Festool Live Episode 50 - Face Frame Joinery

[@mikecole9432]

I hope these will continue after this pandemic. You've made me buy so much!

[@neilcarter6543]

Yes, I just hope that my other half doesn't get to see my bank statement:-)

[@mahmut123456]

Sedge du bist eine Legende! Greetings from Germany 👋🏻

[@troydutt4824]

Congrats on the 50th Episode Sedge! from Portland Oregon

[@daviddiannapugh]

Thank you Brian! You did another wonderful job. I love all your simple tricks that keep the job moving accurately and fast. Now all I need to do is pull the trigger and get a Vacsys.

[@lmallard3788]

I am an infant with Festool. I wish you could provide in the more section, the festool accessories you use in building cabinets

[@CisnerosShop]

Awesome tutorial, question is, how do you layout, mark and set up to attach the frame to the cabinet with dominos? If you already made a video, can you share the link

[@geraldlalonde5992]

How long do you leave face frames clamped?

[@garybadger325]

Great episode on base cabinets face frame layout/construction. Are you going to have an episode that will cover the entire construction? After you glue up the face frame, how do you attach it to the carcass? Also, you make your face frame 768mm height, knowing that, how height do you make your carcass and base?

[@kflight9772]

With the face frame being 768, the carcass would typically be 768. The base would be 100. Then you’ve got 32mm for the counter top which would give you the standard finish height of 900mm. At least, that’s what makes sense to me! Face frames can be attached with pocket holes on the outside, but since this is Festool I’m guessing they would use Dominos or something.

[@garybadger325]

@@kflight9772 if the carcass is 768 high and the frame is 768mm high and you used 50mm rail, the bottom would be 32mm below the top edge of the bottom rail.

[@LDBecker]

Hi - I have the Domino 500 and initially started my kitchen cabinet remodel with it but gave up because I was having alignment problems (tried to use the tight setting on both pieces, and sometimes the face frames wouldn't be level). I can see where the Vac Sys would help that a lot (I now have one of those - didn't before). I ended up using the Kreg Foreman and pocket holes to do the face frames - not just for alignment issues, but for the speed of glue drying. With the Domino method of assembly, I'd have to leave each face frame in clamps overnight. With Kreg pocket screws, no clamping was required because the screws held everything in place as the glue dried (Titebond 3). I quickly ran out of clamps and space to set them, and I would have to wait to install them until they fully dried. I also got the Kreg Table and clamps that solved the alignment issues for assembly I was having. Because of COVID issues at work, I've had to get away from that project - but now am getting back into it. I've got the VacSys, and I've had my Domino 500 repaired (damaged it by changing settings while it was off, I guess - oops). Is there some way to get around the need to clamp the face frames while they're drying? I tried pinning the Dominos on the back side of the face frame to hold it in place while the glue was drying, but it didn't seem to work. With Dominos, are you stuck with clamping overnight? It slows things down a lot. With Kreg screws, the face frames can be attached immediately after assembly. Looking for ideas to start using the Domino again for this huge project. Maybe a medium thickness CA glue? Thanks! Larry (from Los Angeles)

[@11211lcb]

Lawrence, A couple of hints on how to have your joints come out correctly. 1. Mark all locations where the mortices should be cut on the side that you want to be exposed. 2. Be sure to use the fence on the Domino as your indexing reference. 3. As shown in the video use the tight mortise in the narrower end, normally the end of a piece, and a wider setting on the longer edge mating location. Dominos are great machines but reversing the fit on mortises doubles any possible error. Leave yourself some wiggle room. 4. Refer to #2 above. DO NOT use the base of the domino as your indexing reference. Debris, sawdust, or a piece of wood that does not sit flat on the work surface will throw off the faces that are supposed to be on the same plane. Extend the spot to be mortised, style side or rail end, past the edge of the work surface to ensure that the base of the Domino does not touch the work surface. As for pocket screws being faster at glue-up, you have a lifetime of them being there and over time screws will loosen. And end-grain glue-up to side grain is not a strong glue joint. Better and stronger to reinforce with a floating tenon for the long haul.

