I receive this question in my inbox at least once a week so I decided it was time to make my response more official. Because I value your time, let me start off by giving you the short and sweet answer: it depends on the kind of work you do.

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The Domino DF500 is great for small to medium-scale projects including panels, frames, cabinetry, boxes, and small furniture. The Domino XL DF700 is well-suited for large scale furniture projects such as entry doors, beds, big tables, and larger structural components. In my opinion, the majority of users will be best-served by the Domino DF500.

Of course, the tools have a bit of overlap on the high end of the DF500 and the low end of the DF700. To elucidate this gray area, we need to dig into the details.

In Case You Aren’t Famliar

The Festool Domino is functionally similar to the classic biscuit joiner. You simply plunge the tool into the work and seconds later you have a mortise. But there are some major differences between a biscuit and a Domino tenon. Most folks believe biscuits are fairly weak and they typically aren’t used in applications where joint strength is critical. Part of this comes from the thickness of the biscuit itself but also from the shallow penetration and the fairly loose fit. A Domino tenon suffers from none of these issues. The solid wood tenon is strong, tight, and penetrates deep into the adjoining boards.

The Domino now comes in to two flavors: the original Domino DF500 and the Domino XL DF700. To help you decide which Domino is right for you, let’s evaluate three important attributes: mortise sizes, weight, and cost.

Mortise Sizes

DF500
Cutters available for 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 mm thick tenons.
Max depth 1 3/32″ (28mm)

DF700
Cutters available for 8, 10, 12, and 14 mm thick tenons.
Max Depth: 2-3/4″ (70mm)

When looking at the resulting joint made by a Domino, the two most important factors are penetration depth and tenon thickness. As you can see, the two tools overlap in the 8mm – 10mm range. So if you are the kind of woodworker who makes a lot of smaller craft items and you occasionally delve into small furniture and casework, the DF500 is an obvious choice. If you primarily make full-size tables and chairs and you occasionally delve into large-scale work like conference tables and entry doors, the DF700 is the clear winner. If you tend to focus solely in that middle range of small to medium-sized furniture (the one that makes frequent use of the 8-10 mm tenons), you’re in the gray area. And if you’re like me and your work tends to span the entire range, you’re in even more of a pickle. Of course the ideal solution is to have both tools but most budgets just won’t allow for that. So here’s how I break the tie.

For me, it comes down to a fundamental woodworking component: panels. Nearly all woodworking eventually requires you to take two boards and glue them together to create a wider board (table tops, frame and panel doors, etc). Because I like trouble-free glueups, I use the 5mm x 30mm Domino to assist with alignment. Unlike a biscuit, the domino has zero slop and ensures I have very little flattening work to do after the glueup. It’s like having another set of hands (or cauls) working for you behind the scenes. As a result, the 5mm x 30mm Domino is the most frequently-used size in my shop. And that’s a size I can only use with the DF500. While thicker tenons would still work, I find the 5 mm size to be ideal for the task.

Weight

What makes the Domino tool so special is the fact that you can take the tool to the wood. This is incredibly helpful whether you’re on a job site or working in a cramped shop space. So no matter how large the workpiece is, you can always make your marks and cut your mortises easily. But all of this movement means there’s a potential for wrist fatigue. The DF500 weighs in at 7 lbs and the DF700 weighs in at 11.4 lbs. While both tools are ergonomically designed and are probably about as comfortable to use as they can be, an additional 4.4 lbs is a lot of extra weight to sling around your shop. Not a deal breaker by any means, but it’s something to consider if you’re on the fence.

Cost

For the tool alone with no accessories or Domino tenons, the DF500 costs $825 and the DF700 costs $1200 (as of November 2013). If you specifically need one size range or the other, the price isn’t really relevant. But if you’re on the fence, the cost savings of the DF500 is certainly something to think about.

Rumors

Frankly, I don’t follow the Festool rumor mill very closely but I have heard that smaller cutters are going to be made available for the DF700. These are not Festool cutters and obviously Festool recommends against using them. Having no specific knowledge of these cutters myself, I can’t really comment.

