Domino for Dummies 

Sorry, slow getting to this. Great vid, and thanks so much for the mention Drew! Yeah, Domino can be pretty divisive, but I’ve never met anyone who’s bought one and regretted it! It’s the most versatile of all the hand-held jointing machines - and for the record I have them all! It’s also a ‘free’ tool - provided you keep it for a few years you’ll get your money back if you decide to sell it on. 👍

I'm a hobbyist that loves woodworking. After a couple of years I have started to buy a few Festool products and I love them. Professionals buy them to be effective, I buy them because I like the feeling of using really good tools. I do woodworking for pleasure and I don't want to ruin that with cheap tools. I love your videos by the way!

Honestly, this is theeeee best Domino video I’ve seen. I’ve owned both the 500 and 700 for years. As a ‘no BS’ introduction to the tool, this vid is as good as it gets.

I love your style and approach, as well as your sense of humor. Your explanations are clear and concise and not overly technical.

I learned so much 1) you do, in fact, say “heighth” 2) you own a utility belt 3) that tool is actually pretty rad Awesome in depth overview

I bought one and the first time I used it to put together a drawer box, I told my wife that "I think I bought a Ferrari, but don't know how to shift it". If I had watched your video first it would have gone much smoother! The nice thing about owning one is that I use it for things that one wouldn't normally Domino, but what the heck I can!

I’ve recently bought a Domino after watching years of Peter Millard’s 10 Minute Workshop using one effortlessly. But even after watching all of Peter’s videos I thought this was an excellent run through of how to use the Domino, thank you. Peter recommends doing the domino on one side tight and the other one loose, that way you get the wiggle room but the actual Domino is held firmly in place. I think I prefer that than the ‘two loose sides’ approach you showed. Never seen the Domino cross stop, looks to be useful, thanks

I was in your spot a few months back. The haters can hate, it's probably the best tool I have in my shop. I don't use it all that often when I do the benefits are immediately apparent. Thanks for putting together this guide.

One thing I considered as a hobbyist when buying this machine was how easy and quickly it set up and held the setting. Stopping mid project and continuing the next weekend has never been an issue. I hate spending tons of time getting a tool ready to use and rechecking calibrations and such. The price is something to reckon with but the tool is high quality; the cost could be thought of in terms of the yearly cost over the life of the tool. The tutorial videos Sedge has out on his channel and the Festool live series are something unmatched with any other system out there.

Drew ... this is a really really well done video. I recently bought the 500 and am in the middle of setting up a workshop so have not used it yet. This video was PERFECT. This was, throughout, candid and clear. Thanks so much for creating this!

Best Domino explaination on RU-vid, thanks. I am an amateur woodworker and are time poor. I have made cabinets, draws, desks etc efficiently and well because I use Festool tools. I started with Makita but the quality just isn't there for the precision required for cabinetry unless significantly more time is spent on a project. In addition, Festool dust collection is phenomenal and makes a real difference to the time and enjoyment of a project. The only argument against Festool is money and a good argument back is time/health. Thanks for taking on the haters, they mislead a lot of people for no good reason.

I'm a (retired) professional, using the Domino for maybe 15 years. I wish I had seen your video way back then (Festool Time Machine, next?). I'm pretty proficient with the thing, and have made several jigs to improve order of operations. Your video was a great review. As good as "Sedge" Festool videos! Thanks!

The Domino was a game changer for me. It took my woodworking to the next level and I can't imagine working projects without now. I think you'll experience the same. Enjoy the journey!

You have just done the BEST explanation of the most disputed tool ! You are a Wood working Guru now! Well done,

As a diy-er fixing and maintaining my home who also enjoys working with wood and aluminum (easy to work with materials without expensive specialised tools) I watch these kind of videos to understand how the high-end tools are making life easy. I then use the concepts applied by those tools to build jigs to achieve the precision/repeatability for the task at hand (time is not so much a factor, but budget and end-results are). Referencing with physical stops always achieves better results compared to measuring, marking and eyeballing a tool against the markings.

This is the video EVERY domino owner needs to watch. Super well thought out and I appreciate the transparency!

By far, the best Domino video ever. I'm retired and have no use for an over-priced, but excellent machine that's main virtue is saving time. After a long and enjoyable learning process, I am mostly cutting joinery by hand these days. I didn't hesitate to buy an over-priced Sawstop saw, but there weren't any viable alternatives. For joinery, there are many quality alternatives. Thanks for a great, well thought out presentation.

