicly, I would be interested in anyone's ideas for content for the manual. This is the reason why I first logged into this forum several months ago. My manuals go into greater detail regarding how to actually use the tool, so I would like to see more about how it is being used by actual users.

[Rocker]

I would be interested in anyone's ideas for content for the manual.

PTM,

You no doubt cover this already in the manual, but I feel it is important to stress how vital it is to ensure that the Domino's plate is held down firmly on the workpiece, both while the mortice is being cut and while the cutter is is being withdrawn from it. With a biscuit joiner, it is of little consequence if the slot is not perfectly perpendicular to the face of the work, so long as it is not more than a degree or two off; but with the Domino, even a small deviation from perpendicularity will spoil the joint. For this reason, I always clamp a backing piece of timber behind and level with the workpiece, unless the workpiece is at least as wide as 2/3 the length of the Domino's plate. I am not impressed by the efficacy of the right-angled plastic accessory which is intended to overcome this problem with narrow workpieces.

It might also be worthwhile to describe how to make floating-tenon stock to be used for through tenons in mortices cut using the wide settings on the Domino.

Rocker

[Powertoolman]

Thanks Rocker. These are exactly the types of things I am looking to hear.

Yes, After making a few mistakes myself, I do plan to stress the importance of holding Domino firmly. I think I will even add a suggestion that new owners should practice making a lot of different types of cuts in scrap wood to get the feel for the tool before they try it on their actual projects.

I think Festool is looking into making some other types of tenon stock (I think I heard this correctly) such as an outdoor grade tenon out of mahogany.

By the way I had an interesting conversation with Christopher Schwarz of Popular Woodworking Magazine while we were on the tour bus back from the Domino factory. Like you, I had previously been thinking about ways of making larger tenons, but after speaking with Chris, I tend to agree with his assertions that instead of a single large tenon, several smaller ones will be much stronger. The key to this is you don't want to excessively weaken the substrate material. There are some basic rules regarding tenon sizes for traditional mortise and tenon joinery, and I will try to incorporate some of this information into the manual.

My conversation with Chris made me realize that I still had a "biscuit" mindset when thinking and working with Domino. Instead, I need to be thinking more along the lines of traditional mortise and tenon joinery.

One of Chris' application ideas was to use Domino to strengthen a cope-and-stick frame door contruction. I like this idea, but I haven't experimented with it yet. Have you ever tried this? My thoughts are to cut the mortises before the cope and stick profiles are cut, and to make sure to increase the depth of the plunge to account for the overlap of the profile. What I don't know is whether there may be some unforeseen problems when routing the profiles.

[Flowboy]

Hi PTM,
I agree with Rocker on the efficacy of the "thin workpiece device" and I think its important to know how to make larger and wider tenons. Leigh also encourage the use of mutiple smaller tenons in their FMT jig, however, if you are going to make a through tenon which will be a part of the design of the project, you will often only want one tenon showing. As the domino as a mortise cutter is not really limited by the size of the proscibed cuts, its important to understand this and its application to design. Also, it shows the flexibility of the tool.
Encouraging people to test the domino on scrap pieces sounds a bit like teaching Grandma to suck eggs.
You should also remember to add the collar for usrer defined cuts. This I would think may be of more importance in the US where Imperial measurments may not (don't know the cutter specs) match the cutter or cut measuremnets.
I personally have not had problems with narrow work pieces, but thoroughly endorse Rocker's opinions in this regard.
Gotta say, three dominos set up for three apps. seems really excessive as one is supposed to be flexible enough for all purposes. May be shooting yourself in the foot demonstrating that. I guess its kind of like having 2 OF2000 Routers, one for each Jig you have. , not sure if you have those over there though.

Regards and Merry Christmas,

Rob

[nt900]

Two OF2000's, sounds like someone bragging there Rob