Router Boss

[Greg Hines, MD]

Does anyone use or have experience with a Router Boss? Their videos are pretty slick (link here: http://www.chipsfly.com/instructional-videos.html) though the price is a bit high for a weekend woodworker (link: http://www.chipsfly.com/category/M.html). Does anyone have one or have used it?

Thanks,

Doc

[Dennis Lopeman]

I had my eye on that a couple years ago!! Looks really cool.

How about the Magic Saw??? Anyone have one of those? I want one!!!!!! Check out the VID on the bottom of your link, Doc.

[Loren Woirhaye]

I use a Woodrat sometimes, which is similar. It does tenoning well on square parts under a certain length (part has to be mounted vertically so unless you want to move the tool to a higher location, the height limit is about 48") without too many setup hassles. It can trim tenon thickness on small tenons pretty well and it makes a nice shoulder. On tenons on stock greater than about 2" wide the part has to be mounted in such a way that he fine control of tenon thickness is lost, but you can do test cuts and establish stops for the router travel on the push/pull axis to get duplicability for several parts. Since the part references against the face of the jig and the part is not flipped, inconsistencies in part thickness are not a problem when tenoning.

It does end mortising well. Setting it up for edge mortising is not something I have done. The clamps get in the way so you'd have to remove them and attach some sort of fixture to mortise edges. Realistically it's faster to use a simple jig with a plunge router and fence or some sort of mortiser.

In terms of dovetails, it's pretty cool. I've done some tests, never for a project, but it can do some nice ones. While it may twist your brain a bit to learn to dovetail with these jigs, it's really not that complicated.

[Dave Richards]

Hi Doc, I've got a Router Boss and really like it. I still have a WoodRat, too, but my brother has it in his shop now. Both are good but I like the Router Boss much better. Drop me a PM if you'd like to chat about it.

[Joe Scharle]

I've had a Woodrat for many years and use it a lot. The Router Boss is a 'digital' version of the Woodrat and if I were to buy today, it would be the Router Boss. With shop made or purchased jigs, the machines can do many things well. BTW, edge mortises are made easily by using a 'mortise rail'.
You must have good spatial relations ability to use the machines effectively, especially when dovetailing since you're looking here to make a cut there. And since there are no limits to the size of dovetail bits, this is not a dovetail jig, but actually a joinery machine. If you construct the necessary supports, then you can use the machine as a right side up router table. You can cut slots, edge molding, sliding dovetails, cut box joints (including irregular spacing), as well as floating tenon mortises. Which is what I use if it'll never be seen because of their superior strength. If you go with a Woodrat, get the full sized model WR5; the small one had shortcomings, IMO.

There's also a Woodrat User Group and many hits on google.

[Dave Richards]

To be clear, the Router Boss has optional digital readouts for all three axes.

[Rich Riddle]

The inventor of the Router Boss addressed our woodworking club in Cincinnati last year. When the members allowed him to talk about the tool and not his company, it was very informative. It looks like a good system. When Hardwood Lumber and More was in business, he demonstrated it several times there. If you need that type of tool, I would consider it.

[Frank Martin]

I have had a WoodRat for 10 years and did all my dovetails, box joints, lose tenon joinery and all other kinds of joints and controlled cuts with this system. I really like the template-free approach. Recently, upgraded to a Router Boss when a used one became available at a good price. Have not had much use with it, but I like it a lot more than the WoodRat as it has many improvements over it, from eliminating the famous rattle, having much better dust collection, digital measurement options, abundant t-tracks, etc.

Once you get the hang of how it works, it is fairly straightforward. Yes it does cost more than a good dovetail jig, but does a lot more than just that. Think of it as a joinery platform as it can do pretty much any joinery.