Showerthought: I used to think dominoes were overkill for face frames, but after watching a 40-year veteran line up 8 doors perfectly in 10 minutes I had to admit I was wrong.

I spent 6 months fighting with pocket screws and getting gaps on every third joint, and one Friday afternoon the old timer just showed me his setup with a DF500 and zero clamps, has anyone else had that moment where a tool you dismissed turned out to be worth every penny?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinf513d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, zero clamps at all? That sounds too good to be true.

emery_black9d ago

The real trick is the dominos act as internal alignment pins so the joint can't slip sideways under clamp pressure, meaning you only need one clamp every three or four feet to keep the face flush instead of one every six inches. Most people who say you still need clamps everywhere are using the wrong size tenon or not cutting the mortises deep enough for the glue to work as a lubricant. Try a test joint with an extra 1/16" of depth on the mortise and a snug fit tenon, you'll feel the difference the second you squeeze it.

the_joseph9d ago

Ngl, you gotta tell me more about the zero clamps part. Were they actually holding tight with no gaps at all, or was it just good enough because the dominoes pulled everything together? I've got a DF500 on my wishlist but I keep seeing guys online say you still need clamps for face frames unless you're doing MDF or something soft.