As a new domino owner, this was helpful. I will say I was shocked by how loose the first loose setting is. I'd love one that was only 1-2mm larger than tight.

I just wanted to say. You are a class act. And I very much enjoy your content and the way you present it. Thank you

Many have apparently said it, but I'll echo. This is hands-down the best explainer for "How to Domino" out there. Spags and others have said, "It's so simple. Just point and shoot," but that is AFTER setup. Drew, thank you for the insights, honesty, and advice you've provided in this tutorial. Great work man. Great work!

Good video. Just bought the 500 and am thankful that I watched this before using. Best primer I’ve seen.

Great video. I am a hobbyist and got one a year ago because I make a lot of table tops. It was a game changer for me because my table tops turn out perfect and don't require a lot of sanding the seams. I watched almost every Sedge Tool video to learn his method. The best one is the 4 laws of the Domino. The best tip I learned for glue ups is to do a tight fitting on one entire side of the first board. Then on the second mating board to the first one tight, then loose on the rest. The only downside to that is that you can no longer use the accessory because of the mismatched sizes (I learned the hard way, no dry fitting, straight to glue 😂). You can mark the locations and I usually glue in the dominos on the tight side, let them dry quickly, then a little later glue into the loose side.

Best Domino video ever. I have one and I would never give it up. I also have a biscuit joiner and I use both for different reasons. Thanks for taking your time and explaining..

I’m a 4 year domino user. It never ceases to amaze me. Great vid.

Enjoyed the way you showed how to do lots of realistic uses of the domino. Thanks

Great video. I've been using the domino for years, and I never noticed the depth setting trick on the 4mm cutter! Apart from the quality and precision of the Festool system, the other great feature is customer service. If a tool breaks down, even if it is out of warranty, old and obsolete, you can get it fixed and returned to you in very short order...at least that's it works in the U.K. (And I'm sure everywhere else in the world). Definitely not cheap, but worth every penny of the investment.....my woodworking has improved exponentially since I splashed out on my first Festool tool( TS55 plunge saw)

Good afternoon friends in the woods! I recently bought a brand new second hand festool domino with all the dominos. I have been just looking and learning as much as i could by first watching as many clips of this tool ax possible.Armed with all the practical tips and way of working, I think I have really invested in something awsome. Look forward to be doing better things with the best machines on the market.Thanks to all the dedicated artisans willing to share their knowledge base to make wood working excellent and attainable for many learners as me.

I don’t do enough fine woodwork to justify a domino, but this video really demystified it for me. Thanks for digging so deep into it Drew!

Just got my domino in. This is by far the best explanation of use, and detail about this tool. I learned a lot from you on this, and I appreciate it. Great video brother!

I also love that slurp sound when pulling it apart. So satisfying. Lol.

Excellent review/ explanation. You really hit the nail on the head with the "making your living". A normal guy driving around town has no need for a diesel powered dually. A guy who hauls every single day sees that huge price tag for the truck as an investment in being able to do his job. It's why mechanics have 100s of 1000s of dollars in tools. Speed accuracy and reliability = less friction in the earning a living process. Spot on evaluation!

This was such a thorough video and I really enjoy your tone. You are very convincing at appearing to be approaching the controversial "Domino question" with an open mind. The end of the video gives away what most Domino owners already know - once you've used one (especially on miters and in ways that make it more than a glorified biscuit joiner), there's really no going back. I owned one five years or so ago, used it a lot, ran into some tough money times, and sold it. In the two years that followed, I found that I was doing a lot less woodworking, in large part because I just didn't have the hours of time to hand cut and fit many of the joints that the Domino had made come together in minutes, so I bit my tongue and bought another. So that I'm clear, it's not that I don't enjoy hand cutting joints or hand tool woodworking. If anything, there's few more satisfying feelings in this hobby than getting a hand-cut joint to come together perfectly. But for me (ymmv) I found that I spend more time in my shop when I have ways to get to the finished product much more quickly.

Hey Drew, just caught this video and you are spot on with it all. I am a hobbyist wood worker but I enjoy doing accurate work. That comes from my aviation background. I just got a Domino about a week ago because I was having trouble making a chest of drawers for my wife's craft room. The plywood I was trying to use was all wonky and nothing was working out. I tore it apart and went out and bought cabinet grade plywood and my Domino. I am having a blast now making the cabinet and all is square with the world. i love your videos and you always make good sense. Thanks.

