How Strong Are DOWELS vs DOMINOS vs BISCUITS? Strength Test

I got a lot of feedback asking me to test dowels too, and now that I have a Festool Domino it's time to test them all out! I also test the wood glue on it's own.

How strong are dowels vs biscuits vs dominos? Let's find out!

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[Bill.L.Carroll]

I think these numbers are inconclusive no matter how you want to spin it. (I don't mean you, as in you Keith)
In all tests the glue failed, but one, where the board failed.
So the reality is, ALL the joiners that were on test here, survived!
Not one broke or even cracked...
Stick with whatever works best for you, on whatever the build requires in your own shop. 👍
Either way, was an interesting test, one that certainly was a surprise!
Cheers mate 👍

[IrishChippy]

The weak link is the plywood. The dominos are taking more 'meat' out of the plywood than the dowels so were always going to lose out. All that aside, the variables in the consistency of the plywood itself can not be measured. I do not own a domino machine and do not intend to buy as I see them as a gimmick. In normal woodworking, I feel two rows of 6mm or 8mm dowels are a better choice with my JessEm jig. I have a biscuiter that I seldom use. For 'real' furniture I use the 8, 000 year old mortise and tenon joint

[jigsey.]

The festool fanboys will be in uproar 😁 long live the dowells

[woodfinchcrafts]

Interesting - but the test is actually applying tension to the joint (compression at the very top - the rest of the joint is under tension). Which is why the joints are pulling apart, without breaking the inserts. I'd be interested to see the difference in shear strength, which is what something like a bookcase would have to handle.

[howdoyoudoityourself]

Thank you for the test, it is always a surprise what can come out

[David-xuyk]

Great video and lots to think about when choosing!

[awantamta]

Thank you for doing that test because I don't have a domino joiner and I use dowels so it just maybe confirms that dowels are good and I don't need to get a domino joiner just yet. Keep up the good work.

[schwartzmatthewe]

Great video man! Thanks for making it.

[DariointheWorkshop]

Nice test Keith.
I believe that wood joints should always be designed and thought of in a way proper to their application. A chair needs very strong joints, a coffee table still needs strong joints but not as strong as a chair. All that matters is the application, in my opinion. I see lots of videos on YouTube where woodworkers seem to rely on the Domino machine mostly as a way to slap 2 parts together quickly - which is OK many times - but I like to pay much more attention to the geometry of the joint itself than to the actual piece of wood (or metal) that keeps 2 parts together.

[theopiner]

I was entertained and I found the test results to be interesting. Thank you for the video, Keith, it was a good way to pass the time while I ate my baked potato!

[mclkev]

Very enjoyable video - nice testing, interesting results

[monophoto]

Interesting series of tests, but I 'm not sure what it really shows. Many of the failures occurred because the plywood laminations separated as a result of local stress from the jointing device. And the fact that one of the failures was unrelated to the joint at all suggests that the strength of the laminations in the plywood was inconsistent. Also, the measured stress levels at the points of failure were relatively close together. So that would lead me to suggest that tests demonstrated that the plywood failed at relatively consistent points, but they didn't accurately measure the relative strengths of the jointing methods. For the tests to meaningfully compare the jointing methods, the material would have to be much stronger than the joints.

[toucanproductions]

As always, thank you for another good video. I was surprised by the domino results, but that’s why tests are done. Keep up the good work.

[afc]

There's a reason dowels have been popular for 1, 500 years.

[garagemonkeysan]

Interesting. Thanks for testing and sharing! : )

[jonathanb]

Great video. Im applying some of this logic to some stretcher frame making.

[tobybeswick]

It seems like the parts that failed where the glue or plywood. It would be interesting to try the test again with some pine solid wood and Titebond 3 for glue, end grain to side grain joints like they would be in a chair or a table

[BillHartCooks.]

Good test. I agree wholeheartedly with your Observations.
.

[frankyboy]

The "resting" side of your setup needs to be a lot more solid I think. To me it seems like this variability could introduce a lot of inconsistencies in the outcome. Or maybe even a bridge-type setup where you rest left/right and apply pressure in the middle (because those are easier to get set up "solidly"). Test design is a fascinating subject :D

[StamosTee]

That could be an interesting test, but the plywood was not the ideal choice. I am a huge fan of dowels. They're easy to use without the need of fancy tools, extremely strong and cheap. I sometimes add dowels even if I've already glued a butt joint which is a great plus.