Domino and Biscuit Joiner

[Handplanesandmore]

From everything I've seen, it seems like the 4mm cutter was not part of the original design.  My case doesn't have a spot for it, which is unlike Festool.  Although I just got the Domino, I think it was old stock because nothing mentions the 4mm cutter in the instructions.

You're right about the 4mm cutter. The machine came out in 2007, but the 4mm cutter wasn't released until some two years later. To use that cutter, set the depth to 20mm (not 12mm) for it to cut 10mm deep, because the cutter itself is a lot shorter than the regular ones.
Simon

[Tapper]

I don't own a Domino but I would keep my biscuit joiner even if I did.  The biscuit joiner is my go to tool for aligning beveled and mitered edges.  That would be very difficult to do with the Domino on small sized parts.  Installing faceframes onto cabinets is another application where the biscuit joiner shines.  Gluing up panels is another application where the biscuit joiner works great.  So would a Domino in that application but the biscuit joiner inherently allows for some lateral adjustment of the parts where the Domino doesn't, so cutting perfectly matching slots in mating parts isn't required.  

John

I'll stir the pot a little more to say I'm with John on this one. Built 15+ feet of shop base cabinets (with 24 total drawers) last winter in individual carcass units. Used my PC biscuit joiner for alignment for all the components. Drawers were half-blind dovetailed and drawer fronts and face frames out of quarter and rift sawn white oak. I don't care what anyone says, biscuits do add an element of strength to any joint IMO. Nothing like maybe a Domino or M&T joints but some strength. It amazes me how fervently this is debated here and on other forums. It's as though people abuse and torture the furniture they build just to see if the joints will fail, but I digress.

I know John also uses his own designed mortising machine, much like the multi-router model, for a lot of his joinery. Cut your own tenons out of scrap and you have a pretty simple and economical system (another factor important to John, by his own admission
 ) Looks like Domino machines range from $1K to $1,500+ and the Dominos themselves aren't cheap I'm told, much like most everything else Festool sells. Were I in a production environment maybe, but this is just a hobby for me - my PC biscuit joiner will do just fine for its intended use. Loose tenons for most everything else. 

Doug

[Handplanesandmore]

I'll stir the pot a little more to say I'm with John on this one.
Doug

I like what I see in your statement. When everyone agrees with everyone in a thread or forum, something is wrong, even though some dinosaur members may prefer that.

Back to the OP's intention: I have a Dewalt joiner and I'm debating selling it.

No one is suggesting here that the biscuit joiner is not a useful tool (it has been useful for decades before the domino joiner was born). But unless the OP has concrete plans for it to be used (he doesn't seem to have any), why not sell it? As I stated, his domino joiner can do anything a biscuit joiner can deliver for him ---- and more. I can't think of a situation or project where he would regret selling his biscuit joiner because the domino joiner can't do the job.

As for prices, it's a different kind of consideration. He doesn't have to sell it if he isn't happy with the selling price. Let him cross that bridge when he comes to it.

Simon

[lincmercguy]

"But unless the OP has concrete plans for it to be used (he doesn't seem to have any), why not sell it? As I stated, his domino joiner can do anything a biscuit joiner can deliver for him ---- and more. I can't think of a situation or project where he would regret selling his biscuit joiner because the domino joiner can't do the job.

As for prices, it's a different kind of consideration. He doesn't have to sell it if he isn't happy with the selling price. Let him cross that bridge when he comes to it."

That's what I'm trying to figure out, if there is some future project or technique that really works best with biscuits and not dominos.

I would just keep it if I couldn't get a decent price out if it. I'm not short on space. I have a few empty drawers in my workbench, and my 10 year old asked me when I'm going to get something to put in those drawers.

[fredhargis]

One sure way to find out if you'll need it: go ahead and sell it. Within a week you'll be saying, "ya know, I should have kept...."

[Ray Newman]

fredhargis is on to it! Done that a few times myself!

[Cabinet Monkey]

Time to ruffle some feathers. You don't need a biscuit joiner if you have a domino joiner. Sell your biscuit joiner so it can be put to good use by someone who does. Use the proceeds to buy more tenons.


Simon

You don't need a domino if you have a drill and a chisel.   Or a router.

You should sell your Domino, especailly since they're in short supply right now.

[Handplanesandmore]

You don't need a domino if you have a drill and a chisel.   Or a router.

You should sell your Domino, especailly since they're in short supply right now.

The joiner fetched good prices in the second hand market even before the pandemic that disrupted the supply chain. Some countries have VAT or much higher sales tax, and their retail prices are much higher as a result for the same items.

 By the same token, because of burgeoning demand but restricted supply for tools, now is the best time to sell any unwanted or underused tools and machines......including the biscuit joiner!




Speaking of needs, those of us who also have hand skills actually don't even need a router -- unless it's a hand router.

Simon

[Derek Cohen]

I have both the Festool Domino 500 and a DeWalt biscuit joiner. I do not use them much, but they both will stay since they do different tasks.

The domino creates mortice and tenon joinery, which is narrow and deep. I would use it for frames (built 22 frame-and-panel doors for a kitchen, which is why I purchased it). I could use it for tables, although I prefer real mortice-and-tenon joinery. Also, use it like a set of dowels to join panels at right angles. It creates joints of strength.

The biscuit is a spline, which is long and shallow. It excels with mitres (where a domino would be risky and also not offer the same length of support). Mitred cases are better joined with biscuits. Biscuits also are easier to use to align pre-finished and thick panels in a glue up. It is for alignment and strengthening/support along a shallow length.

Similar but not the same.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Juss1]

I kept my PC biscuit joiner for about 3 years since I bought my first domino. Never used it since which include miters and panel glue up. Both things that the biscuit joiner would have been more than adequate to handle but not really any better imo. And since the domino obviously does things a biscuit joiner can't do I decided to put the biscuit joiner on cl last week. Ended up getting $100 for it which I'm more than happy with. If it was significantly less I probably would have kept it as well or given it away to a friend or relative.