Last September 16, Hurricane Ivan pushed five feet of salt water through my
shop. For various reasons, it was about two weeks before I could get in to
sort out the tumbled sheets of plywood and dig for tools. Most of them,
including the Jet cabinet saw with the Jessem router lift, had rusted beyond
repair. Since then I've been working to restore the house. (SWMBO: "Now
that we're down to the studs we should invite everyone to an open house.")
I'm retired, and the time I spend working on the house is saving enough of
the flood insurance that I can put the shop back even better than it was.

Because I needed to get started on the kitchen cabinets, I decided to buy a
router table rather than make one. So, I got:
- a Bench Dog 40-037 Complete Router Table System
- a Bench Dog 40-016 ProLift Max Router Top-Adjustment System
- a Bench Dog 40-025 Panel Hold Down and Safety Accessory
- a Porter-Cable 7518 3-1/4 HP Speedmatic 5-Speed Router

So, here's the problem: I watched a Wood Rat video and read a lot of reviews
and comments by owners. The things listed above are still in the original
boxes, though I've had them past Amazon's 30-day return policy. I think I'd
be better off with the Wood Rat because it would take up less space in my
17x17 shop, and I wouldn't have to buy dovetail or mortising tools.

I could use advice from anyone who's actually used a Wood Rat on whether or
not I should swap out for it, and I could use advice on the best way to sell
what I have. (I have a Bosch plunge router to use with the Wood Rat.) The
insurance money is not infinite, and we just had to replace SWMBO's '94
Escort.

The other morning SWMBO wakes up and says, "In the middle of the night I
realized that if we don't use the furring strips to shim the drywall out to
where the plaster was, the old crown molding that we saved will be too
short."

Thanks for any help, and thanks for everything I've learned from you when I
DAGS.

Lionel
Pensacola, FL

Lionel wrote:
Last September 16, Hurricane Ivan pushed five feet of salt water through my
shop. For various reasons, it was about two weeks before I could get in to
sort out the tumbled sheets of plywood and dig for tools. Most of them,
including the Jet cabinet saw with the Jessem router lift, had rusted beyond
repair.

man, that sucks.




Since then I've been working to restore the house. (SWMBO: "Now
that we're down to the studs we should invite everyone to an open house.")

I like her sense of humor.




I'm retired, and the time I spend working on the house is saving enough of
the flood insurance that I can put the shop back even better than it was.

silver lining....






Because I needed to get started on the kitchen cabinets, I decided to buy a
router table rather than make one. So, I got:
- a Bench Dog 40-037 Complete Router Table System
- a Bench Dog 40-016 ProLift Max Router Top-Adjustment System
- a Bench Dog 40-025 Panel Hold Down and Safety Accessory
- a Porter-Cable 7518 3-1/4 HP Speedmatic 5-Speed Router

So, here's the problem: I watched a Wood Rat video and read a lot of reviews
and comments by owners. The things listed above are still in the original
boxes, though I've had them past Amazon's 30-day return policy. I think I'd
be better off with the Wood Rat because it would take up less space in my
17x17 shop, and I wouldn't have to buy dovetail or mortising tools.

I could use advice from anyone who's actually used a Wood Rat ....

I'll be following this thread.



The other morning SWMBO wakes up and says, "In the middle of the night I
realized that if we don't use the furring strips to shim the drywall out to
where the plaster was, the old crown molding that we saved will be too
short."

she's a keeper.

I've got the WoodRat, the full-sized version. I've had it since April,
but it sits unused in a box until my new home and shop are constructed.

In that period, I've had time to read through the manual 4 times, to
watch the DVD demo 2 or 3 times, and have asked (pestered) people on
the 3 WoodRat chatrooms.

So while I'm not an experienced woodworker, or truly a WoodRat user,
here's what I've learned.

For joints of any kind, the WR can't be matched. In particular,
dovetails coming out looking hand cut. On these joints, set-up might be
painful, so WR experts tell me the machine is superior to repetative
operations. By gang cutting, you could make 10 drawer pieces at a time.
For making one-of-a kind pieces, other methods might excel.

And, with a WR, you can use a straight bit just like a Milling Machine
does, to bore holes, cut rabbets, mortise, cut tenons, chamfer, do a
raised panel. That's a lot of multi-functionality from just a single
bit.

