How to Make Domino Joints with a Festool Domino Joiner

When it comes to modern woodworking, few tools have made as big an impact as the Festool Domino. For many woodworkers, the Domino is a game-changer: it combines the speed and accuracy of a biscuit joiner with the strength of traditional mortise and tenon joinery. Whether you’re building furniture, cabinetry, or custom projects, Domino joints are one of the most reliable ways to get strong, precise, and repeatable results.

In this guide, we’ll walk through what Domino joints are, why they’re worth using, and step-by-step instructions on how to create them using a Festool Domino joiner. 

Domino joints are a type of loose tenon joint created with Festool’s Domino joiners (the DF 500 or DF 700). Instead of cutting a fixed mortise and shaping a tenon, the Domino joiner quickly cuts matching mortises into each workpiece. A tenon, known as a “Domino”, is then glued into the slots to create a strong connection.  Pre-made options are made from both beech or sipo (hardwood) for indoor & outdoor applications.

The result? A joint that’s fast to make, strong enough for heavy-duty applications, and precise enough for fine furniture.

Make sure your timber is milled flat and square. For edge-to-edge or butt joints, ensure the edges line up cleanly. Accuracy here will make your joinery seamless.

On your Domino joiner, adjust the fence to the correct height for the thickness of your stock. For example, if you’re working with 20mm material, set the fence so the mortise is centred in the middle at 10mm thickness.

This can vary if doing angled plunges.

The recommended tenon thickness is 1/3rd of the material thickness. For example, if using a 30mm thick board, the recommended domino thickness would be 10mm. The tenon thickness can be adjusted by replacing the cutter to the suitable size.

The Domino joiner allows you to adjust both:

• Depth - This determines how deep the mortise will be. Match it to half the length of the Domino tenon you’re using.

• Width - You can cut tight-fitting mortises for perfect alignment, or wider ones for easier assembly.

For quick projects, you can often rely on the tool’s indexing pins. For more complex joinery, use a pencil and square to mark where you want your Dominoes to go.

Position the joiner against the workpiece, press firmly, and plunge the cutter into the timber. Repeat for each mortise location on both pieces. Always ensure your tool is flat against the top plate & reference edge.

Insert Domino tenons into the mortises without glue to check your alignment. The pieces should fit snugly and flush.

Apply wood glue inside the mortises and onto the Domino tenons. Insert the Dominoes, bring the pieces together, and clamp until the glue cures.

After curing, scrape or sand away any squeeze-out. The joint should be flush, strong, and nearly invisible.

• Use a dust extractor -This helps keep mortises clean for a tighter fit and prevents clogging.
• Keep a consistent reference face - Always register the Domino joiner off the same face of your workpieces to avoid misalignment.
• Test on scrap - Especially when setting depth and height for the first time.
• Choose the right Domino size - For smaller projects (drawers, boxes, frames), 5-6mm Dominoes are perfect. For larger builds (tables, doors), step up to 8-10mm or even larger on the DF 700.

Domino joints are incredibly versatile and can replace traditional joinery in many applications, including:

• Edge-to-edge joints (tabletops, panels)

• Mitered corners (frames, boxes)

• Butt joints (cabinet carcasses, shelves)

• Stile and rail connections (doors, face frames)

• Chair and table construction (where strength is critical)

Many woodworkers wonder if Domino joints are “as strong” as traditional mortise and tenon. The short answer: yes. Tests have shown Domino joints to be exceptionally strong, often outperforming biscuits, dowels, and pocket screws. For most woodworking projects, they’ll provide more than enough strength while cutting your build time in half.