woodrat mods

[Johnboy]

Tony PM'd me asking for details of the mods to my woodrat and I said I would post some details here.

The mod is the addition of a pivoting plate under the router mounting plate. This allows the the cutting of dovetail pins without messing about removing the guide rails and fitting the button. I cut the pins to marked lines rather than by the method in the manual so having a movable pivot position is not required. This is an overall view. Tha new plate is 3mm MDF, I had intended to make an ally one but haven't bothered yet.

This shows the plate pivoted to the left.

This is the pivot point. The smaller dia must be long enough so that when the new plate is screwed down it doesn't bind up. I made it a bit long hence the plastic shim it the photo.

2 new fixing holes are drilled and tapped in the main channel as the existing inner ones are covered by the new plate.

Hole drilled and tapped for the pivot plate locking knob.

I cut the tails on the 'rat then mark up the pins from these and then cut to the lines. This is quick and accurate. I have also cut the tails by hand then used this method to cut the pins on the 'rat.

Hope you are still awake!!

John

 

[woodbloke]

Hope you are still awake!!

John

As you asked...no don't do rats or any sort of d/t jigs - Rob

 

[Aled Dafis]

I like!!!!! That's just gone to the top of my to do list.

Setting the rat up for cutting the pins has always put me off, so I've always roughed the pins out by moving the router back and forth, and then pared to the line using chisels. My method worked, but was far from ideal.

Thanks John, I'll get onto it next week.

Cheers

Aled