The DVD (for $5 from CHIPSFLY.COM) is a complete education in jointery.
It is amazing. There is a bit of a learning curve to the WR, but once
you get used to manipulating the router and wood in 3-dimensions,
you'll never want to go back.

I also plan to buy the benchtop BenchDog router table for those jobs
where the WR is useless =97 such as very long edge forming, routing with
templates, or routing inside a cut-out (such as a drawer bottom
groove). Very large cutters, such as Panel Raisers or Rail/Stile, are
safer on a table

Be advised =97 the WR will cost you $700. Tooling and accessories will
nearly double that figure. But there are some advantages here. I've got
the digitized depth scale. And the Laser Guide. Both give you machinist
precision. Especially good for dovetails and dowel drilling and such.

And, the dovetail cutters are made of High Speed Steel, so they are far
more delicate than Carbide, but they allow for narrower profile that
gives a handmade look to your furniture. Carbide gives that King Kong
clutsiness to woodworking that you find in Singapore shipping crates.

The pricing at the Craftsman Gallery (chipsfly.com) is quite fair. And
the way they treat customers is the best. Call them with questions, and
you'll find the most experienced woodworker you've met on the other end
of the line.

Here's the three WR websites. Look for the FORUM button at the bottom
of the screen.

chipsfly.com
woodrat.com
ukworkshop.co.uk (look under power tools)

Gary Curtis
Los Angeles
310 478-4139

wrote in message
oups.com...

I also plan to buy the benchtop BenchDog router table for those jobs
where the WR is useless such as very long edge forming, routing with
templates, or routing inside a cut-out (such as a drawer bottom
groove). Very large cutters, such as Panel Raisers or Rail/Stile, are
safer on a table

Gary Curtis
Los Angeles

Other than the potential problem with large bits, I thought I could do these
things with a hand-held router. Am I missing something? And how about
vertical bits for raised panels?

Lionel

One WoodRat owner in England says he uses his machine with Vertical
Panel bits.There is a limit to the side clearance on the WR router
table. The bit must extend down and through the aperture. Shoot a
question to the guys at Craftsman Gallery about that.

Your issue about saving space is a vital one. I've seen dozens of
shops, mostly garages, where the owner has to wiggle through stored
junk and machines just to maneuver from front to back. Absolutely
crazy, and dangerous. Being mounted on the wall, the WR is a dream.

And you don't need the following jigs, so more space is saved:
Mortise jig
Tenon jig
Miter jig
Dovetail jig
Dowel jig

Not to mention all the crazy bits and pieces that go with these. That
get lost.

My WoodRat came with a DeWalt 625 Router. I don't know why your Bosch
would present a problem. With the machine sitting directly ahead of you
at nearly eye-level, depth adjustment seems easy.

As accessories, WoodRat makes and sells these jigs:
Mortise Clamping
Box
Multi-Angle Clamping
Mitre

But they openly tell you to make your own, except for the Multi-Angle.
That one is machined by a CNC and requires great precision.

And you're right about some things best done with a hand router. I'm
not buying the BenchDog until I actually have a need. I'm only
repeating what several WR owners have told me about needing a table.

I just want to avoid $400-600, not to mention the valuable floor space.

Gary

One WoodRat owner in England says he uses his machine with Vertical
Panel bits.There is a limit to the side clearance on the WR router
table. The bit must extend down and through the aperture. Shoot a
question to the guys at Craftsman Gallery about that.

Your issue about saving space is a vital one. I've seen dozens of
shops, mostly garages, where the owner has to wiggle through stored
junk and machines just to maneuver from front to back. Absolutely
crazy, and dangerous. Being mounted on the wall, the WR is a dream.

And you don't need the following jigs, so more space is saved:
Mortise jig
Tenon jig
Miter jig
Dovetail jig
Dowel jig

Not to mention all the crazy bits and pieces that go with these. That
get lost.

My WoodRat came with a DeWalt 625 Router. I don't know why your Bosch
would present a problem. With the machine sitting directly ahead of you
at nearly eye-level, depth adjustment seems easy.

As accessories, WoodRat makes and sells these jigs:
Mortise Clamping
Box
Multi-Angle Clamping
Mitre

But they openly tell you to make your own, except for the Multi-Angle.
That one is machined by a CNC and requires great precision.

And you're right about some things best done with a hand router. I'm
not buying the BenchDog until I actually have a need. I'm only
repeating what several WR owners have told me about needing a table.

I just want to avoid $400-600, not to mention the valuable floor space.

Gary