Great video on the Domino. I don't use mine everyday so I'll pull up RU-vid and watch videos on occasion as a refresher. The dust collection on this tool is amazing as you mentioned and when you're working in a customer's home this feature is invaluable. I build a lot of built in wall units and use it to add 1x2 material to the front of plywood shelves. I used a biscuit joiner previously and always had issues with getting the top surfaces flush so I would need to sand them. Now with the Domino I don't have that issue as the surfaces match up so well. If you're on the fence with buying this tool, I will say it was worth it to me. Once you have a Domino you will find uses for it that you may not have considered previously. Borrow one or go to someone's shop who has one that they'll let you try. You may find it has value for you or it doesn't. Either way you will be making an educated decision instead of relying on what you see and read on RU-vid.

I've thoroughly enjoyed using mine. Saw someone use theirs in my woodworking degree classes and bought one. Made faceframes and glue ups much easier. I've even made full scrap wood projects where nothing was the same size work. It's not a cheap tool, but I enjoy it. Some of their tools, like the planer (which I have) are not this good of quality, but this is one I'd definitely recommend.

Really now, an American RU-vidr explains to me the German Festool Domino 500, so I understand that I must buy it immediately. Because it does everything I need to build shelves and cabinets and saves me time and money. I do not believe it... Thank you for your explanation and your work. Had not previously understood the advantages of the Domino.... Thanks for that....

Thank you for such an honest review and video of the Festool Domino jointer. Ive been on the fence about buying the domino along with other festool tools for awhile now. Im at the in between stage of hobbiest and professional. I have a woodworking business but it's not full time yet. Tool reviews like this help me see that investing in the proper tools will have a return investment of time. Thanks for the video and your honesty.

Great job, and now you've got me looking into one of these. I'm building a new house with a 14'x32' woodworking shop. We intentionally left several places without cabinets, bookshelves, and a desk because I plan on making them. Right now on my must have list is a SawStop 36" PCS 3 hp table saw, a Harvey Ambassador C14 band saw, and a Record Power 3 motor CamVac. Looks like I might be getting my 1st Festool piece of equipment in the Domino. I've got a biscuit jointer (well I borrow a friends) and I've never been happy with it. With all the cabinets I'll be building I can see the advantage of having this tool to get it right the 1st time and not get frustrated with my joints. I love making Amish type of furniture, though I've not had the opportunity to make much, but now that I'm retired (64 years old), I'm getting my first woodworking shop (not using my garage and moving stuff around all the time to make room for the cars), I'm looking forward to making furniture for my family and friends.

Excellent video, thank you for your walk through of this tool. Cheers!

Fantastic video. I bought their domino joiner years ago and just got around to trying it today . When I tried to follow the manual at the beginning I found it wasn’t helping me much . I was hoping there were videos on it and found yours . You did an excellent job of explaining the unit ,learned so much . Some RU-vidrs drag things out too long and I don’t find it helpful . I find your explanations are excellent , and you are easy to follow and a great teacher . Liked and subbed

Great video. I converted to Festool about eight years. It was a big investment and the best tools I have are my Tracksaw and Domino. They have changed the way I design and build projects. As an asthmatic, the dust collection with my Festool vacuum is a game changer.

The lighting in your video is so good it’s distracting. I watched your video with Travis yesterday and now I’m looking at the background, shadows and highlights. I can’t unsee it.

understand the haters, yes it's dang expensive but after spending years cutting tenons and mortises it has made life so much more enjoyable. Definitely worth it for me, and price creep makes me even happier buying it when I did. Good video!

Talented amateur here. Great video. Love my Festool track saw and MFT/3 table with the extension I bought for it. Very cost effective. I would love to buy the 500 but I don't have the $$$ for it. Instead, I use Peter Millands domino jig for 5mm dominos Takes more time to set up, but you get the same tight/loose fitting for parallel, "L" or "T" joints which I use the most.

I would highly recommend buying the plans for the domino dock. Works so well. And makes it even faster!

One of, if not the most thoughtful videos ever done on a Festool Domino and Festool in general. For the record, I don't hate Festool. Quite the contrary. I admire them and I'm envious of those who can justify the cost to own them. There is little doubt now that they are leading the pack by quite a bit. I'm a professional but my profession is composing music. I do woodworking for the joy of it. I would love to own a Domino and use it even just once so I could experience the joy of working with a tool that so far, surpasses all the others in the given task - by a mile! Thanks for your insightful deep dive into this flagship product.

This is a great rundown of the tool. Thanks! I've been wanting one for a while. Now I just need the project to justify buying it.

