Festool Domino DF 500 Instruction Manual - Making Miter Box Joints

19

Machining the Cap-Side Tenons 

26.1

– Don’t change the fence height from the previ-

ous operation. It is used to register the mortise 

placement from the edge of the board.

– Install the Base Support Bracket.

– If necessary, change the mortise depth setting.

– Clamp the workpiece [26.1] in a vertical position.

– Slowly plunge the cutter into the workpiece.

 Keep hands clear of the cutter.

Making Miter Box Joints 

Generally miter box joints are fairly weak because 

the joint is predominately endgrain to endgrain. 

Tenons signifi cantly increase the strength of the 

joint and make it easier to assemble and clamp 

the pieces. 

 Construction Tips 

27

 For thinner materials, keep the mortise close to 

the inside corner. This minimizes the chances for 

boring all the way through the workpiece.

 For thicker materials, stacked mortises can be 

used as shown in the picture 28.

Setup and Machining 

28

– Tilt the fence to the appropriate angle. 

– Lower the fence to the desired height. Note that 

the mortise should be close to the inside corner 

to avoid penetrating through the workpiece. 

 Tip: 

 Before milling the mortise, double check your 

depth settings to ensure you don’t cut all the 

way through. 

– Grasp the joiner by the auxiliary handle for best 

control. Plunge the joiner. 

Making Frame Joints 

Domino tenons can be used to quickly fabricate 

reinforced frames of all types. 

Butt Joint Frames 

29

When making butt joint frames, such as cabinet 

faceframes, use pencil lines to lay out the position of 

the tenons. Use the sight glass on the joiner’s fence 

[2.5] to position the joiner over the pencil line. 

For narrow frame stock, an optional narrow frame 

fence is as accessory avaible.