Woodrat

[jamesmoc]

Bought a woodrat last week and was apprehensive given the various discussion regarding comparisons with the router boss; must say i am delighted tho. I've gone from someone who couldn't cut a decent dovetail to save my life to producing some nice joints. No notice of slop in the rail, sagging or any of the other reported failings.

Would post a pic of the first trial joints.... if I could - from handcut to clean box joint in an hour......I'm impressed with the unit and it has suddenly increased my (very limited) capability exponentially!!

Jim

 

[woodsworth]

welcome to the secret woody club dont' tell anyone that you are a member though i'll just deny it's existence.

 

[TheTiddles]

So long as you maintain that you like robust, wide pins nobody will ever know...

Aidan

 

[jamesmoc]

Just finished a cutlery drawer insert, nice 3mm finger joints at the corners and sliding dovetails for the partitions with a rebated base. I'm absolutely delighted and right now wide, robust joints (which these aren't) will do me just fine considering these types of joints were beyond my skill level last week. I am fairly new to woodwork and am delighted with this purchase so far and particularly the accuracy.

Now to move onto a larger piece of furniture.....

Jim

 

[Chris Knight]

So long as you maintain that you like robust, wide pins nobody will ever know...

Aidan

Actually, that is dead wrong. The Rat can be used to cut slender pins using their special cutters - even more slender than you might actually want for a really strong joint. Also, the variable spacing you can create makes it hard - I'd say impossible to say that the joint was not cut by hand.

 

[devonwoody]

And dont forget a half pin at each edge is a more stable joint according to dedicated craftsmen. :wink:

 

[jamesmoc]

Thanks for the advice on the pins.

I didn't want to argue as I am certainly no expert, but I bought a set of the HSS cutters with the woodrat and from my investigations prior to buying the rat, they are about as slender as you can get, hence as close to hand cut as you can get without actually hand cutting the dovetails.

Now to try the m&t joints on something else.

J

 

[devonwoody]

And a tenon should be 1/3rd thickness :wink: according to things I have learnt.