The world's most infamous woodworking tool can be REPLACED! 

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Just comes down to what's most important ... time or money. If time IS money like in a production environment, springing for a Domino is a no brainer. But if you're simply a hobbyist making one-off pieces of furniture for your home, a plunge router works just as effectively. That's a great tip with the splined fence, Stumpy!

The cut line for fence was brilliant, never thought of doing that.

If you are a woodworking professional your tools are your livelihood. For a home tinkerer like myself this is an excellent way to achieve the same. Thanks

I recall you made a similar video for a jig like this some time ago ...... I cannot begin to tell you how useful that was, I now make all my 'mortise & tenon' joints with a copy of that jig, slightly modified to suit my own needs, but a fantastically useful jig. BIG thanx!!

Classic Stumpy Nubs - practical, concise and unpretentious. One of the best woodworking channels. Thank you.

Nice quick jig. 3x3 Custom has also made an excellent jig that is a little more work but a lot more customizable. I highly recommend it.

I very much appreciate your meticulous, clear instructions. I always find I have a better understanding of “how and why” after I have watched your videos. You have a way of simplifying and incrementing your explanations that helps me very much. Thank you.

As usual, well done James. Some nice improvements to your jig too. As others have added, there are lots of alternatives to Fesstool Dominoes. I've made lots of things, from huge doors to small furniture with mortises cut with chisels after drilling out waste. Later I got a small hollow chisel mortiser. Worked well, but not fast. When making dozens of windows, I found a used chain mortiser that greatly sped up the operation. Great for making big mortises on lots of things. But I bought a Domino jointer 15 years ago, and later an XL. They WERE expensive. But the time they save me makes them very worth while. I could have gotten by without the XL I suppose, but it has been used on probably 1000 or more mortises, and I'm happy with it. There are always ways to do things differently. The Domino is just an amazingly accurate machine that takes a lot of time out of set up. Not necessary, but for someone that does work with wood every day, it is a darn useful tool. I'm glad to pay for the accuracy and the ease of adjusting to each project need. It is not just the ability to "rout" deep mortises. It is the ability to quickly register from an edge to you slot, to change that register in increments, to go back again, to widen slots, to quickly change depths, etc. I certainly don't own a lot of Fesstool products, because while they are usually a cut above, the comparable drill, sander, etc, but I can get by with something considerably cheaper, but I do admire their commitment to quality. For the Domino, it is not just a better made product, it is truly unique.

Thank you for showing us this again, James!

Another great video James. Thank you for the lesson 👍

Thanks Stumpy! One of those “It’s so simple” moments that you don’t know why you hadn’t thought of it before. Great tip!

You are a RU-vid gem, I have truly enjoyed your videos. Explained with intelligens and clearity. Sorry about my poor english.

Wow! I have so much to learn! This really helps and inspires me! Thanks!

Watching this makes my Domino’s worth the price tag even more

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing this.

I used slot tenons to fabricate new window sash for a historic building. Around 30 windows. Worked great! Excellent video on the jig! Well done !

Excellent presentation and jig!

I have no problem with Festool other than price. If you have a high volume cabinet shop, go for it. The cost makes any Festool product unnecessary in a hobbyist shop. Besides, Norm showed us how to do loose-tennon joinery with a router 30 years ago. If it's good enough for Norm. . .

Another great video, James! Thanks again!

Good idea and explanation. Thanks

Such a great alternative. Thank you

Great idea and help to visualize the process. Thanks.

This is a great technique, and the bomb-proof tip on getting the fence exactly parallel alone makes the video worth watching. I remember the channel had a very similar video a few years back, with the main difference being that James lacked the Spock-in-a-parallel-universe goatee. Good to present this material for the benefit of those newer to the channel and as a refresher for long time viewers. Thumbs up for Tay Tools-they're great to deal with and have lots of useful vids on their own RU-vid channel.

You always deliver good information-thank you. That is why watch your channel and take your lessons/information as solid advice to consider.

Simple, logical, and useful. Thanks for another good one!

James, you hit it out of the park again! I will be doing this in the near future. Thank you again for your no fuss, no mess, no hype style-much appreciated!

When I first saw Festool products and saw the prices, I was appalled. Then I saw the design effort and engineering quality that goes into them. It's all about productivity with accuracy. If I was earning my living from woodworking instead of being a hobbyist, I'd want Festool.

Great tips As always James Thanks for sharing

Thank you sir for another great perspective and another approach. Thank you so much for all you do. I’m a novice wood worker but I’ve learned so much watching your videos.

Great information! Thank you!

This channel never disappoints

PS: Thanks to you I now only use 3M cubitron ...... fantastic product ..... plan to make a chisel sharpening jig as per another one of your ideas for using cubitron!!

Thanks Professor Nubs for another great method that works great and saves money.

This video really shows why the domino is valuable to people who make money through their woodworking. If you make a couple hundred of these joints eventually the time saved using the domino will have made it totally worth the money. but that doesn't apply to hobbyists

What a great idea! Thanks.