This is a really good refresher video to the Domino, I used the Domino for a project which went seamlessly but I haven't used it since. this weekend I going to dig it out and try some of your tests. Thank you

One thing you didnt talk about is you absolutely have to run dust collection with this tool. And you can use 40mm tenons to do a shelf with a 15/25 setting. Everything else you talked about was spot on. Great tool for the professional using it to make a living to the high end hobbyist. Is it for everyone no. Great video! Thanks for sharing!

Hands down the most useful refresher on the Domino. Thank you.

Great Video mate! So informative and you use METRIC! Best American ever!!

get a pair of flush diagonal pliers and you can pull out the dominos very quickly from your dry fit. You grab the domino and use the sides of the pliers as a lever. Pops right out.

The fact that you're actually picking the optimal tenon thickness for each part is serious commitment :p. I just use 5mm dominos for basically everything and they're pretty much fine, I just occasionally bust out the 4mm for very small parts or 8mm for very large

Excellent video! Although I don't have a domino and probably won't for a long time, I watched every minute! Your production is always top notch and content so entertaining and insightful.

I'm a hobbiest too, and like others, time is worth more than the money to me. I bought my first domino about 15 years ago, when I was gluing up more and more carcasses in face frames. When gluing horizontal dividers to drawers, it seemed to be such a time saver over mortises or dowels, that I justified the expense. I had been using biscuit joiners for years, and was satisfied with the ease of alignment that they allowed with panel glue up, but that small mortise was a different problem. After I got the 500, I was so impressed that I started using it for panel glue up also. Not that it really structurally improved them in my mind but the accuracy of alignment meant that it was a lot easier to keep the individual boards in alignment and thus much less time in planing and sanding. Back then I had a performax drum sander and that is fairly slow, so not having to surface sand is a great thing. I still use a biscuit joiner fairly often, mostly because the biscuits are so much cheaper than Dominoes, but only for places where the accuracy is not so important. As to the dust collection. I guess you figured it out that it IS very good, but that also it IS important to use it. Otherwise the port can get too impacted and mess with the accuracy of the machine. That is one thing I think that could be improved upon by Festool. The hose is sort of a PIA to attach, and it sometimes comes off during use. It would be nice to have a "locking" hose, (sort of like the plug locks on)

Best video about the domino so far! well done!

I use both my festoon dominos on almost every project I do. Saves me so much time

Thank you for sharing this knowledge! One day, Lord willing, I'll own one. I'm just a hobbyist, but I'm hoping that it will grow into a full-time job.

I’ve seen a few different opinion/test videos and yours is my favorite by far, as it’s the first one that really went in depth to help me understand exactly what the purpose and function of a domino is. :) So thanks! Of course, I’m a metal worker, so maybe if I was drooling on woodworking tool sites all the time I wouldn’t have had any questions. 😂 Great video brother.

I borrow this tool from a friend to try it out..I LOVE IT. made gluing up panels like child's play compared to the slippery movement i would get before..well worth having this tool.

Thank you for your video, it was super helpful, I’ve been thinking of purchasing one and you answered a lot of my questions..plus your laid back energy made it even better

Excellent video my man! Exactly what I was looking for well explained and right to the point. This is very useful for me

Best breakdown of this tool I’ve seen. As for the ‘hate’, I think there’s one other big factor here. In reading comments on many different things from woodworking to travel, there seems to be a trend to hate and ridicule those who can afford from those who can’t. Stupid , wasteful, needless are all terms that get thrown around with gusto.

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Great job on this.

I'm an enthusiast, but I decided to make my own furniture. I had some power tools from various manufacturers, mostly a bit on the cheap side. But this is quite a big project, making furniture for the whole house. I had the oportumity to botrow some of the good stuff and now I completely understand why people get hooked on the green stuff. First I bought tracksaw, dust extractor and a sander. Then I got the oportunity to borrow a Domino. It saved me a lot of time and hugely simplified the process. Unfortunately I was able to have it just for a few days, just enough to get hooked, so I ordered one immediately. The same day I returnef it, I got home with a brand new one. By the time I finish, I'm sure it will pay for itself just by time saved, not to count the frustration.

The narrow stock guide is a great timesaver. I made garden arbors out of 1"x1.5" stock and just assembly-lined the horizontal pieces. Super easy.

Great information video. I’ve been using the domino for about 15 plus years and Ive got a few tips from this video.