[@LDBecker]

@@11211lcb Hi - Thanks for the helpful response. I don't THINK I was using the base of the Domino 500 as the reference surface, but I can't remember. I wouldn't normally do that, and I was very careful about keeping the pieces oriented correctly. On my previous project, I was having trouble with the 500 breaking bits - the gears were messed up, and Festool repaired it (free, out of warranty!). I was maybe a bit hesitant and overly cautious with it on this project. With the Kreg system, screwing into HARD maple face frames (with the appropriate fine-threaded screws), even really well-clamped on their clamping table, sometimes would push things out of alignment. Being even 1/32" out of alignment when it was screwed together is not acceptable, so a lot more sanding than expected was required. Hard maple is not very forgiving. In fairness, I had some alignment trouble, but more horizontal than vertical, with the Domino as well BECAUSE of the wider setting on one side - sometimes things seemed to shift a bit in clamp-up. I had to redo a few things and learned some lessons. I thought my Domino pinning solution to glue-up was clever - but it didn't really hold anything well (too much mass to hold stable) - and it made final sanding a bit tricky if the pins weren't below the surface sufficiently. Not a very good idea... What glue do you recommend for face frame glue up with Domino?

[@11211lcb]

@@LDBecker Yes pocket hole screws can be troublesome too. Festool reps told me early on to use tight and loose mortises for mating parts. They indicated that the Domino can go slightly out of calibration so I pretty much never the built in indexing pins. I always use pencil marks for reference. I’m shocked that you were breaking bits. I’m still using the original 5mm bit and still have a 12 year old extra that has never been used, 10,000+ mortises large. Be methodical to insure that the fence is resting flat on the work. It is east to tilt or down so be sure to push down firmly on the fence handle a plunge slow and steady. I almost always tusk Titebond III for all aspects of gluing including Dominos.

[@LDBecker]

@@11211lcb The bits were breaking because the size-changing gears in the Domino were messed up. Once it was repaired, no more broken bits.

[@kenjames2214]

Excellent video and well explained - is that the 500 or 700 model? Thanks 👍

[@jwar2163]

DF500 is being used in this video.

[@derekgranger8228]

Missing live episodes due to being back at work but still watching on catch up, keep up the good work the videos are great and so informative. Hi from des, Harrogate England

[@manuzach]

these domino episodes are great!! when will the US start getting some of these machines back in stock ?

[@nissimmenashe6400]

Good afternoon from Costa Mesa, CA

[@sully5724]

Hello from Haverhill, MA

[@andrewjames9963]

I personally would make the drawer rail full length

[@GarnierOlivier]

Hi from the French Alps!

[@kevinrmcnally2223]

Hey Kevin from Newtown Ct.

[@frifreimanis2616]

Hello from Latvia! Fridis

[@ivannazar]

Hi from Ukraine Ternopil.

[@jamespotter4878]

News flash hot shot......your in north america!

[@11211lcb]

I have owned a Domino since they were introduced about 12 years ago, in the USA. I stopped counting the mortises that I have cut, 10,000 + 3~4 years ago. At about 21 minutes into your video, you became confused as to which stile was which. You introduce a lot of room for error, confusion in your case, the way you mark for your mortises. I use a simple ruler-style depth gauge or combination square set to the proper length for my mortise locations while dry fitting similar to how you have done. I only make the marks near the mating edges. When you draw the line all the way across the stile you do not know which edge to mortice unless you go the extra steps to mark the edge with the arrow beforehand. Marking which edge is the inside edge is totally unnecessary if you simply place the marks at the edge of there the mortise needs to be cut.

[@S1234-l6m]

Camera guy! Stop being fancy with the hand held camera! Stop doing Jason Bourne action shot sequences! I do love the content but damn stop being fancy with camera!

[@EricFroehlich]

You wasted 3 minutes of my life for a useless opening.

[@AaronGeller]

Just checking in - are you doing alright?

[@treetop5752]

CANT EVEN GET TOOLS AND SUPPLIES, WEVE REPLACE D ALL FESTOOL OVER PAST 3 MONTHS! JOKE!