WoodRat Poll

[Randal Stevenson]

As your wife said, I do have the extra jiggery, and I think I could do it with the EZ (in my case). In fact, thanks for the idea to read the manual. I've been trying to figure out how to do dovetails with the EZ and I kept thinking of other jigs like Woodlines Route-R-Joint to use with the EZ, but now, I think (like I've done before), I am overthinking things. I think I might still need a template for fancy shaped dovetails, though.

But I have a friend who uses a router 90% of the time. This might be better for him. However getting him to give up the table (aka good luck).

[Frank Martin]

Bruce,

The price barrier I mentioned was mostly thinking that one would by Woodrat instead of other jigs, not in addition to those.

When I bought one, I had a Leigh D4 jig which I sold, but I had no other router jigs for joinery.

The other advantage of Woodrat is that it gives you a lot of capability in a very compact space, and it is always on the wall ready to use. This is very important to me as my shop is a one car garage.

I don't have one but I did get the video a few years ago. It looks like a very useful and versatile tool for sure and I'd love to have one if I could afford it. However, I have standard shop equipment and hand tools that will allow me to do pretty much anything that the Woodrat will do. They may possibly not be as convenient or easy as using the Woodrat, (depending on what you want to do) but I can get the job done for the most part. With that in mind, I would say that the price is a barrier. At least it is for someone like me who already has the standard WW tools. Sort of like buying an expensive European combo machine. I already have the jointer, planer, table saw, and EZ Smart and those will do whatever a combo machine will do. They just take up more space...But I already have them. For someone who's just starting out with their shop it's a different story. If I were in that position I'd definitely consider buying one. When I have more money I will also consider buying one. Now, where did I put that bag of money?

Bruce

[Ed Falis]

Great idea, Randal. Let us know if the methods there turn out useful with your EZ setup.

- Ed

[Rick Dohm]

I don't know anything about the WoodRat, and would certainly like to know more. Has anyone used the Joint Tech system (Cabinet Master, I think?). Sounds like it's similar, though maybe not quite as versatile.

Rick

[Gary Curtis]

The WoodRat functions much like a Milling Machine, with you providing the motion control, and the bit powered by a router of your choice. So it operates in 3-axis.

The wood is clamped to the main channel so you can make climb cuts safely. This is an improvement because climb cuts usually are a much smoother cut. The bit is always separated from the user by a thick phenolic plate, and there is dust collection. You use no templates or guides, and the American distributor now sells digital readout scales that position the cutter in two axis.

With little tooling you can cut highly precise Dovetails, Mortise & Tenons, Box (finger) Joints, Dowel Joints and a bunch more. Edge jointing with no limit on length is also possible. Cuts are also repeatable, for cookie-cutter production. All but one of the useful jigs needed are self-made. Downside is a learning curve and cost of tooling. Although now that the Festool Domino is out, the cost doesn't seem out of hand.

In most functions, the WoodRat replaces a router table. The Jointech works with your router table and gives you very precise joints and a kind of digital repeatability. Lots of templates and jigs to guide you through the various joints.

To get an image of the WoodRat, think CNC machine without the powered controls. Its real advantage is in making joints. For simply putting a roundover on an edge, get a router table.

Gary Curtis

[Rick Dohm]

I know nothing about the Wood Rat, but would like to. It's much easier to learn from others' experiences than from reading. Has anyone used the Joint Tech system (Cabinet Master, I think?) and how would it compare in joint making?

Rick

[Gary Curtis]

For a $6 investment, get the DVD showing most procedures. Available from Craftsman Gallery at www.chipsfly.com

It offers quite a tutorial -- more than 50 minutes worth. The WoodRat is hard to explain, for me at least. And my background was flight training on the 747 for an airline.

Gary Curtis

[Carl Crout]

The turnoff for me is that (I understand) that it is all in metric. I HATE METRICS..........

[Gary Curtis]

Well, there are two branches to this little 'country club' known as WoodRat World. From England, where the machine is made, dimensions printed in the manual and cutter sizes, are indeed metric.

But I bought my machine from the Craftsman Gallery (www.chipsfly.com) which manufactures accessories and a complete range of cutters here in the U.S. Those items - including the DRO gauges - read in English measure. On the two forums devoted to the WoodRat, users alternate between the two systems.

Even worse than metric I hear that the English drink their beer at room temperature. Talk about your 'radical departures'! Just kidding.

GC

[Michael Lutz]

I have looked at the Woodrat. I even looked at it before I had any other router jigs. The LOML wanted the Leigh Jig, so that was what we got. I also have since invested some money in equipment for a router table, which I hope to build in the next month or so. I currently don't have anything set up for doing mortices, but I was considering making a router mortiser similar to the one in Router Magic. The decsion on the mortiser jig essentially quashed the Woodrat need/want. I think that the dovetails it creates are very cool, many of which a difficult to duplicate by dovetail jigs. Something that it does are easier done on a table, such as edge profiling long moldings. I would find it difficult to spend the money on the woodrat at this time due to its overlapping capabilities with the rest of my router jigs and accessories, but I like the idea of it.

Mike

[Gary Curtis]

Michael,

It sounds like you have all that you need. In May, Mark Duginske gave a class here in Northern California. He commented briefly that for woodworkers are confronted with the challenge of not becoming 'gadgeteers'. I knew immediately the temptations he spoke of.

A WoodRat does not create furniture. The user must knowledgeably wield the machine. There is always that danger lurking, while thumbing through the beautiful 4-color brochures, of wanting to buy it all.

If a person has a Festool Domino, and a router table, and a Leigh Jig, that is enough. Enough is enough.

Gary Curtis

[Grant Lasson]

I really enjoy the woodrat. I've had one for a number of years. Like all specialty tools, I've had to make improvements. If you don't have one, I think it would probably be best not to guess what it can and cannot do. With a little creativity, it's handled a number of unusual jobs quite well. It handles the normal jobs extremely well.

[Rick LoDico]

I'm sure I'll never own one. I have an FMT and a dovetail jig.

[Carl Crout]

Could I use the Woodrat to make a chair bottom. In other words if I made one, as a template would it follow the chairs contours?

[Carl Crout]

I watched part of the video. It looks like you would have to do a lot of "eyeballing" to line up the joints. In other words If I don't line up the pointer EXACTLY with the template won't the joint be off?