In Summary

As you can probably tell by now, the DF500 would be my choice if I had to pick only one unit. I have used the DF500 for years now and there were only a few times I thought to myself, “I wish they made a larger version.” Part of that stems from the fact that I still make a lot of traditional mortise and tenon joints in my work. Since I teach woodworking for a living, I can’t exactly whip out the Domino on every project.

No doubt someone else will provide a well-reasoned argument for the DF700 as the only Domino you need. Since each of us represents a different use-case, it’s hard for anyone to make a one-size-fits-all recommendation. And being realistic, most of us would ultimately be happy with EITHER tool. The fact that they have a bit of overlap in the middle range means that many of our joinery needs can be met by both tools.

My hope is that you’ll review the facts and specs and decide for yourself what would be best for your shop. Be sure to read the resulting comments below as your fellow woodworkers are likely to chime in with their personal opinions on the subject and they may very well sway your opinion.

Don’t think for a second that I don’t know how lucky I am to have a dedicated shop space. I exchange emails on a daily basis with people who are sharing their shop space with toys, exercise equipment, lawn mowers, and *gulp* cars. But necessity is the mother of invention and when you have the woodworking bug, you do what you have to do. So what’s your shop situation? Do you have to share the space?

Interested in seeing other woodworkers’ shops? Check out our Shop Tours section!

Is your shop a totally dedicated space?

This poll was created by Tom Iovino of TomsWorkbench.com.

This is a re-post of a Guest article that I accidentally deleted. My bad. 🙂 Please enjoy reading about Dave Frameli’s experience installing a plywood floor in his shop. —Marc

I built a 900sf wood shop on the back of a two car garage and I wanted a wood floor for a couple of reasons. First it’s easier on the body after standing all day and second, and just as important, was the insulation value. I wanted to keep my utility bills to a minimum so along with insulated 2X6 walls, 5/8” drywall and R43 insulation in the ceiling, I wanted an insulated floor. I did some research on-line but most of my plan came from what I read in books.

Getting Started

The first thing I did was fill in the cracks between the block foundation and the floor. My thought was to stop any moisture from getting to the floor and baseboard. I choose a polyurethane caulking made especially for concrete and masonry.

Securing the Lumber

To secure the 2x4s to the concrete I planned to shoot nails with .22 blanks. The first gun I tried wouldn’t drive the nails deep enough so I exchanged it for a gun that could handle a higher caliber blank. I tried this gun and the nail still didn’t go far enough in but this time it actually cracked my concrete. So within just a few hours I was on plan “C”, using Tapcon screws. I wasn’t looking forward to all the drilling but I wanted to secure the floor to eliminate any movement. If the wood floor gets taken out in the future, it will not be hard to fill the holes and cover the floor with an epoxy.

I started securing pressure treated 2X4’s along the entire perimeter. I ran a good sized bead of decking glue under the 2X4s and smeared the glue as I pressed the boards into position. I used an impact drill along with the bits that came with the Tapcon screws to drill through the lumber and into the concrete.

After the perimeter was complete, it was time to mark where I wanted the 4X8 sheets to lay. Every article I read said it was better to install the 2x4s on 24” centers but I didn’t feel this would be strong enough for all the heavy equipment in the shop so I installed the center boards on 16” centers. I’m glad I did. Everything I read also showed the plywood laying parallel with the 2X4s. I ran this through my head while looking at the floor and there seemed to be a better way. When the plywood lays parallel with the lumber, each sheet is supported by four lengths of 2X4s. If I laid the plywood across the 2X4s there would be seven lengths of 2X4s supporting each 4X8 sheet. So I experimented and laid out two sheets of plywood, one in each direction and sure enough there was a distinct difference in support.

Foam Insulation

I started cutting the foam boards on a table saw but it really made a mess with foam dust flying all around so I ended up using a jig saw instead. For every 4X8 sheet of foam board there was a 10-11” piece left over. I used the small scraps as a temporary walkway making it safer and easier on the ankles when carrying sheets of plywood into the shop. The leftovers then went into the attic.