So much a router can do and you showing how to make a jig to go and do mortise joints is an added bonus.

Top notch like always! Thank you sir!

As always, good info thank you.

What a great idea for the wood workers that are not in production or regularly requiring loose tenons. For that "once in a while hobbiest", this is a great option. Thank you for sharing!

Great job. Thank you 😊

Thanks for the money saving tip.

Jigs are Jigs, Tools are Tools. I always make throw away jigs, It's just cheaper. Whether I am making one or two pieces or twenty units. Once I find out the units sells... That jig gets stored with all the templates, plans, pictures and any video for the next selling season. Great video! Shoot, I even make jigs to make high profit planters. Make it once and production run begins. Keeps everything uniform and body parts away from high speed metal cutting devices sheathed in tungsten carbide! With a good jig instead of 10-20 a day hundreds can be made. More profit!

Just wanted to say thank you. I didn't look back that far. Maybe other folks who missed it will now check it out .

Great information, as always.

Good video, it works. I might use it for a special unavailable size domino, however time is of the essence for me, so the domino is my preference. Of course I own one, but if you are only going to do a few, and don't want to pay fesstool a lot of money, your suggestion is great!

Thanks James. I really like your idea! And so much easier than using a chisel. You are truly a master! 😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

Genius. Thank you!

Well done James, us domino folk do this also, we also would use a router (probably green) with good chip removal. I like your presentation. Well done! And yes, it’s all about the woodworker, the tools don’t define us, they only help facilitate the process!

Brilliant! I'll bet Festool will love you!

Such a simple jig enables one of the most useful joints. IMO this is the joint that all beginning woodworkers should know and use. I like the version that has adjustable slot width, which is not much more complicated.

I couldn't agree more about changing the channel when a RU-vid'r whips out their flashy domino tool. Great tip for lining up the fence. I was expecting parallel for the fence to be the failure of this option, but I learned something instead and am impressed. Cheers.

I cut several of these on a past project, but just used a router guide. Just add boards so it's balanced. Marc Spagnola has a video on it. This also looks like a great jig.

Great! The video is amazing and has caught my interest. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Great jig! With the new stubble, you're channeling your best Andy Dufresne look from Shawshank Redemption.😊

Great vid and tips James. If you own a woodworking CNC, it is super easy to whip up quick, custom jigs like this, any length and width 🙂

I'm a 'home tinkerer' that's been renovating and building cabinets, shelves, tables for about 20 years. I have a crap load of Festool machines, many of which I purchased 2nd hand, including the DF500 Domino. Never had any regrets or issues. That stuff doesn't seem to want to wear out. Must say though, once you've used a Domino, there's no going back!

Great job 👏🏻

Nice work !

Great job 👍

Here's a couple of enhancements. First, make a set of jigs for common dimensions when positioning the fence. One for 3/4 in stock, another for 1 1/2" stock, etc. You could also take angles into consideration, and make jigs where the fence is positioned for 1 1/2 stock cut on a 45 degree angle. Second, make the gap the largest you think you will ever use. In the jig, add a mechanism that allows you to vary the length of the gap. You could simply use spacer blocks, or get fancier and use a bolt that can be adjusted. For the bolt idea, drill through holes through the two narrow strips before assembly. Thread one of the holes and insert a long bolt. When assembling the jig, make sure the bolt is facing inward. Then, use a long screwdriver through the other end to adjust the length of the mortise.

Thanks for this! It's not so much the Festool machine that turns people off, it is the fact that this is realistically a tool only for professionals who make their living in woodworking. If you are not a professional, it is highly unlikely you are going to spend that much on a rarely used tool, and if you are a professional, you don't need some dimbulb RU-vidr droning on about how great it is. Thus nobody is interested. What is needed is more videos like this which demonstrate how you can get the same results as a pro without the expense.

I love mine.

I've always used dowels. They are quick and easy to use and all I need is a drill and an inexpensive dowel jig. I've never needed to use mortice and tenon. Should I reconsider?

Excellent idea! I have seen a router mortising machine before but was as expensive as the Festool domino. I like this idea. One thing to note, is the specs of the jig may have to be changed or remade for different width stock. After a couple of projects, I bet you won't need to make a new jig anymore. Thanks.

Fabulous‼️

Your short review on the new 3M Sanding Disk. This is an incredible leap forward in sandpaper technology. My good pal and neighbor was a sales rep for 3M. He was KING on body shop abrasives. I gave him two disks to try out. Dave could not believe it. Dave is going to call his old contacts at 3M. I hope I can gain some insight for you on what & how. Soon hopefully. TS Portland

Wow, Thanks great presentation and technique. Tom Byrne

Ok now THIS just might be my favorite jig vid

Stumpy, you’re the man 💪

Yeah Still love my PC890 router. FYI, you can make a long one jig with several opening for doing carouses.

This workaround is nice, but anyone doing a volume of work will want the expensive, accurate and devoted tool as it requires less steps and is possibly less prone to error.

