Festool Domino Machine Instruction Manual

Getting the Most From the Festool 

Domino Machine

Text and Photos by Jerry Work

For many woodworkers the construction of a butterfly leaf dining table like the small one 

shown here is considered a rite of passage because it is very difficult to do correctly.  

The table tops slide apart to reveal a self storing leaf that folds in the middle. By pulling 

up on one half of the leaf both halves rise up to perfectly align with the table top both on 

the flat top surface as well as along each edge.  Then the two halves of the top slide to-

gether to engage the butterfly leaf in its deployed position.

Properly executed, 

this operation is a 

thing of beauty in 

and of itself.  Most 

people watching a 

butterfly leaf table 

open for the first 

time seem to be 

transfixed as they 

watch everything 

side so effortlessly 

into perfect align-

ment.  And, watching 

the leaf fold down 

and store below the 

table top is no less 

captivating.  

I often caution my 

customers to be 

prepared for the first 

dinner party on their 

new table.  If the 

guests see the butterfly leaf deploy, they 

usually will stand around opening and 

closing it time after 

time just because it 

is fun and interesting 

to do.

Using conventional 

tools and techniques 

it is very difficult to 

get all the pivot 

points in exactly the 

right places so de-

signing and building 

such a table can be 

quite complex and 

intimidating.  But, as 

we will see while we 

follow the construc-

tion of the table 

shown here from 

start to finish, using 

the innovative Fes-

tool Domino ma-

chine and the self 

aligning, self squaring and self locking 

features of the sliding dovetail joint, build-