Sorry for so many comments, but one other hack I use is to remove the head from the body whenever I'm setting up for cuts. It takes all the weight off and you can do all your depth and fence adjustments without having the manhandle the whole device. (OK, I'm done!) BTW, GREAT video. I loved that it came from the perspective of an exploratory newbie. Great concept.

Got my sub on the first vid, dude. Why? I appreciate your thorough approach and transparency. Saved me time and inspired my trust.

Best Domino instruction Video I’ve seen . Brilliant, thanks 👍

Learned the hard way that the cross stop attachment has pins thicker than the 4mm domino. Thanks for the video.

I hemmed and hawed about getting a Festool Domino for a long time before buying a D500. It is a great tool. I wish I had more Festool corded tools just because of the wonderful removable cords.

I am just a DIY and bought a Makita Biscuit Joiner. Same basic concept. I've used it a dozen times or so. I'm happy, easy to use and get the job done.

Great video! Here's a tip, if you ever cut the mortice in the wrong place and you have no more wood or your timber is expensive, you can just glue in a domino, let the glue dry for a while then cut off the piece which extends out of the mortice, then re-cut the mortise using the domino on the correct location, that's one of the benefits of the Beech being so strong. PS I've subscribed! Cheers for 2024!

Very well done video for the Festool Domino. Consider this a Leigh Pro Frame Mortise & Tenon Jig is 1399.00 usd. Then the cost of a pro 3.25 hp router another 600 to 1400 usd, depending on manufacturer, then the router bits 50 to 100 each. The Festool Domino is the more cost effective alternative for the mobile Carpenter for either the D500 or the XL700 system or even both. Just to make Mortise and Tenon Jointery. If you make doors entry or interior use a XL 700 for cabinet doors and frame work use the D500. I don't even use my Kreg Foreman anymore to make face frames my Festool Domino 500 is my go too. Combined with the MFT and ST1000 system all my sheet good and face frame work is done and I can now do mobile repairs for cabinets.

Steven Spielberg has officially been de-throned !!......Really awesome video and you've got my subscription

When plunging for the shelf you didn’t work off the table - your domino was referencing off the base instead of the fence. Hence the visually obvious offset to the mortise. When cutting your mitre the issue is you adjusted the height before setting the angle. Set the angle first, then “reset” the height by loosening, bringing the fence up, then bringing it down before locking the height in. The fence is fouling on the machine so your height was incorrectly set (too high) when you cut that first mortise in place. When you discovered the reference tab pulled in you corrected the improper height setting on that first cut.

I was one of those people who hated on the domino. Essentially it was just because i couldnt afford one. But eventually i was able to get one and man..... its worth every penny. What it comes down to is that this tool isnt for everyone. This is more for those how have been in it for a while and plan on sticking with it. We all want all the fancy tools and machines right off the bat but the majority of people cant just run out and drop 1000s of dollars in the first couple years of being into woodworking

I totally agree to your last words! I'm not a professional craftsman - but I do a lot of work, having build my entire house and many of the furniture for myself. By doing so I own more than 10 Festool items, the oldest of them for ~40 years. They all do a fantastic job and none of them ever gave up, even when I did things Festool did not intend to. So, are they worth there high prices? If you only put a painting at the wall every few year's - of course not; but if you want to do serious work - yes without a doubt! ...and btw - working with fine tools is so much more fun than working with ...cheap stuff...

I opted for both of my kidneys and got both the 500 and 700 and can't tell you how happy I am and honestly it paid off in about 5 jobs , yes I went trough a few mistakes as well as you mentioned but most of them is operators mistake because the tool is precise, one only complain about the 500 has a little flaw of the drifting fence on the height adjustment, but there are many remedies to fix that issue , I am really happy with both the 500 gets 80% of use and the 700 20% because of the specifics of that tool and the bigger projects , financially it impacted me badly in the beginning but hey 2 years later I am profiting from my investment, and I am not even full time furniture builder but these tools made my renovation business to take another direction which is very rewarding

Outstanding video! Nice coverage and I learned a few things I had not known before and I've owned the Domino 500 and the 700XL for more than three years now so the knowledge you've shared is much appreciated. Thank you!

Such an in depth and great review, thank you!

