Festool Domino and Dowelmax Comparison on Simple Joints - VIDEO
Hi Folks,
There is alot of Domino support and bashing, as well as Dowelmax support and bashing on various woodworking forums. Typically the owners of the tools talk about them like they are just about the second coming. The detractors talk about their excessive (relative) price. The Domino "won't pay for itself." The Dowelmax is no better at 250 bucks than a beadlock is at 50 bucks. Usually stuff like that. If you read close enough or care, many of the supporters and detractors don't have either tool. They usually have some other way that you should spend your money and I'm sure kick their dogs and roll through stop signs!
Anyway, I love tools. I love to buy them. I love to compare them. It's my hobby. I thought I'd toss together a crappy little video demonstrating the Domino and Dowelmax with making a butt joint, and in edge joining stock.
Please note that I don't script these, I don't rehearse them, I don't really even plan them very well. They are off the cuff and I may confuse myself with terminology and have some jittery camera work. I hope you get the point that I am neither a professional woodworker, nor am I a professional videographer.
I do make the assertion that I'm better at woodworking that I am at video production.
So, here is the video. If you have any comments or critisim's, fire away. If you want to bash either tool, please send your comments to either Festool or Dowelmax. I didn't design either of them, I purchased both of them just because I wanted to. I don't support either company over the other and I have no intention of defending my opinions to anyone, though I will happily join in poking fun at my haphazzard methods of video production.
Thank you! Now I want both, but I had had my eye set on a Domino, now I'm wondering if, for my purposes, the DowelMax (or, for some of these things, even something simpler cut out of a hardwood on the drill press) wouldn't do in the interim.
And I'm looking forward to that project where you use one of everything.
Quote Mot: Please note that I don't script these, I don't rehearse them, I don't really even plan them very well. They are off the cuff and I may confuse myself with terminology and have some jittery camera work.
Dare I say (before watching) you can still take comfort in that you are no Ed Wood! (infamously the worst movie director ever)
Thanks for taking the time to explain the dowelmax and dimino tools. Cost of having to get the dust collector and started kit would keep me from buying the Dimino. In the Wood Magazine test the dowels held almost as well as the Dimino and better than the BeadLock, which didn't make me too happy. I enjoyed your video and your eight year olds use of the Dowelmax.
The Dowelmax is worth the money. The inventor, Jim, is a really decent cat to talk with as well. I just spent time on the phone with him, but it's worth taking the time to talk with him.
Debbie, the Dowelmax can be used on just about any thickness of wood up to 4" anyway…It can be used on T joints, face joints, but joints and on really thick wood. It's a nice piece to have around the shop.
The Festool stuff is expensive, but it's sooooooo nice.
I just spent some time at their website and saw the 4×4 use. I also showed Rick and told him about your daughter using it.
I'm pretty sure that this will be the way to go-especially since I'm now committed to building my next table without screws.
Very nice video! I enjoyed the non-professional presentation, while being professional about the use of the tools.
I think I will stick with teh Dowelmax over the Domino. Expense is teh main reason. I don't use M&T joints enough to justify the cost. I am sure tha it IS worth the cost to somneone who consistently uses M&T joints.
Thanks for teh presentation. I thouroughly enjoyed it.
God Bless,
Hawg
I finally got the chance to sit thru this Tom…nice job. I'd love to have both but I'm definitely going to get the dowelmax…I'll wait until after the summer challenge,...keeping my fingers crossed. I bought a cheap dowel jig that caused me big problems with the gate I made for my brother. What is the largest size dowel you can use on the dowelmax?
Bob, you aren't limited by length, but the biggest drill guides are 3/8". The nice thing about dowelmax is it's a no -brainer to put multiple rows of 3/8" dowels, so only become limited by the 4" thickness restriction. However, if you are doweling something thicker than 4" (of which I have no idea why you would…) you can still draw reference lines and use the jig to dowel 2 - 2×12's face to face. It's pretty bloody cool.
Mind you, the Domino will do all of that too…at about 3 times the speed with 1% of the mess and WAY more noise.
The Dowelmax, like the tablesaw tenoning jig, is one of the GREAT values in woodworking. Some may think, $200 bucks???, but see how versatile it is and all the places you can use it AND then see that you'll buy it once and your grandson will be giving it to HIS grandson…you get my point.
Tom, consider the fact that your grandson will give it to his grandson. There is nothing that you can wear out on this baby. Powertools will be by the wayside, but the dowelmax jig will be dug up by archaeologists in 2 million years.
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