Joinery Machine Introduction

This is the content required for an introduction to our biscuit joiners and loose tenon joiners - reading this does NOT replace the mandatory session with a tutor! It will make it a lot quicker though ;-)

If you need this introduction, please reach out to the following tutors: Philip, Patrick, Lukas

First off, make sure you have read the respective machine's manual:

• Toolson PRO-DF 860
• Festool Domino DF 500

Safety

Personal protection:

(a dust mask could also be necessary depending on your material)

Dangers	Precautions
exposed & rapidly spinning milling cutter will keep spinning for a few seconds after the tool is turned off	do not engage the tool when not in contact with the workpiece do not wear gloves while operating the machine, they could get caught! however, gloves may protect your fingers during a cutter change (machine unplugged) always check whether the tool movement you are planning is possible before turning it on - adjust depth if necessary
flying splinters and dust	wear goggles, a dust mask could also be necessary depending on your material hook up a shop vac, if possible otherwise attach a dust collection bag & keep it clean make sure there is nobody nearby who might be surprised by a piece of shrapnel flying their way!
the tool might move due to the force of the milling cutter	always hold the machine in both hands (handle and "tail") and only push into the wood slowly
no prevention of turning on after loss & restoration of power (keine Anlaufsicherung)	if the power has been lost for whatever reason, make sure the machine is turned off before restoring it!
the cutter gets extremely hot can potentially set the sawdust on fire remains hot for a while after using	take breaks, be careful when you need to change the cutter

Demonstration

The tutor will show you these steps with one of the machines:

• selecting biscuit or loose tenon size
  • make yourself familiar with different biscuit sizes (0, 10, 20) and loose tenon options during the planning stage of your project!
• setting the cut depth according to the selected biscuit/tenon option
  • Festool Domino DF 500: you also need to set the cutting width according to the your tenon & cutter
• setting the cutting height
  • the height ruler refers to the center of the cutter, so you do not need to subtract its thickness
• setting the cutting angle
• aligning the tool with your workpiece
• working on vertical cuts: compared to horizontal cuts (into the workpiece edge), the machine is much more likely to slide around! Clamp down a temporary fence for accuracy
• practice cut!