Thinking of buying a Wood Rat

[SketchUp Guru]

Tony, congratulations on the addition of the Rat in your shop.

I just thought I would make a comment related to joinery on the Rat. Aldel has a page or two describing how to cut dovetails. After the sockets are cut the tail board is clamped horizontally to the bottom of the base plate. The pin board is clamped in the cam clamp so it is under the tail board and the pins are marked out by scribing using the sockets as guides. Essentially doing as you would for hand cut.

This is required but I find it useful because I get immediate feedback when I'm cutting the joint. I've applied this for other sorts of joinery to good effect.

Now, before you start cutting dovetails please take a few minutes and do the following steps. It will save you a bunch of frustration and trial and error later.

Remove the router from the router plate.
Install the router plate on the base plate set up as you would for dovetails using the centre plate.
Slide it back against the rear stop.
Set the centre plate button setting to some convenient setting. Make sure you're reading the correct index mark for the location of the base plate on the extrusion.
Cam a straight stick into the cutter position so it sticks up though the slots in the plates and is flush with the top of the router plate.
Measure the distance between the back of the stick (which is also the front face of the Rat) and the centre of the screw in the centre plate.
Compare it to the setting you made and note the difference. Ideally they should match since that is what the button setting is supposed to represent.

I have two centre plates; one that came with the Rat and one I bought a few months ago. (I've had my rat for about 4 years.) With the old centre plate set at 60 the actual distance between the face of the rat and the centre of the screw is 57.5mm; a difference of 2.5mm. If I use the calculated setting for cutting pins, they end up too small. If I add 2.5 to the calculated setting they come out just right.

On the new centre plate the difference is 6mm. I expect that's due to a change in the way the labels are applied to the router plate and centre plate now as compared to 4 years ago. I'd be surprised if you find that kind of a difference.

I created an Excel-based button calculator that has a section for this correction so you don't have to remember to add it to your setting. For me this is handy. I started making a table, too, that lists the WoodRat bits as well as the Craftsman Gallery HSS bit and some TCT cutters. It has button settings for the common straight bits: 6mm, 1/4", 10mm, 1/2.

If you want a copy of that Excel thing--the calculator and the table are in the same sheet--I could send it to you.

 

[RogerS]

That's a very timely reminder, Dave, as that caught me out when I first got the Rat!

Would also appreciate a copy of your spreadsheet. Will PM you my email address if that's OK?

Cheers

Roger

 

[Nick W]

Just a reminder to Palm users that there is a button calculator in my collection of wood related utilities here. Follow the links to the software page.

 

[woodbloke]

I'll throw my 2p's worth into the pond and muddy some waters.
Why. oh why, do you want to buy an expensive constructional jig, or any other jig for that matter. i've worked for two professional cabinet making companies and none of them used any sort of jig like a Rat as they are too complicated to use and take far too long to set up. One firm did have a Rat but it sat on a shelf gathering a huge amount of dust. Everyone though had their own personal router which was all singing and all dancing; the only jigs used with it were various fences/sole plate jigs. Dovetails were always cut by hand and if I'm not mistaken thats the main reason for buying a jig.
My early inspiration to do this craft was reading the books by Krenov. His work is almost entirely done by hand, including the final planing of huge bits of rosewood and padauk etc by hand with wooden planes. All dovetails are cut and finished by hand, though mortices are cut on a horizontal machine, designs literally produced on the back of a *** packet.
My point is that with good tools and some practice very acceptable joints of any type are possible and some that even a machine cannot replicate. In addition, and this is probably the crux of it, where is the skill and ultimate pleasure in cutting a dovetail by a machine, IMO it doesn't exist.
Forget the jig, go and invest in a LN dovetail saw and marker, read the Krenov books and marvel (if you haven't already) and start to do the tricky stuff by hand.
Having posted this, I'll back into my corner and await the verbal fisticuffs! - Rob

 

[Jake]

No fisticuffs, just think that however you choose to end up at the result is as good as another. If you like using a rat, use a rat. There is nothing inherently superior in using a saw and chisel instead. But if you get more pleasure out of the latter, use the latter. There's no moral or other sort of high ground there though. Just what you want to do in your spare (or working, but then time comes into it as well as pleasure) time.

 

[Alf]

Rob, have you read the thread? Have you familiarised yourself with the folks advocating the 'Rat? We could have a show of hands on who has a 'Rat and who has an L-N dovetail saw and who has both; you might be surprised. Have you familiarised yourself with the 'Rat? Evidentally not as you believe it's a dovetail jig. Sure you're not confusing it with a Leigh...? :twisted: :wink:

invest in a LN dovetail saw and marker

Bet all these professional cabinet-making companies of which you speak are knee-deep in those too... :wink: :lol:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

I'll throw my 2p's worth into the pond and muddy some waters.
Why. oh why, do you want to buy an expensive constructional jig, or any other jig for that matter. i've worked for two professional cabinet making companies and none of them used any sort of jig like a Rat as they are too complicated to use and take far too long to set up. One firm did have a Rat but it sat on a shelf gathering a huge amount of dust. Everyone though had their own personal router which was all singing and all dancing; the only jigs used with it were various fences/sole plate jigs. Dovetails were always cut by hand and if I'm not mistaken thats the main reason for buying a jig.
My early inspiration to do this craft was reading the books by Krenov. His work is almost entirely done by hand, including the final planing of huge bits of rosewood and padauk etc by hand with wooden planes. All dovetails are cut and finished by hand, though mortices are cut on a horizontal machine, designs literally produced on the back of a *** packet.
My point is that with good tools and some practice very acceptable joints of any type are possible and some that even a machine cannot replicate. In addition, and this is probably the crux of it, where is the skill and ultimate pleasure in cutting a dovetail by a machine, IMO it doesn't exist.
Forget the jig, go and invest in a LN dovetail saw and marker, read the Krenov books and marvel (if you haven't already) and start to do the tricky stuff by hand.
Having posted this, I'll back into my corner and await the verbal fisticuffs! - Rob

Rob

I didn't buy the Rat to cut through dovetails, I do always cut them by hand (see here) and absolutely love doing it. Also, I do use a LN DT saw :wink: :lol:

However, I don't much like cutting half blind DTs by hand as this takes ages. The rat will be used for these as well as M&T and sliding DTs + loads of other things.

 

[Anonymous]

Tony, congratulations on the addition of the Rat in your shop.

I just thought I would make a comment related to joinery on the Rat. Aldel has a page or two describing how to cut dovetails. .

Thanks for that Dave. I did see your advice posted on Aldel's rather brilliant site and relaised that a bit of care in settting the rat up is in order :wink:

 

[AndyBoyd]

Tony

I would not be without my RAT, love ity to death mainly for DTs tenons sliding dovetails etc :lol: