Domino joinery…without a domino

Whether you are new to woodworking or you can cut perfect dovetail joints by hand, we’ve all heard of Festool Domino. The Domino is one of a kind. While there are other tools that can provide loose mortise and tenon joinery (biscuit joiner, dowel joiner, etc.), they really don’t compare to the Domino’s engineering, accuracy, repeatability, ease of use, and (most importantly), dust collection. There is one significant problem with the Festool Domino: COST. The Domino DF 500 retails for a whopping $1,099.00 and the Domino XL DF 700 retails for $1,599.00! For us mere mortals and those who want to avoid being served with divorce papers for dropping $1,099 on a tool the size of a Dust Buster, the Domino will forever be a unicorn.

Now, before you run out and spend your hard earned money on a doweling jig or biscuit joiner (or if you have…I did), I have a simple plunge router jig that will produce the exact same mortises as the Domino. This jig can be made with some simple 1/2” plywood scraps or some 1/4” acrylic. If you want the ability to make larger mortises (the plans I’ve shared

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.