Which Festool Domino - Part 1

The Festool Domino DF500 and DF 700 are simply brilliant machines which have transformed the way that I approach my woodwork. Old fashioned morticing is a thing of the past and I can now build all sorts of items quickly and with little fuss. I have been asked a number of times to give advice about the two machines and this pair of videos should help people decide which is the better machine for their purposes.

[@samsabastian5560]

I realise this is 5 years old, but my Festool Domino is the most useful tool that I have in my shed. I would not be without it.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Sam, I can understand that. I bought mine 10 years ago and it immediately transformed my woodworking and now no challenge is too great - desks, tables, chairs and even the odd shed ! Cheers. Peter

[@bigdogmn73]

Great Videos...Festool should give you a free 700 for selling everyone on it!!

[@NewBritWorkshop]

I doubt that my videos are good enough ! Peter

[@stevensdbuild9524]

Hi Peter, Thank you for the excellent review. I'm a joiner and carpenter and have been struggling to decide between the 700 or 500 for a while. You have helped me decide upon the 700 with the adaptor. Quick question: at approximately 8.25 on the video you cut and fit a preformed door panel? Can you provide details for that? That would save me a lot of time and, I assume, allow for panel insulation for exterior doors. Steven

[@Wolfen6]

Just FYI: Seneca Woodworking now makes an adapter that allows the DF 700 to use cutters and thereby dominos of the DF 500. I owned both the DF 500 and DF 700 but I bought the adapter and now sold the DF 500.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

I covered that in the video but given a choice I would have both Domino machines as the DF700 cutting pattern is not quite the same as the DF500 and the speed is not the same. Take care that you do not break too many cutters. Peter

[@nippychippy]

Thanks peter

[@chrisathens214]

Would cove to see some bigger construction type projects using the 700. How big can you go? How ambitious can you get with this kind of joinery? Love your videos!

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Chris, You may have seen my barn which was built pre-Festool. If I were to do another then the DF700 would be used for the jointing. I made a bench a long time ago and used the DF700 for that. Furniture, including beds, are also DF700 territory especially if you want to use the Festool Connector System. Peter

[@bottleneck9826]

Hi Peter I'm the, most of the time, happy owner of a DF500. Almost because I have an issue with the cross stops. It seems that there is a difference of 1 millimeter between the left and right cross stop. That millimeter will accumulate for each mortice you make, which ends up being a quite significant difference on longer items. I have contacted Festool and they had not heard about it before, but they looked it up on there own machines and it seems to be a general fault on all of them. They have now sent the problem to "Head Quarters" in Germany and are waiting for reply. Have you had this problem with your DF500? By the way - Festool offered right away to take the machine back if I didn't want it because of the problem (great service I must say). Kind Regards Hans-Henrik

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hans-Henrik Fauregaard Hi Hans-Henrik, I do not like the Cross Stop, mine is perfectly accurate but the process of registering off a previous hole to do the next and so on just leads to more and more small errors creeping in. But the Trim Stop is a different matter - it is brilliant, I use it all the time and it saves loads of time and effort. Peter

[@bottleneck9826]

New Brit Workshop I do agree and I've have my concerns about them. A chip in one of the mortises and the alignment is gone. I though do like the idea as it could be a time saver - but it has to be accurate :-). Thank you for quick reply and thanks for all the great videos. Hans-Henrik

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hans-Henrik Fauregaard I always use pencil lines for Domino work unless I am using the trim stop or a jig. The Incra Precision Rule makes that very easy. Peter

[@jakestezinar7694]

Hi Peter. This is Jake. Thanks for your mobile cart plans. I want to ask you about the domino jointer. For someone Who’s starting to get more into advanced joinery, what domino joiner would suggest?

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Jake, I would suggest the DF500 which I use the most. I have a video "Which Festool Domino" which should help. Peter

[@jakestezinar7694]

Thank you very much Peter. Keep the videos coming. Very informative and detailed.

[@jimmustill222]

Hello peter, i have just purchased the Seneca adapter as I want to try and get the best out of my df700 I noticed a pop up text box come up whilst watching your video, text read as if you were not advising/condoning the use of the adapter . whilst in your video you seem satisfied with the product im about to go into the garage and begin making my 4mm plexibase , please tell me im doing the right thing and im not going to ruin my df700 Jim

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Jim, I added that remark after it was pointed out to me that the speed and dynamics of the DF700 are different from the DF500. I understand that the smaller cutters (6 mm and below) may not be going as fast as they would in the DF500 and may therefore break. I do not want to be "piggy in the middle" on this and am only relaying what I have read on the Festool Owners' Group forum. Peter

[@jimmustill222]

thank you for the reply. Ive given the adapter a go last night was happy with results but must go slowly. all the best

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Jim, A very sensible approach. Cheers. Peter

[@chipatchison5971]

Peter, can you do a short video showing your reference block for the domino mortises, please? I just got a 500 and I want to make my own reference block. Thanks

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Chip, I was asked this a while ago and so included a piece in one of my Workshop Notes videos but I have no index and cannot tell you which one. Oops. Peter

[@chipatchison5971]

@@NewBritWorkshop That's the tip I needed! I found it in Workshop Notes #17 at the 0:53 minute mark. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Chip, well done. If you have any other requests I will look at them as well. Cheers. Peter

[@roncooper191]

Thank goodness you explained that, I thought I was suffering from déjà vue! Regards.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Ron Cooper It would be a bit spooky - a bit like travelling back in time ! Peter

[@vtrmcs]

Might be obvious to most people but, just for the record....before you go anywhere near a domino, you need to have the knowledge and tools necessary to produce perfectly square stock, otherwise you're on a hiding to nothing with this tool.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Getting things square is probably the most fundamental requirement in woodworking and it is needed for any serious project. Peter

[@vtrmcs]

+New Brit Workshop (Peter) indeed!

[@bighands69]

+vtrmcs You can make stuff that is out square but you need to know what you are doing.

[@TheToolnut]

Straight and square stock is a must regardless of the joinery method used, 👍🔨🇮🇪

[@kickpublishing]

Free DF 700 for making a video - sweet

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Dr. Ralph Kennedy That was not how it started out but Festool liked the video so much they decided not to collect the loan machine. If I had spent the same amount of time pushing trollies at the local supermarket then I would have earned enough for three of these ! Peter

[@TheRangeControl]

+New Brit Workshop (Peter) The people in your supermarket are clearly paid more than ours... LOL

[@vtrmcs]

It must be Waitrose. ;)

[@nastythomashobbs]

I own and use the Festool DF 500..really a 500% upgrade on a biscuit joiner. If you can only buy one the 700 is the option. Was not available when I bought the 500. The 500 is great. I built some gates 10 years ago that are still 90. If Festool offered a reasonable trade option I would do it.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

The Domino concept is brilliant and both machines are excellent. Peter

[@conkcat]

It’s about time some company came up with a viable alternative. The cost of these is way out of most people’s pockets and tear downs of festool tools show they are by no means perfect. It’s all hype...

[@bighands69]

+conkcat The cheapest and easiest viable option would be a dowel jointer. The key is the registration system that allows hole alignments. I am surprised that nobody has attempted it. It only needs one drill bit and a good registration system so that you can align the next hole. People will say dowels twist so that is the reason you would drill the second hole. Such a machine that sells for £400 would making a killing on the market. I am surprised dewalt of Makita have not attempted this. The R&D for those companies would be cheap and easy with little resources. Mafell has the duo jointer but that does two holes which makes alignment more complicated. Such a tool with 3mm bits up to 16mm bits would mean a tool that could complete with both the DF500 and DF700.