James one more nice video...before I had Mortise Pal (not avaible anymore)...I did like your mortise jig I add a threaded rod and a T nut at edge and make the slot longer and the threaded rod limited how long I can go...congratulations from Brazil

What a great idea.

For now I’ll continue to use my dedicated morticer and tenon fence jig.

can't relate to this thing either. But I do understand that if you're a company who glues up a lot of tables or something, you'd want one.

Great! and thank you....rr Normandy, France

I believe that the 3m cubitron paper is good stuff. I have been using the regular sheets of 3m sand paper and it cuts quick! I really wanna try the cubitron stuff on my orbital sander.

Thank you.

Perfect example of why the domino is a thing. That's a whole lot of work compared to just picking it up and going to town. For a DIYer who does this twice a year, this method sure is adequate but there are two distinct groups of people for whom the domino was made: 1. Pros that do this three times a week where the time savings will amortize the domino inside a year and a half 2. People like me, who have a high motivational threshold to begin a project because they think way too much about all the work involved. And have the spare change to buy it. The latter of point two is where I diverge from that group :D.

thanks

James. I agree that your jig works very well for larger projects like the door and even smaller ones using 3/4" material, however it would not work so well on narrow mitered stock such as for picture frames, where small dominos/loose tenons are useful. Of course, the loose tenon joint could be replaced with splined joints for the frames, however splines might not be acceptable for the appearance of the finished frame. Woodworking is always better when one has alternatives to consider in design and construction, thank you for sharing.

Norm Abrams laughs at your domino and continues to biscuit on.🤣

That's pretty much the exact jig I have been using for some of my mortise & tenon joints for years. Nice to see a porter Cable router. They were #1 for so many years, and now they are hard to find, and it seems like they may be going out of business? Most of the links I follow go to discontinued products 😐

Lovely vid

As someone who's used methods like this for years and some of the stuff the wood whisper showed in a video as well. There's places where the domino certainly still outshines. Mainly on mitres and small pieces. And obviously time wise is way faster. But with that price I can't justify having both domino. So I own the smaller one since I use it more. If on the off chance I need something bigger I use the router jig options. It was hard to justify buying when I did buy it years ago. But I never regretted it. I was happy to sell my track saw. Not that I don't love them. But you pay a premium for the festool and the only difference using my Bosch one instead is I don't have the festool cord and it was nearly half the price when I got it on sale. And since the only other festool items I have is a Sander and the domino, I don't care for the cord. It's not that big of a deal to me. Plus I always considered cutting one cord to put a twist lock on it. Since I did that with every other tool I have. They all have a twist lock camlok connector on them that I can go from tool to tool.

Right tool for the right job, right? I use both methods depending on the project, as I'm sure you do, as well. I like the simplicity of the jig you make.

As a domino owner I still use this method to cut large mortises. I made a large door a year or so ago and wanted beefy mortise and tenons so the router method was the way.

I'm honestly surprised that Milescraft doesn't make one of these, looks like they make something for self centering but not sure if it would work for doing it on the opposite surface if it's not centered

ok, I tried the cubitron and I must admit it lasts longer and doesn't gum up. I think it's bewitched, it's so good.

Well that certainly makes loose tenon joinery less expensive than the Festool route. Although I wouldn't say it is exactly free. You need a router and router bit. Although I expect most shops do have those. I really like your method of aligning the jig's fence. And apparently the only critical measurement is the thickness of the tenon. You indicate that length and width can vary without compromising the joint. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

Re-invented the wheel, this is as old as I can remember. But if time is money (and for a pro it is), then this is the reason the Domino was invented...😉

One thing that nobody points out is the bushing for the router. I believe most newbies will have no problem getting the bit or making the jig but get lost on the bushings. Like how to get them. Do they work with 'my' router. Do I need to buy a different router. Can I get a bushing for my trim router. And so on. Maybe do a video on router bushings and accessories?

Great video as always. Also am I seeing a little stuble?

Would the jig be strong enough if it was built with the 3or4 inch piece of plywood glued to the spacer strips then glued to a piece of plywood a little thinner than the offset you wanted (from the face of the work piece to the closest edge of the mortise), glue the fence on and finally add another piece of plywood to provide support to the router?

Great idea James. My rule: if you’re doing a process more than twice - make a jig for it. I like your method much better than Domino wanna be tools which are often hundreds of dollars, and make joints that are half as strong as a loose tenon. Thanks for keeping our imaginations alive.

Can you cut mortise on an angle? For example can you cut a mortise on a 22.5 degree angle and on a 5 degree angle to join three pieces of wood together?

I got around using a domino for along time and that’s fine of course. I used one once at a friends shop and I was hooked. The domino makes joining pieces so fast and exact that it’s a real game changer in saving TIME. If you got time to kill there’s no point in the domino but if you are limited on time it’s impossible to beat.

I get smarter watching your vids. Thanks.

2:31The funny thing is that yesterday I saw a Woodpacker video of their new add-on products for the Dominos, an offset base/fence system package at a whopping $470. That makes their super nice space-tech finish multi-function router base at $250 a bargain.