Domino joiner

The Domino in action

The Domino is a loose mortise and tenon joining tool manufactured by the German company Festool.

History and description

This tool, first on sale in 2006, cuts mortises in the manner of a biscuit joiner. Each plunge creates a mortise that is sized to accept a Domino loose tenon, creating joints in stock from 22.2 millimetres (0.87 in) wide. There are five cutter sizes (4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm) for five different Domino tenon sizes. Self-referencing pins allow the cutting of rows of evenly spaced mortises with no need to measure and mark. Mortise width is adjustable in three increments with the turn of a knob, and cuts can be overlapped for long mortises. Fence tilts from 0-90°, with stop positions at 0°, 22.5°, 45°, 67.5°, 90°.

Exploded Domino joint

Advantages

• Allows very quick joinery, useful in a commercial carpentry setting.
• Flat tenons resists torquing.
• Stronger than a biscuit

Disadvantages

• High tool cost comparative to other joinery methods
• Proprietary tenons (dowels) required
• Brushes (motor) and bits will wear out in time
• Noise and dust (dust extraction required)
• Mortises overcut (i.e. the mortise is visibly larger than the domino) reducing strength.

See also

• Biscuit joiner — general page on biscuit joinery methods
• Dowelmax — another loose tenon joinery system

References

External links

• www.festool.net — Manufacturer's official international website
• festoolusa.com — the Domino page at the Festool USA site