Vapor Barrier

There’s not much to installing the plastic vapor barrier. I used 6 mil clear plastic from a 100’ roll. Once I laid it out I randomly stapled so it wouldn’t move when I walked on it. I did overlap the next sheet at least 6 inches and I taped the seams with some leftover Tyvek tape but any seal type tape will work. Note: Before you start laying the plywood down, inspect the plastic for small holes made from accidentally walking over the edge. It’s an easy fix, just cover the holes with tape.

Plywood Flooring

My initial plan was to use tongue and groove (T&G) plywood to ensure the edges would always remain level with each other even if some boards started to warp. The biggest drawback for the T&G was knowing the shop will go through many changes over the years and if I used T&G I would lose the option of pulling up sections of plywood to run wiring under the floor. I also had thought if a section of floor ever gets damaged and had to be replaced, what a chore that would be to repair it! I’m sure this floor will get damaged at some point along the way. I chose to use 23/32″ sanded plywood sheets that were not T&G. Note: Remember to stagger the plywood; it will make for a much stronger floor overall.

Securing the Plywood

I used 2” Green exterior screws with T-20 star drive heads to secure the plywood to the 2X4s. Whatever screws you use make sure they can be used with treated lumber. Initially I made a story pole from scrap wood so I would know where to align my screws but I found the fastest way was to use a 4’ rule. Lay it down across the board and seat the screws into the plywood with a hammer about 1-1/4” from the edges and then every 16”.

Note: Do not screw in the corners until the next row has been installed. This helps prevent the corner edge from smashing outward which prevents the next row from having that perfect fit.
For driving the screws in, I didn’t set my drill clutch to leave the screws level with the surface of the floor because I wanted to drive the screws below the surface. This way I would feel comfortable sitting a wood project on the floor or even sliding it without gouging the project.

Finishing the Floor

Overall the hardest decision was how to finish the floor. Initially I planned on putting down an epoxy but I couldn’t find one that could be used on wood. Then I planned on using a solid stain looking at colors from light green to gray. For these I stained some wood scraps and walked on them for a few days only to discover it would be too hard to sweep and keep clean. In the end I decided to lay down three coats of floor polyurethane.

I just poured it directly from the can to the floor and I used a 10” 100% lambskin applicator to apply the finish. Between coats keep I kept the applicator on the stick and just wrapped the applicator in a few small plastic bags to keep it from drying. I only sanded after the second coat because I didn’t want the floor to be too slippery. Also using a clear finish showed all the marks in the plywood and even the paint showed along the edges so overall it gives the shop more character.

This project took longer than I expected but much of this was trying things out for the first time and rechecking it as I went along. I didn’t count the hours but I spent no more than (3) weekends and an hour or so each weekday to get it all completed including finish. After about 6 months of making saw dust I am no longer a concerned about the floor being slippery. Also with the finish on it, it is really easy to sweep up.

I hope this makes things easier if you’re deciding if you want to install your own plywood floor. OH, BY THE WAY, MY WIFE HELPED!

Check out Dave’s Shop Tour!

Woodworkers often say that when you start turning, you just can’t stop. I can see why. It’s a very artistic process with near-immediate gratification. There aren’t many furniture projects that can be built and finished in a single day but I can think of hundreds of turning projects than can.

While I certainly enjoy my time at the lathe, it never really grabbed me like it does with other woodworkers. So how about you? Have you ever turned a project?

Have you ever turned a project?

Our polls are created by Tom Iovino at TomsWorkbench.com.

In case you aren’t familiar, biscuits are small football-shaped discs that are inserted into a complimentary slot cut into a board. If you have a biscuit joiner, you simply line the tool up with a center line on each board to be joined and plunge. The pre-made biscuits fit perfectly (sometimes) into the slots and with the addition of glue, add some strength to the joint. Personally, I began my woodworking journey using biscuits but as time marched on, I began to use them for alignment purposes only. Once the Festool Domino came out, providing more depth and strength than a biscuit, I no longer had a need for a biscuit joiner.

Some folks hate them, others love them. What do you think of biscuit joints?

What do you think about biscuit joints?

Our polls are created by Tom Iovino of TomsWorkbench.com.