You mentioned that setting the fence height on material whose thickness doesn't correspond with any of the numbers on the board thickness gauge, won't allow you to return exactly to that fence height setting. What I do to ensure for exact repeatability in such cases is to make a gauge shim that, when set atop the nearest board thickness gauge tip, gives me the exact height I require. Then whenever I want to repolicate that same thickness, I set the board thickness gauge to the "nearest board thickness gauge" setting that I'd used in the first place, then before lowering the fence onto the tip, I set the shim I'd made onto the top of the board thickness gauge tip and lower the fence onto it. I have a number of these shims, which I label before saving them in my Festool Domino Systainer. Then there's the issue of selecting the optimum tenon for the job at hand. You recommend the standard rule of thumb, which is 1/3 the thickness of the pieces being joined. And you used an 18mm thick board to explain that a 6mm X 40mm tenon is ideal. However, because that length will blow through the side of the 18mm board, you recommend dropping down to a 5mm X 30mm to avoid this problem. What I suggest doing is staying with the 6mm X 40mm tenon, but sawing it shorter. This then gives you the tenon thickness desired for giving you the required strength, while ensuring you won't blow through the face of the one board. Whenever I err when making a mortise, I'll usually take a tenon and glue it into the wayward mortise. Once the glue has set enough, I'll saw and chisel the tenon's extra length off, flush with the surface. Then, I'll redo the mortise, this time paying closer attention to my work. I hope these comments help other Domino users get the most out of their machines.

Bro this is a crazy overview of the domino 500! Half of what you shared was not obvious and made me more excited i own one! 🙏🏽 this should be regular viewing for owners that are not using it everyday 😂

My domino joiner arrived today, this was a great intro video on how to use it!

Outstanding video. Thank you.

Thanks for all the pointers on the domino Witts. I plan on buying one here soon, I’ve been using dowels for some time and the domino just seems faster and more accurate to use. Thanks again man😊👍

Fantastic! Best video I've seen on the Domino, super valuable for me, thank you! Now a subscriber

Well done! Very informative and relatable.

Good Instructions on the depth settings. When I got mine I was confused (math is hard) on which setting you divided by two and which setting was the full measurement. (obviously words are hard too) Thanks Drew for taking the time to share this with us.

When I make face frames (or any butt joint) with the domino, I always use the tight setting on the rails, and the looser setting on the stiles. That way the dominos always first get glued into the rails tight - you could actually end up with a slanted domino putting into a loose mortise first. I also recently made a trapezoidal cabinet (95/85 miters). Since there aren't positive stops for those, you can actually just use the miter face as a reference for setting the fence.

Really enjoyed this video. Thanks for doing it. Answered a bunch of questions I had.

I’ve been woodworking for over 45 years and, for part of that, ran a small woodworking business (2.5 FT equivalents) making bespoke furniture; I should say that this business was a real sideline to my main business and it was more something that was personally interesting than anything and, when the fun stopped, I closed the business. In any case, any tool was regarded as an investment. We always looked at life cycle costs and not purchase price. I have quite a few Festool items and they vary, in my view, from very good to average to not so good. In the case of the domino, I still have both machines. I started out with traditional M&T joints made by auger, chisel and saw. Then we got a dedicated floor morticer which I still have. The only reason that morticer doesn’t get much use from me now is that my neck and shoulders won’t take the strain of pulling that lever many times to get through hardwood. The dominos are obviously less physically demanding but they were bought because they made M&T joints (okay, more accurately loose tenon joints) quicker and more accurately. We estimated that the payback in labour time alone was 6 months. There is an interesting exercise. If I lost all my tools on some sort of catastrophic fire and got full insurance pay out, what tools would I buy and what from what manufacturer. I would buy the dominos again.

Great job! I’m just doing my research before I buy the 500.

Very very nicely done video however I found only one flaw. The tight mortise and loose mortise cuts. The idea is to have a tight on one side of a particular joint and a loose on the opposing side of the same joint. This allows adjustments during glue-up. If you do tight and loose on the same plane, you are limited to only the tight mortises for such adjustments. Great video!

don’t forget one thing and that is longevity. When I started to restore an old watermill 25 years ago a carpenter told me to spend money and in the long run you will save. Hmmmmm?!?! I bought only Festo and spent the money and I felt that the company was arrogant some times when I suggested some improvements (they did use my tips) all my machines are like new after 25 years of heavy use. Chapeaux!

Festool recommends that you change the setting for the width of the holes on the DF500 only when the tool is running.

I like what you have done here.

This was so helpful!!! Thank you

I just ordered my 700 domino (straight from Germany with a pretty good discount). The only tip or pointer I'd add (doing my research.... Rule number one especially for newer people like me is to mark your faces (always); so that you reference always the right face. the only other thing is that I'd do the first side with the tight and the opposing side with the middle loose. That's the way I've seen it done to allow for wiggle; meaning not both loose. great video, thanks for doing it. great job.